How to Make Crayons

While remembering our childhood learning days, we usually end up recalling those times when we often used to draw and color endlessly on any coloring page with crayons. Since the invention of crayons in 1903 done by the cousins, Edwin Binney and C. Harold Smith, crayons have become an essential component in every school. No other commercial product can match the versatility of crayons. They are not sharp or messy like other painting tools. The best part is that crayons are nontoxic and available in more than 120 colors. In fact, search for any drawing color and you will get in crayons. Let's take a look at how to make crayons.

Process for Making Crayons

Crayons, no doubt, play a major role in developing a child's creativity. Regarding the market standard of crayons, there are many brands that release specific types of crayons. For example, scented crayons, crayons that glow in dark, sparkling crayons and water-soluble crayons. The base component for making all these types of crayon are same; the additional color and scent are incorporated by supplementing specific ingredients during the crayon making process.

The basic ingredients in crayons are paraffin wax and pigments that impart specific color to the crayons. In commercial crayon making, the paraffin wax is heated first until it melts. Following this, specific amounts of crayon coloring agent and hardening powder are added to the hot liquid wax. After testing the density and viscosity of the liquid mixture, it is poured into a mold that consists of hundreds of crayon-shaped holes.

Once the liquid mixture cools down, it solidifies and forms crayons. Hardened crayons are removed from the mold by applying hydraulic pressure or other removal methods. Prior to packaging the crayons, the crayon sticks are manually checked for any defects. Well-solidified and uniform crayons are labeled and packed for release in the market. The wax leftovers or any rejected crayons are melted and recycled for further production of crayons. This is how crayons are made commercially on a large scale.

While speaking about homemade crayons, they can be made by using the following ingredients - cup soap flakes, food coloring (color as per your choice) and 1 tablespoon hot water. First of all, combine the soap flakes and hot water in a small mixing bowl. Stir well the mixture to form a fine paste. Add food coloring slowly pinch by pinch and stir each time, so that the food coloring is dissolved completely. Stop adding the color when you achieve the desired crayon color.

Add the paste into the candy molds carefully by using a small spoon. Make sure that there are no air bubbles within the molds. Leave aside the crayons and allow them to cool down completely. Then remove the crayons from the mold and leave them for a day. Follow the same procedure for making different colored crayons. If you wrap these homemade crayons in an attractive packing, then it makes a perfect personalized gift. You can also melt broken and unused crayons for making crayon chunks. One of the most interesting facts about crayons is that a child generally uses more than 700 crayon sticks before their 10th birthday.