Art to Melt Over

I like to start the year off with a fun, attention grabbing art project to set the tone for the year and get the kids (and their families) hooked on second grade because if they aren't begging for more school by the end of the first week my job over the next nine months is a lot harder.

Melted crayon art was all the rage last year, with the junior high art class becoming the envy of the school, so I decided to hook my kids with a spin on this "old" favorite. It took some coordinating, more for bigger classes, but it was well worth the effort for the looks of pride on the kids faces when they received a special invitation down to the 6th grade classroom to present on how they'd created their masterpieces.

Step 1: We put down a large piece of butcher paper to put the canvases on so the splatter wouldn't get on the carpet. But, it also gave the kids something to pull up over their legs so like the carpet they were safe from splatter.


Step 2: Each student picked three crayons and peeled the paper half way down on each.
2 similar colors and one contrasting color, like red, pink, and blue.

 Step 3: We used a hair dryer to melt the crayons until the wax dripped onto the canvas.
Note: I held the crayon for this step due to wax splatter concerns. Next time I'll probably give them protective gloves and have them do this part.

Step 4: The kids then used the blow dryer to move the wax across the canvas spreading in the direction they wanted, as thin or thick as they wanted.

 Step 5: We repeated this process 3 or 4 times per student to get a deep layered effect.