Whether it’s been a while since you’ve coloured with crayons or you’ve got a little artist, we’re looking at those crayon questions. From how are crayons made? To how to store crayons, we’re unpacking your crayon queries.

How are crayons made?

Crayons, also known as wax crayons, are a mix of paraffin wax and pigment. Crayons are typically melted in a mould and then wrapped with a paper label. Crayons are used for both colouring and drawing, they don’t leave too much mess behind and are generally safe for children, making them great for little artists and big artists too.

What are gel crayons?

Gel crayons or gel sticks are often smoother than wax crayons and have more of a lipstick-like consistency than regular crayons. Gel sticks are usually encased with a plastic body and either twist up or wind up.

What can crayons be used on?

Crayons can be used on a range of surfaces including paper, card, canvas, canvas panels and with mixed-media projects. Crayons work well on rough tooth paper, as the wax grips well to the textured tooth. Crayons can be used on canvas too, but they can sit in the weave and weft of the canvas making them a little harder to see, so try using them with mixed media like acrylics or oil pastels on a canvas panel or canvas instead.

Can you tell me how to make crayons smooth?

Crayons can be sharpened with a large pencil sharpener for little artists. Otherwise, try a hobby knife to sharpen your crayons, keeping the knife away from you. Sharpen the crayon away from yourself, slowly and at a slight angle, making sure the hobby knife blade is sharp.

I’m not sure how to store crayons, can you help?

Keep crayons in a cool, dry place away from the sun. You can keep crayons in a drawer or a glass jar with the top facing upwards.

Is there a way to stop crayons from breaking?

We’ve all been there before, but there is a handy fix to stop crayons from breaking. Grab some sticky tape and tape around the body of the crayon, this will reinforce the structure and stop them from snapping.

What are twistable metallics?

Our twistable metallics are soft like a gel stick with metallic pigment inside. They have much less wax inside compared to a crayon, plus they are water-based, making them great for creating watercolour effects and seamless blends.

How do I get crayon colours to look opaque?

Crayons are already quite light, so you might find an optical blend works best for layering colours to strengthen them. However, if you’re looking for richer colours then it’s good to try an oil pastel. Unlike crayons, you’ll find that oil pastels are much more opaque and blendable. 

How do I remove the crayon paper?

If you’re looking to create melted crayon art, you’ll need to remove the paper from the crayon first. To do this, you can tear the label off with your hands, leave the crayons to soak in water to remove the labels, or use a hobby knife.

Can you tell me how to melt crayons into molds?

You can actually melt crayons into moulds to create your own unique colours! To do this, remove the labels first, before placing the pieces in a microwave- safe bowl and heating the colours up one at a time. Heat in the microwave for a maximum for 2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds. (All microwaves are different so use this as a guide only). Once you have a runny consistency, you can pour the melted crayon into a silicone mould and let them cool completely.

Can you tell me how to melt crayons with a hair dryer?

You can also use a hair dryer to melt crayons and create your own abstract art! Again, remove all paper labels first, then use the heat from the hair dryer on a medium to hot setting to melt the crayons. 

How do I protect a crayon artwork?

Treat your crayon artworks like you would an oil pastel work. You’ll want to keep this behind glass with a mat board to keep the glass off of your artwork. Unlike oil pastels, crayons will actually dry so it’s best to wait until they have dried before placing an artwork behind glass. For more framing tips, check out our tips for framing your own artwork.

Get started and browse our crayon and twistable metallic ranges. Do you have a question for us? Reach out to us with your question on Instagram or Facebook, we’re always happy help.

Love these FAQs? Sign up to our Creative Connection and receive regular projects, inspos, tips and tricks, delivered straight to your inbox. To join, scroll to the bottom of our website and pop in your email, what are you waiting for!?