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DIY Pencil Holder perfect for Colored Pencils

Take your pencils with you “on the go” with this cute pattern for a DIY Pencil Holder by Amy Chappell! It’s so simple to sew and would make a wonderful gift for someone that loves coloring books, doodling or journaling!

Hey there friends! I’m so excited to be back again to share another project with you. For those of you who may not know, my name is Amy and I blog over at Ameroonie Designs. I have six children, 2 boys, and 4 girls.

My girls all love to color and draw, which makes my creative mama heart so happy. In order to help them wrangle all those pesky colored pencils that seem to have a knack for rolling away at any given time, I designed this Colored Pencil Holder. Big enough to keep a whole rainbow of pencils in line, but small and sleek enough to toss into a purse or backpack.

These holders would make fantastic fillers for Easter baskets. They would also be handy for all your spring break and upcoming summer traveling.

And if you’d like to make a coordinating composition notebook cover you can find the tutorial over on my blog.

DIY Pencil Holder Sewing Pattern

Supplies for Pencil Case

The fabric is from the Winifred Rose Collection by Riley Blake Designs

How to Make a Pencil Case

Amy Chappell
Take your pencils with you “on the go” with this cute sewing pattern for a DIY Pencil Holder
5 from 2 votes
Prep Time 30 minutes
Active Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes

supplies

  • 2 Pieces fabric 12” X 7” for holder body and flap (these can be the same fabric or two different fabrics)
  • 1 Piece 12 ½” X 9 ¼”  for pencil sleeves (floral fabric)
  • 1 piece 1/2 Wide Elastic; 7" long for closure
  • 1 piece Fusible Fleece; 11 ½” X 6 ½”
  • 1 piece Medium Weight Interfacing; 11 ½” X 6 ½”

Instructions
 

Prepare Pieces for assembly:

  • Fuse the fleece to the wrong side of the 12” X 7” fabric for the inside of the pencil holder (the bunny fabric in these pictures).
    fabric pieces to cut for pencil holder on white table
  • Fuse the interfacing to the wrong side of the 12” X 7” fabric for the outside of the pencil holder (the dotted fabric).
  • Fold the 12 ½” X 9 ¼” piece in half along the 12 ½” side, to create a piece 6 ¼” X 9 ¼”. Topstitch along the folded edge.

Create Sleeves for Pencils:

  • Take the fabric piece for the inside of the pencil holder and use a water or heat soluble pen to mark a line 6 ¼” up from the bottom. This will help make sure your pencil sleeves stay straight as you sew.
  • On the left side of the same fabric, piece mark a line 7/8” in from the side, making sure to extend the line just beyond the previous line you drew (the 6 ¼” from the bottom line) and making sure the marks are clear on the bottom of the fabric piece. Continue marking lines every 5/8” across the width of the fabric. You should have 9 marked lines. The final segment of fabric should measure 7/8”. *Depending on how thick your marking lines are and how accurate you are with your measuring, you may have a larger final segment than you need, just trim away any extra fabric.
  • On your sleeve fabric mark a line 1 1/8” in from the left side of the fabric. Continue marking lines 7/8” away from the first line until you have 9 lines. Again, you may end up with more than 1 1/8” of fabric beyond the last line, if this is the case, simply trim away any extra fabric.
  • Place your sleeve fabric on top of the inside holder fabric, lining up the top edge of the sleeve fabric with the 6 ¼” line and lining up the first perpendicular lines on the left. Sew down this marked line, topstitching at the top of the sleeve.
    pencil pockets sewn half way
  • Fold the sleeve fabric so the second marked line matches up with the corresponding line on the inside fabric piece. Keep the top of the sleeve piece in line with the 6 ¼” marked line. Pin in place and sew down this line, backstitching at the beginning of your sewing.
  • Repeat for all of the marked lines to create your sleeves.pencil holder with pocket for pencils pinned to front
    pencil holder with pocket for pencils pinned to front

Prepare for Finishing the Pencil Holder:

  • Line up the left edge of the sleeve fabric with the left edge of the inside fabric, pinning well. Repeat for the right side.
  • Use a lid or glass to round the top two corners of the inside and outside holder fabric.
  • Pin elastic in place 1” below the top of the pencil sleeves.
  • Place inside and outside holder pieces right sides together and pin well.

Finish Pencil Case Pouch:

  • Sew around the Colored Pencil holder using a ¼” seam allowance. Begin on the top just before the first rounded corner and continue down one long side, across the bottom and up the second long side around the second rounded corner. Leave an opening on the straight edge of the top between the two rounded corners. Back Stitch at the beginning and end of your sewing.
    pencil holder right sides facing before turning on white tabletop
  • Use scissors or pinking shears to cut notches in the rounded corners and to trim away extra fabric from the bottom corners.
  • Turn the holder right side out through the opening in the top, push out all the seams and press the seams well. Turn under the seam allowance in the opening and press well.
  • Measure down from the top of the holder 3 ¾” and mark or crease a line.
  • Sew across this line and up and around the rounded corners to close the opening and finish the flap. I like to add a second line of stitching ¼” away from the line (so 3 ½” away from the top) and sew it down to create a little depth to the fold for the flap. Press your flap crease to help it close easier.
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Love this tutorial? Get the behind the scenes on Instagram

All that is left is to enjoy your gorgeous colored pencil holder! Add some other art supplies to create an organized art station, or grab a notebook or small coloring book to pair with it for a coloring session on the go.

For more organizing ideas, you can find my color block pencil pouch tutorial here (photo below),

or my nesting travel pouches with options big enough to store any project you might want to tote along.

I hope you will stop by the blog and check these projects and many more out. And if you make the Colored Pencil holder or any of my tutorials, I would love to see them! Tag me on Instagram or Facebook @amerooniedesigns! Happy Sewing friends! Xoxo, Amy

About the Maker:

Amy Chappell Bio Photo

Hi! My name is Amy Chappell, and I blog over at Ameroonie Designs. I currently live in Wyoming with my husband and six kids. I love being a mom but needed an outlet that would give me something to do that stayed done. Enter sewing and creating. I love the satisfaction of taking fabric and ideas and making something new. I also love that blogging has given me a way to meet new people and find a community of amazing people who love fabric and sewing as much as I do.
xoxo,
Amy
Ameroonie Designs
www.amerooniedesigns.com

More Small Sewing Projects with Free Tutorials to Try:

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