We're excited to feature this Valentine's Day craft the kids will love making with you. They'll be proud of their handiwork and excited to give these allergy-friendly heart crayons to classmates and playmates. Definite smile bringers!
Thank you Lauren Foti, creative force behind The Craft Room NJ, for sharing this (genius!!) craft with our community.
“You can’t use up creativity. The more you use the more you have.”
—Maya Angelou
Hi! I’m Lauren Foti, crafty creator behind The Craft Room NJ (@thecraftroom.nj) and mom to three {very} busy boys. Henry, my oldest, is ANA allergic to a long list of foods, though his dairy allergy is the one that gives us fits and seems to impact his day-to-day the most.
I don’t know about you, but as a food allergy mom, I don’t love the emphasis on giving out candy and other food treats for Valentine’s Day, especially at the risk of excluding friends who might not be able to eat what you share, or worse yet, be harmed by it.
When you’re trying to say “I appreciate you!” and “You matter to me!” to your friends, I think non-food treats are inclusive and just as special, if not more so when they’ve been handmade with love.
Henry and I make our Valentine’s Day crayons each year to share with his classmates who love them. I want to share this easy and fun craft with you to do with the kids for Valentine’s Day. It's the perfect way to spend a Saturday afternoon. These crayons are awesome!
Get craft details and get going…
Allergy-Friendly Valentine’s Day Heart-Shaped Crayons
Materials to gather
Heart Shaped Silicone Molds **see tip #1 with suggestions on where to buy them
A box of at least 96 crayons to make enough Heart Crayons for your child's class plus some extras to keep for yourself (because they're so cute!) OR, use up your broken crayon odds and ends. **see tip #2
Small plastic bags for packaging the heart crayons — enough for your child’s class **see tip #3
Ribbon or string for tying the gift bags. (Tape works too!)
An uncluttered work surface (e.g., the kitchen table, a kitchen countertop, a desktop, the floor)
Let’s get started!
Remove the paper wrappers from all the crayons. ** see tip #4 that'll save you time
Break the crayons up into tiny pieces (~½”.) Smaller pieces will melt better.
Fill the heart cavities in the mold about all the way to the top with the crayon pieces. **see tip #5
Heat your oven to 275 Degrees Fahrenheit.
Place silicone molds with crayon pieces onto a baking tray for stability.
Bake for ~20 minutes until all the crayon pieces are melted.
Remove from the oven (carefully) and allow to fully cool.
Once fully cooled, pop out of molds and package in tiny plastic bags that you can tape or tie with ribbon or string. **see tip #6
This video walks you through making the crayons A to Z
Tips
1. Finding Silicone Molds
You can find heart molds at Michaels or Amazon. I like this one or this one from Michaels. From Amazon, this mold could work, too! Having a couple molds will make the project go more quickly. Keep in mind that the bigger the cavities in the mold, the more crayons you’ll need for the project. You can re-use the molds year after year. Plus, they can be used to make other things like candy or soap after you wash them out and dry them well.
2. Sourcing Crayons
We collect broken crayons all year long so that we can recycle and give them a new life. But if you don’t have a broken stash, you can find inexpensive boxes of crayons from your local dollar store.
3. Plastic Bags To Use For Packaging
To package the crayons for your child's classmates you can use small Ziploc bags, but they might be a bit too roomy. Party favor treat bags work well. You can find them at Michaels or on Amazon.
4. Removing Crayon Wrappers Made EASY
Use a pin to slice the crayon wrappers before peeling them off. It will cut your time in half!
5. Filling The Heart Cavities In The Mold—Think Rainbows!
Encourage your kids to express their creativity by mixing and matching the crayon colors they use.
6. A Final Suggestion For Packaging
The packaged heart crayons are the perfect size to tie or staple to your child’s Valentine’s Day cards for their friends. Or put the Valentine card in the bag with the crayon.
These Heart Crayons are a great alternative to candy for Valentine’s Day gift giving and your kids will be so proud to share something they made themselves that’s fun to use!
BUILDING CONFIDENCE THROUGH CREATIVITY
PS: This is a craft you can do for lots of other food-centric holidays. We’ve made pumpkin crayons for Halloween and bunnies for Easter!
The Craft Room NJ is a creative escape for all ages, where I guide students and help them bring their creative visions to life through crafting, embroidery, sewing, and more. You can check out The Craft Room NJ on Instagram for ideas and inspiration. Or, visit The Craft Room NJ in person where you can learn, craft and create. You can find The Craft Room's upcoming in-person workshops here. There is no greater sense of satisfaction than making something with your own hands that you imagined and designed in your mind.
About the Author: Lauren Foti and her 3 sons live by the beach in her hometown Cape May, New Jersey. Creativity, fun, music, and adventure are a priority for their family. Lauren has been sewing and crafting for over 20 years and sharing it with her children brings her the greatest joy. Being together as a family, making safe treats, watching sunsets, kitchen dance parties...these are a few of their favorite things. Follow their sweet life at the beach @thecraftroom.nj.
Images: Lauren Foti from The Craft Room NJ