Woman says Crayola is hiding the fact that crayons have gotten smaller

Everything around us seems to be getting smaller while the price remains the same. The latest rainbow-colored culprit might surprise you.

In a viral TikTok, a woman called out popular (and highly nostalgic) art supplies brand Crayola for selling a 64-pack of crayons whose pencils were about half the normal size.

In many classrooms and homes, Crayola is the standard art supplies; especially colored pencils, markers and crayons. Their colors are vibrant and the products are accessible. Crayola products are easy to find and offer large packs of colors at relatively affordable prices.

In the video, which has been viewed nearly 200,000 times, creator @jarsofbees explained that she purchased a 64-pack of Crayola crayons to use for her yearly planner.

She was initially hesitant when she saw the crayons because the box looked smaller (it’s about the height of her hand), but she gave them the benefit of the doubt because she hadn’t had crayons since she was a child.

“Maybe I just remember them being bigger than they were because I was smaller back then,” said @jarsofbees.

That was not the case.

Crayons are usually a similar length to a regular pencil. But when @jarsofbees pulled a blue pen out of her new box, it was a tiny thing, about half the size or smaller of a regular colored pen.

To top it off, @jarsofbees expressed disbelief that not only were pens in short supply, but that the price of the box of halved pens was still $9.

Not only are they “tiny,” but they also don’t have a label with the color name on them. “So you don’t even know what color you’re using,” said @jarsofbees.

“No! Some people are color blind (like me). We need the label!!!” wrote one commenter.

“The color labels are in another box with the other half of the pens,” said another.

Here’s the thing: On the Crayola website, this box of crayons clearly shows a label at the top that says “SHORT COLORED PENCILS,” but the version they sell in the store is missing that label.

“Nowhere on the box I bought does it say “Short”, “Mini Pencils”, “Golf Pencil”, “Travel Size”? It doesn’t say that anywhere. It’s being sold to me in full, but that’s not the case,” @jarsofbees said in a follow-up video.

The website describes this box as being for kids and the description states, “These 3-inch crayons are perfect for little hands.”

All of the comments on the Crayola website about this product are 1-star reviews from people complaining that the actual package that Crayola sells does not describe the pencils as short.

@jarsofbees added that she doesn’t have to search on the Crayola website to find the product she needs, especially when making a personal purchase.

Additionally, she was “doubly frustrated” because even though she noticed the size difference, there weren’t any full-length crayons in the store anyway.

“The boxes were all the same size. I noticed it and thought, ‘Huh, these look short,'” said @jarsofbees.

And based on the Crayola website, it appears the 64 pack doesn’t even come in a regular-sized version, but you can get a pack of 12, 36, 50, and 100.

@jarsofbees @Crayola What is that?? Also, forgive me for the curling iron burning my forehead. #Shrinkflation #Inflation #Economy #Money #Finance ♬ Original sound – Jars of Bees

“I think this is false advertising plus shrinkage,” said @jarsofbees, referring to the case where products are the same price but you get fewer products, effectively reducing your purchasing power.

The Daily Dot reached out to @jarsofbees via TikTok direct message and comment and to Crayola via email.

*First published: February 25, 2024, 10:15 p.m. CST

Stacy Fernandez

Stacy Fernández is a freelance writer, project manager and communications specialist. She has worked at The Texas Tribune and The Dallas Morning News and managed social media for The Education Trust New York. Her favorite hobby is finding hidden treasures at the thrift store, she loves a good audio book and is a chocolate lover.