Back To School In Style – 25 Gorgeous Pencil Holder Designs

Summer’s pretty much over soon and so is the vacation. So are you ready to go back to school? Of course not…who are we kidding…But have just the thing to put you in a good mood and to get you excited: a bunch of cool DIY projects. These are great for kids, parents, teachers or pretty much anyone with a desk or in need of a stylish new pencil holder.

Wood block turned into a peencil holder

Speaking of which, we’ll start with this beautiful gilded pencil holder. It looks pretty simple and it’s also quite easy to make. You would, however, need to use a drill so be careful with that. You’ll also need various drill bits of different sizes for all the different holes. In addition to that, you’ll need a wooden block, some spray paint and sandpaper. Take the wood, cut it to the desired size and then drill all the holes in it the way you like it. After that it’s time to sand down the block and then paint it.

Rustic pencil holder

Obviously, if you have more than just a few pens and pencils that need to be stored and organizers then you’ll have to make a significantly bigger  DIY pencil holder. This one could be perfect so let’s see how you can craft it. You’ll need a long block of wood and a drill. This one has 9 holes but you can choose to make as many as you want. Once you’re done drilling the holes, sand the block to make it nice and smooth. You can then seal it, stain it or paint it.

Painted wood container - pencil holder

Not all pencil holders require wood blocks and drills. There are plenty of alternatives. For example, let’s say you find some nice containers and you want to use them as pencil holder but they look a little boring. You can change that with a little bit of paint and some tape. Check out these beautiful geometric containers featured on tellloveandparty. You could make something just like that.

Colorful pencil holder DIY

And that’s not the only way in which you can customize a plain pencil holder or container. We also found this really interesting idea on fabricadeimaginacion. This tutorial also shows you how to turn a can into a pencil holder by covering it with fimo or clay. That’s a pretty interesting look and the project is also pretty fun to do.

Metallic wood pencil holder

The key ingredient for the next project is a wooden house block. If you can’t find one at the local stores you could build it yourself. In any case, you’ll also need some metallic paints, painter’s tape, paint brushes, a handsaw and dremel. Use tape and paint to give the block a makeover but not before you cut off the top so you can then use it as a storage container. {found on thecasualcraftlete}.

Origami chopstick pencil case

In case you’d prefer something different, you should also have a look at the origami pencil holders featured on gatheringbeauty. They’re made of paper so they won’t really last a long time but they’re pretty fancy and interesting-looking. To make something like this you’ll only need paper. The tutorial will guide you and show you hot to get this done properly.

Cork pencil holder

There’s also this cute-looking cork pencil holder set featured on lovedecorations. You could easily make something similar out of some cork sheets and using a glue gun. Basically you just cut the cork according to the template (which you can create yourself) and then you glue the pieces together. You can make a house-shaped pencil holder in no time.

DIY mason jars pencil painted

Everyone knows Mason jars make great pencil holders. But it would be nice to actually make them look interesting and that could easily be done with some paint. It’s all explained on intlarrivals. Here’s what you’ll need: mason jars, spray primer, acrylic craft paint, foam paint brushes and sealant. Apply some primer on the outside of the jars and when it’s dry apply two coats of paint. Then outline cute faces with a pencil and then color them in with paint and a thin brush.

Ombre effect with spray paint

If cute faces aren’t really your thing, maybe you’d like to make an ombre jar and then use this as a pencil holder. All you need for that is a jar and two different colors of spray paint. The project featured on nifysheep uses copper and pink spray paint. First the jar is painted with three coats of copper paint and when that’s dry the bottom of the jar is lightly sprayed with pink paint.

Face boxes storage

You could make some really interesting things from scratch if you put your mind to it. For example, check out these cute pencil holders we found on makeandtell. These are made of pine wood and the project requires a saw, some wood glue, primer, acrylic paint and a black paint pen. After you cut and glue the pieces and you need to paint the container. At the end, draw the faces on.

Pop of color pencil holder

A much simpler idea would be to simply paint an already existing pencil holder or stationery box. You could use painter’s tape to create some interesting patterns or geometric designs. Of course, even something much simpler than that could look lovely. Check out passionshake for some inspiration.

Clay pencil holder

Ever worked with air dry clay before? It’s pretty simple and fun. You can shape it into pretty much anything, including a stylish pencil holder. To find out exactly how to do that you can check out linesacross. For the project featured there you’ll need the clay, some pencils, white paint and a an X-acto knife.

Wood bangle pencil holder

Have any wood bangles lying around? Now is the time to repurpose them. You could use two or three of these to make a chic pencil holder just like the one on makeandtell. The list of supplies needed for the project also includes some balsa wood, glue, a craft knife, some paint, painter’s tape, a clamp and some varnish.

Stencil pencil holder

A stencil is the key to the colorful design featured by the pencil holder we found on thecraftedlife. So once you have the stencil ready you can just position it on the container you plan on redecorating and start painting the slots. Combine the colors however you want. You could make something similar using tape.

Pringles pencil holder

When you think about it, a Pringles can would be perfect for storing pens and pencils if it weren’t so tall. So if you cut it the problem would be solved. Of course, you could also cover up the logo and everything else and we have a really cool idea that could help with that. We found this on one-o. Basically you just decorate the can with pencils.

Painted mason jar halloween craft

Maybe you’d like something themed. Since Halloween is not that far away, perhaps a spooky pencil holder would look nice on your desk. You could paint a jar orange and then wrap some orange and black yarn around the mouth and hang two plastic spiders. These can come off easily so you can only add them for Halloween. {found on houseofhawthornes}.

Sharpie pencil holder

A coffee mug would make a pretty nice pencil holder as well. So go ahead and find a plain one that you like and get ready to customize it with some colored porcelain markers/ sharpies. You’ll also need some masking tape so you get the lines straight. Check out madame-citron to find out all the details.

repurposed toilet tubes and turn into pencil holder

A lot of other things can be repurposed or recycled into pencil holder. That also includes empty toilet paper rolls. You could have two or three of these put together to make a nice accessory for your desk. First you might want to wrap them in some old book pages or wrapping paper. Then just glue them together. {found on monringcreativity}.

Paper desk boxes

It could also be fairly easy to just make some cardboard boxes and use those as pencil holders for your desk. All you’d need is the cardboard and a stapler. You could also use paper but then the box would be pretty flimsy. In any case, you can find some inspiration in this sense on my-lifeboxblog.

Wood log pencil holder

Depending on what style you prefer, you can choose the type of accessory you want for your desk. Let’s say you like something rustic and with natural flair. A wood slice pencil holder would be perfect in that case and we have a great tutorial for that. We found it on craftandcreativity. The challenging part would be to find a small log or wood slice. Once you have it, just drill a bunch of holes in it and make sure they’re big enough for the pens and pencils to fit in.

Twine and lace mason jar pencil holder

Another nice design for a rustic pencil holder involves a glass jar, some twine and a little bit of lace. Basically you just wrap twine all around the jar starting from the bottom. You should use some glue to keep it in place. Then decorate the twine jar with some lace. You can also add a few other details if you want. {found on thecreativeheadquarters}.

Colorful crochet mason jar

Another way to make a simple pencil holder or a jar look cute and cuddly is by covering it with a cozy. You could make knit it yourself. You’ll need some yarn, an H hook, a tapestry needle and a jar. You can find all the instructions and details on petalstopicots. The pattern for the little flower ornaments can also be found here.

Washi tape pencil holder box

If you like to keep things organized, you could use an organizer like the one on titicrafty. It’s basically just a box divider into sections. To make it look presentable, decorate it with washi tape. It’s one of the many wonderful washi tape crafts that can make your day more beautiful.

Vintage style pencil holder

And speaking or organizers, you should also check out the idea suggested on mintedstrawberry. Here’s what you’ll need for the project: a tin planter, three jars, some matte black spray paint, white acrylic paint, a stencil, sandpaper and a paintbrush. Feel free to adapt and change the design however you want.

Modern DIY pencil holder

Pencils aren’t the only thing that needs to be stored on a desk so maybe you’d like a nice desk caddy that can hold things like paperclips, pins and even your phone. You can make one out of a simple wooden block. Drill the holes for all the things you want to store and organize them however you want. {found on dreamgreendiy}.