Crayola gets into recycling business, lets young artists mix th

EASTON, Penn. -- If you have a child who is old enough to draw, chances are you also have a minefield of broken crayons scattered throughout your home.

The folks at Crayola, who estimate that a kid will wear down about 730 crayons before reaching age 10, have come up with a clever -- if somewhat pricey and complicated -- way to recycle that annoying waxy buildup.

The Crayola Crayon Maker -- a tabletop device that uses heat from a 60-watt candelabra bulb to melt crayon nubs, then dumps the molten wax into molds -- will be at major toy retailers this month.

The plastic gizmo, which will sell for about $30, allows kids age 8 and older -- with adult supervision strongly recommended -- to make new crayons from old and create psychedelic color blends.

Here's how it works: Once you've used your handy Phillips screwdriver to open the device, inserted the bulb (which you must supply) and installed the mold, you plug it in, and you're ready to roll your own crayons.

Oh, wait. First you have to peel the wrappers off the crayon bits, which should be about an inch long. Don't even think of using non-Crayolas, the manufacturer says, because their ingredients could affect melt time. And don't use crayon shavings either, in case you just happen to have some lying around.

Put your naked crayon bits in the three-compartment melt tray -- we mixed "mauvelous" with gray to get a new corporate-cubicle color crayon; yellow with Caribbean green; and orchid, white and periwinkle to produce swirly-twirly tie-dye effects.

Close the see-through, self-locking lid, and crank the timer knob. The bulb lights up and begins to throw off wax-melting heat. The timer emits a loud (and annoying) sound, and ticks away for 10 to 12 minutes, while you watch the crayons melt and inhale the unmistakable aroma of hot Crayola.

When the light goes off, you twist the "pour control" knob, and the liquefied wax cascades into the mold.

Then you get to wait another 10 minutes or so while the device cools and the new crayon is born, neatly tapered point and all. When the machine automatically unlocks, you remove the crayons and let them harden. You can make up names for the new colors, print them on the blank wrappers provided -- there are 18 -- and enrobe the crayons.

To capitalize on the launch of the new toy, Crayola is running a contest to choose a word for those nubs, stubs and bits of worn-down crayon.

You can learn more about the "Dub the Nub" contest and the crayon maker by visiting www.crayola.com.