Melted Crayon Heart Garland – Easy Valentine Craft for Kids

Why Kids Love This Valentine Craft

This project feels a little bit like magic — kids get to see crayon shavings melt and blend into beautiful, stained-glass–style hearts. Each one turns out differently, which makes the garland extra special.

It’s also:

• A great fine motor activity

• Perfect for color mixing exploration

• A fun way to create handmade Valentine decorations

Supplies Needed

• Old crayons (reds, pinks, purples, whites look great together)

• Wax paper

• Pencil sharpener or cheese grater (handheld)

• Iron

• Old towel

• Scissors

• Hole punch

• Ribbon or string

How to Make a Melted Crayon Heart Garland

1. Prepare the Crayons

Peel the paper off old crayons and break them into smaller pieces. This is a perfect way to reuse broken crayons that might otherwise get tossed.

2. Make Crayon Shavings

Use a small handheld pencil sharpener or a cheese grater to create crayon shavings. Sprinkle the shavings onto a sheet of wax paper.

Tip: Encourage kids to choose colors that blend nicely together, but let them experiment too — unexpected combinations can be beautiful.

3. Cover and Protect

Place another sheet of wax paper on top of the shavings to make a sandwich.

Lay an old towel on your ironing surface, place the wax paper on top, and fold the towel over it. This protects your iron in case wax seeps out. It usually does!

4. Melt the Crayons

With an adult handling the iron, press over the towel for about 20–40 seconds. The crayon shavings will melt and spread into a colorful design.

Let it cool completely before moving to the next step.

5. Cut Out Heart Shapes

Once cool, draw heart shapes on the wax paper and cut them out. Kids can practice careful cutting and shape recognition here.

6. Make the Garland

Use a hole punch to make a hole on each side of the heart.

Learning Connections

This Valentine craft can also be a fun mini science and art lesson.

Kids can explore:

• Color mixing and blending

• Changes in matter (solid crayon → melted liquid → solid again)

• Fine motor skills through cutting and tying

This melted crayon heart garland is an easy Valentine craft that turns simple supplies into colorful decorations kids are proud to display.

The Science Behind Melted Crayons

Crayons are made from wax and pigment. When heated, the wax melts into a liquid, allowing the colors to spread and blend. When the wax cools, it hardens again into a solid.

This is called a change of state — a physical change where a solid becomes a liquid and then solid again.

You can ask kids:

• What happened to the crayon when we heated it?

• Did we make a new material, or just change its form?

• What colors mixed together?

Fun Variations to Try

Sun Catchers
Instead of hearts, cut circles, stars, suns, or initials to hang in windows.

Layered Colors
Sprinkle one color first, melt lightly, then add another layer and melt again.

Name Hearts
Cut heart shapes, then use a hole punch to spell a name across a banner.

Classroom Door Decor
Each student makes one heart to create a collaborative class garland.

Ways to Use Your Heart Garland

• Hang across a window so sunlight shines through

• Decorate a classroom bulletin board

• Use as a Valentine party decoration

• String across a mantle or doorway at home

FAQ’s

Can you use a hair dryer instead of an iron?

No, a hair dryer doesn’t get hot enough to melt the wax evenly.

What kind of wax paper works best?

Standard kitchen wax paper works perfectly.

Can you use parchment paper?

No, crayons won’t stick well to parchment paper and the colors won’t blend the same way.