A successful crowdfunding campaign backs the ambitions of two advertising executives to support a children’s charity by developing “Monster Crayons.”

Brisbane-born charity Act For Kids provides free, art-based therapy and support for children and families have a new, interesting project: The Monster Crayons. They were designed by two supporters,  Christian McKechnie and Ben Lees. 

There’s a reason behind these crayons – the duo’s motto is “every drawing takes away a child’s monster.” They hope that by creating funky crayons more children will be encouraged to draw and receive some art-based relief.

To bring the project to families and kids, the pair began crowdfunding last February. During their initial design stages, the duo used 3D printing to create functional molds. They then aimed to raise $20,000 to start manufacturing and distributing. 

Christian McKechnie told 612 ABC Brisbane’s Rachel Fountain: “We had a guy who gave $10,000 after we did an interview on the ABC and $20,000 was donated from other people who heard us. In the end, we got just under $30,000 in total — it’s been amazing.”

Therapists Gave the Inspiration for Monster Crayons

McKechnie and Lees came up with the monster crayons idea after speaking to therapists. The professionals explained that children who had been victims of abuse would draw monsters during art therapy classes.

As a result, the monster crayons idea was born. To design the initial crayons, McKechnie and Lees melted old crayons in saucepans and poured the colors into molds. However, to create more functional prototypes, the duo began using 3D printing to improve on the molds.

After a successful crowdfunding experience, 200 packs of crayons are now ready for sale. As well as this, 10.000 packs are also ready to be delivered at the beginning of next year. They are made from high-quality, safety-approved wax to give a great finish.

They will be sold in a pack containing four different monster characters in red, blue, green and yellow. The pack will feature a children’s illustration of a monster on the cover and the story of Act for Kids on the back.

Further supporting children, all the money made by the Monster Crayons sales will go straight to Act For Kids. Want to get your hands on the quirky crayons and color your monsters away? You can purchase a set of four on the official Facebook page or any major department stores in Australia.

“We really hope Monster Crayons will become fully self-sustaining and a successful product for Act For Kids,” McKechnie said.

Source: ABC News