Keep your desk neat and tidy with these DIY pencil holders made from recycled and upcycled materials! What a great way to celebrate the back-to-school season with your kids while using up the materials you have lying around the house!
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Did anyone else really look forward to school shopping as a child? I know I did!
Now that I’m a parent, I have mixed feelings about it. On one hand, I’ve loved getting my daughter excited about started school for the first time. On the other, so many of the items on her school’s list were so ridiculously specific that we had to go to four or five stores just to find them.
Overall, the experience was still mostly positive. And now that her backpack is all ready to go for the first day of school, we’ve moved onto back-to-school crafts, which we both love!
There’s nothing better than having a neat, organized desk when you sit down to do your school work—and that’s why I’ve compiled this list of gorgeous DIY pencil holders that you can make using materials you have lying around the house!
Related: 23 Cutest Pencil Toppers That Kids Can Make
1. No2 Pencil Mason Jar Pencil Holder
What says “back-to-school” like than a N°2 pencil? If you have a mason jar (or similar-sized jar) lying around that you no longer use, consider turning it into this adorable back-to-school craft!
Read the full tutorial: N°2 Pencil Mason Jar Pencil Holder
2. Upcycled Faux Leather Pencil Holder
Not only are these pencil holders a great way to repurpose empty tin cans, but they’re also an insanely clever way to re-use the old purses that are gathering dust in your closet! (And if you’re not a fan of animal products, don’t worry—the tutorial only calls for imitation leather.)
Read the full tutorial: Upcycled Faux Leather Pencil Holder
3. Flower Pencil Holder
This cheerful, flowery pencil holder would make such a cute kid-made Mother’s Day gift… but it’s also perfect for kids who want to brighten up their desk to make homework more fun!
Read the full tutorial: Mother’s Day Flower Pencil Holder
4. Faux Concrete Pencil Holder
These farmhouse-style faux concrete pencil holders aren’t as difficult to make as they may appear, and they’re another great way to use up the tin cans that are piling up in your recycling bin!
Read the full tutorial: Faux Concrete Pencil Holder
5. No-Sew Upcycled Denim Baskets
Do you have an old pair of jeans lying around that you no longer wear? Breathe new life into them by turning them into adorable upcycled denim baskets—no sewing skills required!
Read the full tutorial: No-Sew Upcycled Denim Baskets
6. Copper & Denim Desk Organizer
…And if you still have some fabric leftover from the previous project, why not use it to make this gorgeous copper & denim desk organizer?
Read the full tutorial: Copper & Denim Desk Organizer
7. DIY LEGO Pencil Holder
If your child has more LEGO bricks than they know what to do with, consider using them to make this easy back-to-school craft!
Read the full tutorial: DIY LEGO Pencil Holder
8. LEGO Head Pencil Holder
…And if your child loves playing with LEGO, they’d probably love this LEGO-themed pencil holder that’s made from an empty container of active dry yeast!
Read the full tutorial: LEGO Head Pencil Holder
9. Dinosaur Toilet Roll Pencil Holder
Do your children love dinosaurs? This adorable toilet roll pencil holder is perfect for dinosaur-loving kids, and it’s even made up of separate compartments that will help them organize their school supplies!
Read the full tutorial: Dinosaur Toilet Roll Pencil Holder
10. Unicorn Pencil Holder
This unicorn pencil holder is SO CUTE, and it’s also super simple to make! We’ll definitely be making one with our girls before school starts up again!
Read the full tutorial: Unicorn Pencil Holder
11. Notebook Paper Pencil Holder
This notebook-themed pencil holder is so easy to make, and it only requires a few simple supplies! What a great way to get back into the school spirit!
Read the full tutorial: Notebook Paper Pencil Holder
12. Milk Carton Pen Pots
How adorable are these woodland creature-themed desk tidies made from empty milk cartons?! They’d look so cute on any child’s desk, and they also happen to be stackable so you can easily store them when they’re not in use!
Read the full tutorial: Milk Carton Pen Pots
13. DIY Rope Baskets
If you have some extra rope lying around, try using a hot glue gun to turn it into handy storage baskets that are perfect for organizing school supplies!
Read the full tutorial: DIY Rope Baskets
14. Yarn-Wrapped Monster Pencil Holder
These yarn-wrapped pencil holders are so adorable, and they’re easy enough for kids to make all on their own! Don’t you just love the googly eyes?
Read the full tutorial: Yarn-Wrapped Monster Pencil Holder
15. Tin Can Halloween Lanterns
…And if you’re looking for another project that screams “Halloween”, try turning some empty tin cans into spooky jack-o’-lanterns!
