DIY pencil holder: How to make a pencil case or pen pot 

There’s nothing worse when you’re busy than a cluttered, disorganised environment—especially when it comes to work. And while trying to get work done and feel productive in the midst of chaos is admirable, it’s not always a realistic goal. 

The truth is that many people tend to feel more productive when they’re working in a more organised environment, and a little creativity can go a long way in giving your office space a crafty makeover.  

Learning how to make a pencil case with our DIY pencil case craft is an easy way to neatly store your pens, pencils, rulers and more! These funky pen holder ideas are sure to give your desk some colour and help make sure you always have a pen or pencil to hand when you need one. 

Truth is, you only need a few basic materials that are probably already lying around your house anyway! Help reduce waste by re-purposing your Cushelle toilet paper cores into a nifty DIY pencil case that’ll let you unleash your creativity and organisation skills all in one.  

These pen holder ideas also call for very little mess. All you’ll need is some extra-absorbent and strong Toilet Paper Wipes for cleaning up afterwards. So, without further ado, let’s learn how to make pen holder pots out of empty toilet rolls with our easy-to-follow make your own pencil case tutorial:   

Takes about 1.5 hours

Here’s what you’ll need to make your DIY pencil holder:  

Keep in mind: You may choose to use more or fewer toilet roll tubes, depending on how far you want to go with your toilet roll crafts. You can stick to the five tubes we recommend, or choose for yourself —whatever you prefer.  

If you’re making your DIY pen holder for a budding artist, for example, you might want to up the number of tubes to store their many paintbrushes, ink pens, felt tips, pencils and more! 

Do you have your materials ready? Then let’s get crafting!  

How to make a DIY pencil holder:

1. Cut the toilet rolls to size. Carefully measure and cut the toilet roll tubes down to several different lengths. Feel free to cut as many as you like, but make sure you don’t cut them so short that pens and pencils can’t stand up inside them!
   
   Remember, the more you do, the bigger and more varied your pencil pot will be. Make sure that young children use scissors only while under adult supervision. Once you’re a seasoned pro, why not try cutting the toilet roll tubes at different angles: zig-zags, wiggly lines or turrets could make for a very funky DIY pen holder!
   
   
2. Paint the insides of the tubes. Next, it’s time to add a little colour to your masterpiece in the making. Go ahead and paint the insides of the tubes in different colours to match your wrapping paper. Once you’ve finished painting the insides of the tubes, leave them to dry.
   
   
3.  Cover the outsides with wrapping paper. Once your tubes are dry, place them on the wrapping paper and measure and cut pieces to cover the outsides. Next, neatly wrap and stick the paper in place with glue. 
   
   Feel free to get creative with this step by picking out different types of wrapping paper! Is this DIY pencil case a birthday gift for someone special? Then go ahead and use birthday-themed wrapping.
   
   Alternatively, you could use printed photos of your family, friends or pets. How about toilet roll craft ideas that get you into the holiday spirit every time you sit down at your desk? The possibilities are endless if you’re looking to shake up your DIY pen pot design.
   
   
4. Glue the tubes together. Keep in mind that this step is best suited for adults, seeing as it calls for a hot glue gun. (PVA glue should work too, if you don’t have a glue gun!) Stick your tubes together in a group one by one and use your hot glue gun to secure them. While this may be more of an adult-friendly task, the kids can definitely still be involved in the art direction!
   
   
5. Stick on the base. Next, it’s time to bring out your empty tissue box. Open and flatten the box as much as you can. Then, go ahead and glue the group of tubes in the middle. When the glue is completely dry, draw around the bottom edges of the tubes with a pencil and cut it out to get rid of the excess cardboard.
   
   
6. Pop some pens in! You’ve just completed your DIY pencil holder for your desk – and it looks even better than you’d imagined! Admire your finished pen pot by filling it with your most-used pens and pencils. You can even use your DIY pencil holder to store your rulers, rubbers and paintbrushes.  

Now that you know how to make pen holder pots, you can let your creativity run wild and create even more for family members, friends and colleagues. Try using different colours and ask your friends and family members which toilet roll craft ideas they prefer.  

You can even add some stickers to your DIY pen pot for more customisation! Once you know the basics of how to make a pencil case, there are lots of ways you can experiment with personalising them.  

Once you’ve mastered how to make a pencil case, loved ones of all ages will find it easy to keep their creative space tidy. What else could you use these DIY pencil pots for? Jewellery? Kitchen utensils? Toys? Happy crafting!