Pencil Holder Diy - Free Pattern

Sew a cute pencil holder using this free sewing pattern in 3 sizes and the easy sewing tutorial. It has so many uses!

It's very practical to keep your stationery - or sewing tools and supplies close at hand. And if you've been craving some order on your sewing table, now's just the perfect time to achieve it - with this easy and fun project. Scroll down to see how to sew one!

Prefer an ad-free printer-friendly option of the whole tutorial+pattern? See the → optional PDF file in our shop.

Table Of Contents

• Why You'll Love This Quick Pattern
• The Story Behind the Pattern
• Diy Pencil Holder Video
• 3 Finished Sizes
• Supplies
• Diy Pencil Holder Tutorial
• More Ideas
• Want a printable copy of the whole tutorial?

If you like sewing storage items, check out our popular SewPretty HOME series too:

Join the FREE 7-part email course and make 6 beautiful items for your home! You'll love it!

Why You'll Love This Quick Pattern

• Fast, scrap-friendly sew with a pretty, useful result
• So many uses - pencil holder, desk tray, drawer organizer, or counter tidy
• Perfect key catcher for the entryway (no more searching!)
• Great for small tools you want close by while crafting

The Story Behind the Pattern

I often unwind from computer work by sewing something quick and fun - no pressure, just fabric and ideas. While planning new projects one day (with pencils and scraps everywhere), I realised my desk really needed a simple, handy pencil tray. That little mess is exactly what inspired this easy pattern.

I realised I needed a place to toss my pencils while working - not another zipper pouch, just something open and easy to grab from. So in my next sewing break, I grabbed a few fabric scraps, skipped the measuring, and stitched up a quick patchwork pencil tray (pure fun, slightly wonky lines and all!)

But then I thought that this was a project many of my readers would simply LOVE! Grabbing my camera and off it went: here's another tutorial for you to use, and make tons of easy pencil holders for you. Or for your kids, or as an easy back-to-school gift. Make a lot of them and you've got a colorful diy drawer organizing system!

Diy Pencil Holder Video

First, for those of you who like video, I've made a slide-show to get the feeling of how easy it is to sew one:

3 Finished Sizes

• LARGE: 8 ¼" length, 5" width, 1 ½" height (21cm x 13cm x 4cm)
• MEDIUM: 6 ¼" length, 4" width, 1 ½" height (16cm x 10cm x 4cm)
• SMALL: 4" length, 3 ¾" width, 1 ½" height (10 cm x 9.5cm x 4cm)

Supplies

• two fabric pieces in your favorite prints: in total, you'll need less than a fat quarter for the largest size
• high-loft fusible fleece: 8" x 11 ½" (21cm x 29cm) or less for smaller sizes
• sewing machine or needle, pins or Wonder clips,
• iron, scissors, or rotary cutter plus cutting mat (I use this one by Olfa)
• the PDF Pattern file

Shop my personal favorite sewing supplies on Amazon HERE.

How To Make the Fabric Pencil Tray More Stable?

To add stability to your fabric tray, you can use stiffer interfacing alternatives, such as a layer of SF101 plus Pellon Craft Fuse, Vilene S320, SewFuse Plus, or even Decovil Light.

Also, feel free to visit this interfacing guide for beginners - it will make your (interfacing-related) sewing life so much easier!

Diy Pencil Holder Tutorial

This project uses a ¼" (6 mm) seam allowance. It is already included in the printable template.

Step 1 - Get the Free Pattern

Get the free template here when you join the mailing list:

Prefer an ad-free printer-friendly option of the whole tutorial+pattern? See the → optional PDF file in our shop.

Save to your computer, open in Adobe Acrobat Reader, and print the free PDF template to a piece of cardboard or paper.

Step 2 - Cut The Fabric

Decide on the size - small, medium, or large. Then use the template to cut these pieces of fabric:

• 1 piece from outer fabric (light, cream here)
• 1 piece from lining fabric - this is the one that will be visible, actually!
• 1 piece from fusible fleece - cut it on the seam allowance to reduce bulk when sewing.

OPTIONAL: instead of using a whole piece of fabric per layer, you can create random patchwork pieces from small fabric scraps. This is what I did here. I occasionally create patchwork panels when I'm in the mood for sewing but have no particular project in mind (utilizing scrap pieces is so easy this way!)

Step 3 - Add Fusible Fleece

Next step: attach fusible fleece to the LINING piece. (The lining layer will be in contact with the pencils when finalized.)

Use this quick how-to if you're not used to working with fusibles:

Step 4 - Place Pieces Together

Moving on, place the two pieces right sides together.

Step 5 - Sew

Stich around using a ¼" seam allowance, leaving out the corners AND a few inches on one of the longer sides, for turning. See the markings on the image above.

Step 6 - Box the Corners

Box all four corners that are still open:

• Fold the corner flat matching up the two side seams. The side seams should lie directly one over the other.
• Pin.
• Then stitch over the (blue dashed) line. Backstitch at the beginning and end of the seam to reinforce it.

Repeat on all four corners.

NOTE: What you see in the image above is the opening I left for turning. Yours won't look this messy if you use a single fabric piece instead of a pieced one.

Step 7 - Turn Right Side Out

Turn right side out.

Push the tips out using a point-turner tool or another non-sharp object like a knitting needle. I had a chopstick at hand, it did quite alright. Don't use anything sharp since it might make holes in your fabric.

Step 8 - Press And Topstitch

Push the 'outer' layer down to touch lining (wrong-sides-together), so you get a tray form. Press, especially at the opening - turn under the seam allowance, and pin or use sewing clips to keep it in place.

Then topstitch around the top edge.

FINISHING TIP

Bury the thread ends: when topstitching, you'll end up with a few thread ends that are best hidden if buried. See this tutorial how to bury thread ends and make your topstitching look neat and polished.

The pencil holder is finished! I hope you've enjoyed the process. If you want to, check out more ideas to sew, this post is part of my Diy Storage Series - 17 Amazing Diy Storage IDEAS. Enjoy!

More Ideas

If you like sewing for home, check out the free table runner patterns, hanging storage with pockets (smart!), sew curtains (the easy way!), or make these medium sized fabric baskets (so sweet + video too!)

Want a printable copy of the whole tutorial?

Prefer an ad-free printer-friendly option of the whole tutorial+pattern? See the → optional PDF file in our shop.