I’m usually in the kitchen baking something yummy, but this weekend my son and I made heart crayons. We started this Valentine tradition a few years ago when one of our friends gave out these valentines. The kids bring home so much candy in their valentines (not that there’s anything wrong with that), but this is something fun and unexpected. The original idea was submitted to the Family Fun website. It’s very simple and a great way to get rid of all of those worn down crayons that find their way to the bottom of the crayon box. The heart molds are inexpensive and pretty easy to find this time of year. Michael’s and Target both carry them. We have found that the best way to do this is for the parent to take an Exacto knife and run it down the length of the crayon wrappers. The child can then remove the wrappers and break up the crayons. Peeling the wrapper by hand is frustrating for everyone. Some of the sayings that Family Fun came up with that kids can write on their valentines are listed below.

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 250°.

2. Fill each mold with crayon pieces and bake until the crayons melt, about 10 to 15 minutes. Tip: Place a sheet pan under the crayons to catch any drips.

3. Once they’re cool, remove the hearts from the molds and smooth any rough edges by rubbing them on a piece of scrap paper.

4. Use small pieces of foam tape to stick each heart to a 3-inch circle cut from card stock, then add your message.

Suggested messages: