Color outside the Lines

The neighborhood has changed the block I blog on to Crafts and Scrapbooking. So, in addition to scrapbooking articles you may see some regular crafting ideas from me now and then as well. The topic today--Crayons.

Do you remember getting a new box of crayons each year as a child? This is one of my favorite back-to-school memories. I still love opening a new box of crayons and experiencing their rich colors, perfectly shaped tips, and waxy smell. They hold the promise of creative vistas to be explored.

The bigger the box of crayons, of course, the better since that means even more colors to choose from. In honor of the 50th anniversary of the 64 Crayon Box from Crayola (did you know the box made its premiere on the “Captain Kangaroo Show?”), the company has released a birthday box of sorts. It still has all your favorite colors, but as an added bonus also contains eight new Kids’ Choice Colors—colors that kids across the country voted on as “in” for 2008. Check out the front row of crayons on the right side in the picture below to see the colors kids picked—they’re all really bright and have fun names such as “bear hug,” “happy ever after” and “awesome.” You can read more about the new colors here.

Fun Crayon Facts:

*The first box of Crayola crayons was sold in 1903 for a nickel and included the same colors available in the eight-count box today: red, blue, yellow, green, violet, orange, black and brown.

*In the last 98 years, more than 100 billion Crayola crayons have been made.

*Blue is the number one favorite color.

*The average child wears down 720 crayons by their 10th birthday.

*According to a Yale University study, crayons are among the top 20 most recognizable scents to American adults.

*The average child in the United States will wear down 730 crayons by his 10th birthday

So, when's the last time you sat down with a box of crayons and let your creativity wander? Now is the time to put away that to-do list and play! And remember, it is perfectly okay to color outside the lines!

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