Read the full tutorial: Tin Can Jack-o’-Lanterns
16. DIY Winter Pencil Holders
Do your kids look forward to winter? If so, they’d probably love these recycled pencil holders made to look like winter animals and snowmen! I can’t pick a favourite!
Read the full tutorial: DIY Winter Pencil Holders
17. Pencil-Covered Pencil Holder
Instead of tossing them into the recycling, consider using your old metal canisters to make this awesome back-to-school craft that’s perfect as a teacher appreciate gift or simply as a way to get kids excited about school!
Read the full tutorial: Pencil-Covered Pencil Holder
18. Milk Bottle Superhero Pencil Holder
This cute DIY project is such a great way to re-use empty milk bottles, especially if you have a superhero-loving kiddo at home!
Read the full tutorial: Milk Bottle Superhero Pencil Holder
19.Construction Paper Pencil Holder
This recycled pencil holder is super simple to make, and it’s such a fun way to get kids excited about going back to school! Simply grab an old tin can, some paper and whatever else your kids typically use to decorate their crafts, then let their creativity flow!
Read the full tutorial: Construction Paper Pencil Holder
20. PVC Pipe Pencil Organizer
Have some extra PVC pipes lying around from your latest renovation project? Upcycle them by turning them into a gorgeous pen organizer with multiple compartments!
Read the full tutorial: PVC Pipe Pen Organizer
21. Woven Plastic Bottle Pencil Holder
Not only are these colourful woven pencil holders a great way to re-use empty plastic bottles, but the yarn that’s used to weave them is actually made from old t-shirts! What a great way to repurpose items that you no longer use!
Read the full tutorial: Woven Plastic Bottle Pencil Holder
22. Texas Flag Pencil Holder
Show your love of the Lone Star State with this patriotic pencil holder made to look like the Texas flag!
Read the full tutorial: Texas Flag Pencil Holder
23. Upcycled License Plate Pencil Holder
This DIY pencil holder is such an awesome idea to repurpose the old license plates that are gathering dust in your garage! We have a few lying around that would be perfect for this project!
Read the full tutorial: Upcycled License Plate Pencil Holder
24. Scrapbook Paper Pencil Holder
This easy scrapbook paper pencil cup look so fancy, but it’s actually surprisingly easy to make! In fact, kids should be able to do most of the steps themselves without any help!
Read the full tutorial: Scrapbook Paper Pencil Holder
25. DIY Recycled Desk Organizer
…And if a pencil holder just isn’t enough to organize all your supplies, why not go all in with this DIY desk organizer made from toilet paper rolls and empty cereal boxes?
Read the full tutorial: DIY Recycled Desk Organizer
26. Pom-Pom Pencil Holder
This cheerful pom-pom pencil holder is so cute and colourful! What a great way to re-use empty glass jars when you aren’t quite able to remove all the glue from the label!
Read the full tutorial: Pom-Pom Pencil Holder
27. co*ckatoo Pencil Holder
How adorable are these co*ckatoo pencil holders made from old tin cans?! They’re perfect for Australia Day, or simply for kids who love animals!
Read the full tutorial: co*ckatoo Pencil Holder
28. Origami Pencil Holder
Do you have more scrapbooking paper than you could ever use? Give it a new life by turning it into a set of cute origami pencil holders to help organize your office or school supplies!
Read the full tutorial: Origami Pencil Holder
29. Milk Carton Pencil Holder
Who knew you could make empty milk cartons look so fancy using nothing but patterned paper? This project is definitely worth a try!
Read the full tutorial: Milk Carton Pencil Holder
30. DIY Toilet Roll Pencil Case
We can’t be the only ones who have a shelf full of toilet paper rolls and other recyclables in our craft cupboard… right? If you do too, consider turning some of those rolls into cute recycled pencil cases!
Read the full tutorial: DIY Toilet Roll Pencil Case
31. Felted Toilet Paper Roll Pencil Holder
…And if you’re feeling particularly crafty, why not give these cute felted pencil cases a try? I can’t believe they’re made from toilet paper rolls!
Read the full tutorial: Felted Toilet Paper Roll Pencil Holder
Honourable Mention: Ziploc & Duct Tape Pencil Case
I know this one isn’t really a pencil holder, but it definitely gets points for creativity! Who would have thought that you could make a pencil case out of nothing but a Ziplock bag and some duct tape?
Read the full tutorial: Ziploc & Duct Tape Pencil Case
Related Back-to-School Activities
Looking for more fun things to do to get your kids excited about school? Check out this article:
- Free Printable Back-to-School Word Search Puzzles (Answer Keys Included!)
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