DIY Crayon Valentines

I bookmarked this tutorial over a year ago in anticipation for when Phoebe was old enough to start crafting and coloring.  Well that day has come, folks!  And there's still time for you to make some if you're scrambling around for Valentine's day tomorrow.

First I removed the paper from the crayons.   I read a tip that if you soak them in warm water first, then the paper slips right off.  Worked like a charm.

Then I chopped them into smaller pieces.  This is a great project for saving up all of those tiny pieces of broken crayons that accumulate over time.

Then I put Phoebe to work putting the pieces into these heart molds that I found at Target.  She had a blast because she's at that stage where she loves putting things into containers....

and dumping them out again.

This kept us busy for a good 20 minutes.

Then I popped these babies in a 275 degree oven, and basically just kept an eye on them.  A word of warning - make sure your molds are oven safe.  These weren't and were just starting to melt and tear as I took them out - but they got the job done.

Once they were cooled, Phoebe did a test run and found that they worked wonderfully for her chubby little hands.

And a great sugar-free alternative to your typical Valentine's day fare!