Crayons aren’t just for drawing and coloring. You can create unique works of art with ordinary crayons. These projects turn out so beautifully that no one would ever guess crayons were used.
When completed, this first project closely resembles a beautiful stained glass work of art. Hang the picture over a sunny windowpane, and it will illuminate like real stained glass!
For this craft project you will need waxed paper, a grater or crayon sharpener, poster board, an old pillowcase, clear thread, a paper punch, an iron, a ruler, a pencil, 2 suction hangers, and old crayons of various colors. Optional supplies are wood grain contact paper and markers.
Begin by tearing off a sheet of waxed paper approximately 3 feet in length. Smooth it down so it lies flat, or if necessary, put heavy items at the corners to hold it in place.
The next step is to grate or sharpen crayons of various colors. Create small piles of individual colors on the waxed paper. After you have several piles of various colors, arrange them in patterns of your choice. Be sure to leave about a 3-inch border around all the edges. After creating a pattern, rip off an additional piece of waxed paper approximately the same size as the first, and position it evenly over the other piece.
Preheat the iron, and lay an old pillowcase over the waxed paper. Iron the pillowcase until the crayon shavings melt. Allow the waxed paper to cool completely before handling.
Create a frame for the picture using poster board. You can either use colored poster board, or you can color white poster board with markers. Alternately you can cover the poster board frame with wood grain contact paper.
Make the frame by cutting two 6-inch strips of poster board that are the same length as the width of the waxed paper. Use a ruler to make it as even as possible. Fold the strips of poster board in half lengthwise, and glue them to the top and bottom of the finished picture. Allow the glue to dry completely before hanging.
To proudly display the finished project, use a paper punch to make holes in the top corners of the poster board frame. Cut a piece of clear thread to the appropriate length, and tie the ends to the holes. Attach suction hangers to a sunny window, and hang the finished work of art.
Another simple but beautiful crayon project uses watercolor paints and construction paper. For this project you will need white or light colored construction paper, watercolor paints, paintbrushes, water, newspapers, a paint shirt, crayons, and a crayon sharpener.
Before beginning, it’s important to make sure the crayons you intend to use have sharp points. Sharpened crayons make much more defined lines, and they are easier to use when coloring or drawing. Crayon sharpeners often come with larger boxes of crayons, or they can be purchased separately.
Begin by protecting your work area with several sheets of newspaper. You may want to also protect your clothing by wearing an old shirt over your good clothing.
Lay out a piece of construction paper, and draw a picture or random design using crayons. Be sure to draw only the shapes, outlines, and details. The paint will be used to color the picture.
When the design is finished, begin painting the picture using watercolor paints. The crayon will repel the water-based paint, giving the picture a unique quality and appearance. After painting the areas you wish to fill in, allow the picture plenty of time to dry. It may wrinkle slightly as it dries, but this is part of the unique texture of this project.
You can create beautiful pictures worthy of framing, or you can use your finished pictures as unique wrapping paper. Personalize the paper to match the gifts you intend to wrap. The recipients will be thrilled by your thoughtful gesture and the beautiful personalized wrapping paper. They probably won’t want to rip it open!
