The Crayon Holder
Inventor: Cassidy
Invented at age: 11

She saw a problem: Cassidy had a bucket of broken crayons and couldn’t use them for her drawing. She was inspired to create a way to make use of all the small pieces. Crayons break easily and become hard to manage in small pieces. You then have to throw away your used crayons when they get too small to hold. Then you end up needing a whole new box of crayons for one color.

She had an idea: To create a device that would hold the crayon and give the user something bigger to hang onto, enabling them to use their broken crayons rather than throwing them away.

She developed it: Inspired by the plastic tubes used to keep roses fresh while being transported, Cassidy created a holder that would grab the small pieces of crayon. She experimented with various materials to make it work. Ultimately she designed a device that would grab the crayon securely regardless of its size.

The idea was a hit: She received one U.S. Patent (# 6,402,407) and has another patent pending. She became a Student Board Member of the National Gallery for America’s Young Inventors. Her crayon holder is currently offered in over 500 Wal-Mart stores.