Are you an artist tourist embarking on the first-ever journey with your art supplies, or a parent traveling a long haul with kids and looking to carry art supplies to keep them occupied through the flight? It does not matter because the question is the same- can you bring crayons on a plane?
Days when you could throw stuff in a suitcase, rush to the airport and jump on a plane, have been left long behind you, and now, at an airport, you must be scanned from head to toe before you board a plane.
Therefore, it is with the utmost care and consideration that you pack your luggage so that you are not encountered with suspicion nor trigger potential trouble for yourself. Can you bring crayons on a plane, and are they even allowed? Is this a question we will explore in our today’s tourist artist’s roadmap.
Can You Bring Crayons On A Plane?
TSA authorities at the airport can decide whether an item you carry can be taken on a flight. Fortunately, the long list of what cannot be boarded on an airplane does not include a prohibition over crayons, meaning you can bring crayons on a plane.
Though it is still up to the TSA agents to declare if crayons can be taken along or not, through the consensus among travelers and as it has been reported from their experience, people who have traveled with crayons have always been allowed on the flight. 
Permission to carry crayons does not indicate that you can travel with all your artistic supplies, as some rules still apply. For example, you are not permitted to have any large and sharpened object on board, nor any liquid or gel art supply exceeding a liquid limit of 3.04 ounces or 100ml.
Pack Crayons In A Carry-On:
To ease your life and avoid running into a TSA agent regarding the security of your luggage leading to confiscation of crayons, we advise you always to pack your crayons in a carry-on bag.
Compared to your checked luggage, a carry-on bag is undoubtedly subjected to fewer security checks and policing. This mode of travel aids the accessibility of crayons primarily when you opt to utilize them while on the flight or when you have a long-scheduled layover. Nevertheless, the convenient accessibility of crayons helps you pass your time during longer flights.
Similarly, it is also a good idea to have crayons organized neatly in a crayon case as it shall aid you in keeping a track of all the colors of your crayons and will also significantly minimize the likelihood of you losing your crayons or them falling out of your luggage.
Boarding On A Plane With Art Supplies:
Previously we advised you to pack all your crayons in a carry-on bag. In the following section, we will enlighten you along similar lines, educating you on how to board a plane with art supplies.
No Unnecessary Liquids:
Beginning with the most basic and crucial art supplies: thinners, solvents, and fixatives are something that you must not prefer traveling with until and unless it is extremely important and you are certain of not being able to shop them in the destination you are traveling to.
Most developed countries have stores and outlets dedicated to art supplies, so you will not have a problem tracking a local store. However, it can be trickier to find such supplies in developing countries.
Only in a dire situation, bring thinners, solvents, and fixatives, and even then, instead of carrying the entire pallet, only carry along the colors you need.
Oil Paints:
Oil paint is the most problematic medium of all the art supplies one can travel with. Many manufactured oil paints are composed of components that make the oil paint akin to thinner in its composition, transmitting paints the quality of being highly flammable.
Hence, it should never be a priority for you to carry along oil paints, and even if you decide otherwise, never carry paints in your checked luggage but opt for packing them in your carry-on, securing paints in a Material Safety Data Sheet.
Additionally, make sure all the paints are labeled clearly, and none of the oil paint bottles have their labels removed. However, traveling with vegetable oil-based paints is much easier and less hassle.
This is because these pigments are not hazardous and are non-flammable. So as long as you make the customs officials aware of your vegetable oil-based paints, you are good to go!
Water-based Paints:
Water-based paints are the least problematic and the least troublesome art supply an artist can board on a flight without even a slight worry. Rest assured; water-based paints will never disappoint you or present any problems like the ones that you might have to face with oil-based paints.
Simply pack your water-based paint tubes in an air-tight zip-lock bag and proceed to catch on your flight.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQS):
Can you take crayons on a flight?
Yes, you can take crayons on a flight, and the best way to do so is by carrying them in your carry-on bag and not your checked luggage.
Can you bring markers and crayons on a plane?
Markers and crayons can be carried on a plane and are not considered dangerous by TSA.
Can you take pens and pencils in your hand luggage?
If the pen is not tactical, you can take all your pens and pencils in your hand luggage.
Can you bring highlighters on a plane?
Yes, you can bring highlighters on a plane, but if they are refillable, make sure that the ink pots only contain a liquid of 100ml and not even an ml more than that.
