Waste Not! Save the Broken Crayons

So I bought my children Handmade Crayon RollUps for Christmas in 2011- and it came with an AWESOME Rainbow Crayon.
Who Doesn't Love A Rainbow Crayon....

Well they actually just discovered it about a week ago (January 2013)
It brought back memories of when I taught Preschool- My first Child was about 3 and of course I bought an Awesome Crayon Maker for all those Peeled Crayon Nubs left in the Communal crayon buckets at the end of the day.
Of Course that one is LONG Gone!  That first child is now 13 and we have added to our family and now have a 5 year old and a 2 year old.
We all went to Wally World and were picking out a Birthday present for a classroom friend and came across the Crayola Crayon Maker on CLEARANCE!
Clearance?  Yes I LOVE CLEARANCE-  it was a Bargain at $10 we all decided.  Would have made a great Birthday Present-  But we voted and decided to take that baby home with us- Along with a $1.97 Box of Crayons.

My 13 Year old, 5 Year old, and 2 year old were off to make crayons!
Gordon skimmed the directions and put a light bulb in- (we only had the one from our scentsy pot at 25 watts so we knew it would take longer than directions that states a 60 watt would be needed.).

Now Let the PEELING Commence!  This was the FUN part-  Fun for all ages-  I even joined in on this part.  This was great for all age levels.  Of course if your a teacher or have a crayon stash in your home there is no need to buy new crayons to peel.

Next time to place the broken pieces in the tray-  I am sure there is a method to get a better swirl but for this one they just piled all different colors in.

There are 2 trays so you can make 2 crayons at one time-

Now Close and Turn the Timer-  The safe feature is great and makes me feel secure having my 2 year old sitting next to the machine.  It Locks till the timer and light go off.  Trust me we learned this the hard way lol.

The waiting game begins......it took 2 turns of the timer because of the low wattage bulb-  but the kids just continued to Peel Crayons while they waited.

Once they are melted and timer and light are off- just use the lever on the side to tilt the trays- the liquid pours directly in the mold-

We left ours in the mold for about 15 minutes then removed.  The crayons were still a bit too soft to immediately color with I may warn you.  We put ours in the freezer for a bit.

In the End we had 3 HAPPY kids- How often does that happen-  ALL THREE HAPPY at once.  They played around their little table with this Crayon maker for about 3 hours-  Yes there was a little pushing and shoving(mainly the 2 year old LOL)... but so much fun.  My husband and I were on the couch behind them and I was feeling so blessed to be home on a Friday night watching my 3 children- Not on a Video Game-  Not on a Cell Phone texting- Not glued to the TV-  They were spending Quality Time together.  The Giggles, Laughs, and Lots of Kisses was well worth the $10 Crayola Crayon Maker no matter what the outcome.
They were not the Rainbow Crayons that they first sought out to make but that did not matter.

Here are some other Videos and Tips on other ways to make New Crayons out of your Old Crayon Stubs.  
Let us know what your experience has been with the Crayola Crayon Maker or other methods-  We would love to see.  If you have a Photo post on our Crafty Moms'R'us Page on facebook!

Crayola Crayon Maker Demo This is a Great YouTube Video showing the Crayola Crayon Maker in Action.

This Method Looks Really Interesting and Uses items that can be found at home-
Find instructions here- How to Make Rainbow Crayons using Pill Bottles

Or try the Old School Method-  Cupcake Pan and Old Crayon Nubs- Old School Method

Friday Feature

The Couture Candy Store

This past week I purchased an item from The Couture Candy Store    and I couldn't have been happier with my purchase!  If you're looking for quality jewelry, at reasonable prices then this is the place to shop!  Plus, the customer service is fantastic, I received my item so quickly!  

Now, after browsing through more photos, I know I will be back to purchase more!  There are 2 special little girls in my life who would LOVE these softball bracelets!

 I recently  had the chance to chat with Natasha, the owner of The Couture Candy Store ...

 When did you open your shop?

I opened my shop November 2011.

 What motivated you to start?

 I was motivated to open a shop because I love jewelry and felt I was over paying for the pieces I wanted. It started with making pieces for myself, then my friends and took off from there.

 I have to say, the prices in The Couture Candy Store really are so reasonable!

Are your items handmade?

 Most of my items are handmade but I have several pieces that are not handmade. - I mainly make bracelets.

Where/how/when did you learn your craft?

 I'm self taught. I've always been very crafty. I also look online for tips from people have been doing it a lot longer. 

What is your favorite part about what you do? 

My favorite part is when I get to make custom orders. I love making things special for just that person. I also love that people now ask me how they should wear their jewelry!

Least favorite?
My least favorite part is stepping on beads! They always roll on to the floor and I always step on one! 

Ha!  I can relate.  Except in this house it's Legos!

What inspires you?  I'm inspired by the latest trends. I also try to stay up to date with them and provide the best pieces to my customers at reasonable prices.

 

Your favorite item from your shop is ... 

I like all my items! I really can't pick a favorite.

What do you like to do when you're not crafting? 

When I'm not crafting I'm with my family. I have a 8 year old daughter and a husband that I just love spending time with. 

And just for fun ...
If you could have lunch with any 3 people (alive or dead, famous or not), who would they be and why?

My mom: She died when I was 18 and I miss her dearly and have so many things to tell her.
Marilyn Monroe: just because I love her
Brad Pitt: No need to explain

I really just cannot say enough about my shopping experience at The Couture Candy Store.     If you're looking for beautiful, quality pieces at the most reasonable prices, then this is the shop for you!  And as an added bonus, you'll receive lightning fast service.  I cannot wait to go back to order more!  

Check out The Couture Candy Store    and  like them on Facebook! They are sure to become your favorite jewelry shop as well!  You can also email Natasha directly at thecouturecandystore@yahoo.com.  Don't forget, she does custom orders!

Be sure to come back on Monday when we will announce the details for another giveaway!  The Couture Candy Store is sponsoring this one and one lucky winner will win this fabulous set!

 

 

 

 

 

Monday Magic Winner!

We have a winner for the January 28th, 2013 Monday Magic giveaway.

Drum roll please ...

The winner is ....

MELISSA POINTER! 

Congratulations, Melissa!  Please contact Tami of Shelby Ryan Boutique to claim your prize!  You can use the message button on her Facebook page or email shelby_ryanboutique@hotmail.com

Stay tuned, we will feature another shop tomorrow and offer another giveaway on Monday.  You don't want to miss your chance to win!

Monday Magic

Magic, I tell you!

One lucky reader is going to comment below and ...

*POOF*

Just like magic, they will be the lucky winner of a fabulous prize from Shelby Ryan Boutique . (Told ya Tami was pretty cool!) 
If you haven't read about this wonderful shop, be sure to check out last week's Friday Feature!

Here are the giveaway details ...

 

Tami, of Shelby Ryan Boutique is offering a surprise gift to one of our readers.  You let Tami know the age and gender of your child (newborn-child size) and SURPRISE! she will create a custom item just for you! 

It's simple to enter!  Just choose your favorite item from Shebly Ryan Boutique  and comment below letting us know what it is.  It's that easy!  Just comment and you'll be entered!   We will use random.org to choose one winner. 
Oh, and just for fun, you will receive an extra entry for any friend of yours who comments and lets us know that you sent them. 

So, spread the word and share with your friends, anyway you'd like!

Contest starts with this post and will end on Wednesday, January 30th.  Winner will be announced on Thursday, January 31, 2013.