Now that the school year has started again, we’ve realized that the fun of buying new school supplies wears off pretty quickly. Whether it’s you or your kids who have gone back to classes recently, sometimes it’s nice to do something small and creative to keep the small excitements of a new year going a little longer than the first week! That’s why we’ve been looking up cute, easy ways to customize and jazz up our pencils lately; it’s a tiny detail, but it’s an easy way to brighten your own or someone else’s day each morning as they get ready to take lecture notes or solve math problems.
Check out these 15 super fun ideas, designs, and tutorials for DIY pencils that we’ve come across so far in our search for inspiration and guidance!
1. Seven striped and polka dotted pencils
Are you the kind of bulk crafter who always prefers a tutorial that gives you several different designs in one place, letting you sit down and make all kinds of things at once? Then we have a feeling you’ll get along very well indeed with this guide from Jill Cimorelli that gives you the steps for seven different kinds of striped and polka dotted custom decorated pencils all in one video.
2. Personalized short quote pencils
Have you ever walked by a short, sweet little positive quote and found that reading it and being reminded of its message brightened your day just a touch? Well, what if your very own pencil could do that first thing in the morning during class? Take a look at how Home Sweet Crafting made these adorable personalized short quote pencils in surprisingly few simple steps so they could make that kind of bright moment happen too.
3. 3D fruit pencils
Perhaps, rather than changing the outside of your pencil, you’d rather just embellish your writing utensil because you love the idea of casually writing with something that’s a little bit more attention grabbing than the average tool? Well, if you’ve ever liked how bright and cheerful fruit can be, then we think you’ll get a real kick out of the way Umza Parveen made these super fun 3D fruity pencils by creating fanned shapes and attaching them to their pencil ends like custom toppers.
4. DIY miniature pencil case and coloured pencils
Have you ever wondered whether or not it’s possible to actual make a pencil or other writing utensil from scratch, rather than just changing or embellishing a pre-made one you already have? Well, luckily for all of us, Pipe Cleaner Crafts B is here to show you that you actually can, and that you can make it really unique and fun. Check out how they made an entire set of miniature coloured pencils complete with their own case, all from scratch!
5. DIY colour changing pencils
The idea of making essentially anything that has a colour changing element has always appealed to us because we think it’s an impressive effect no matter what form it’s taking. We doubt you’ll be surprised to learn, then, just how excited we were to come across these awesome DIY colour changing pencils outlined step by step on Emma Topp! Their colour darkens with the heat of your hand when you hold the pencils to write.
6. Glitter pencils
Are you the kind of crafter whose personal sense of style falls somewhere right between minimalist and glam? We can understand that! A little bit of flash and a little bit of class always makes for a neat look. That’s how we felt about these DIY pencils from Brunch at Saks, which are almost completely natural wood except for their sparkling glitter dipped ends.
7. DIY bendy pencils
If you grew up in the 1980s and 90s like we did, then we’re sure you have several fond memories of the first time bendy pencils started trending! We were obsessed and owned them in all kinds of colours, but we had no idea you could actually make them yourself until we stumbled across this awesome tutorial from Karina Garcia. Now we plan to make a whole set of them for our own kids!
8. Simple washi tape pencils
Are you feeling pretty set on the idea of making your own eye catching DIY pencils but you’re just not sure you have the time and resources to make some of the more complicated designs happen, so you’re looking for something a little more low maintenance? Then we think you’ll appreciate the way washi tape comes to the rescue in this simple, clear tutorial from Julep!
9. Felt heart pencil toppers
Did we really catch your attention with the idea of embellishing your pencils with a cute, topper-like detail but you’re used to working with softer materials like fabric rather than some of the tools you’ve seen so far? Well, who says you can’t do that here as well? Check out how Kids’ Activities Blog made these cute felt heart pencil toppers in just a few simple steps!
10. Twig pencils
Just in case we’ve got you feeling intrigued by the idea of making your very own pencil from scratch but you’re rather make a full sized utensil you could actually draw or take notes with, here’s a very rustic chic alternative! Take a better look at the tutorial featured on Made With Happy to learn how they carefully carved an actual working pencil from a real twig.
11. Paper pinwheel pencils
Just in case you’re still thinking about how much you love the idea of making unique pencil toppers to embellish your pencils with but you’re looking for something a little bigger and more interactive, here’s another idea for your consideration! Check out how Momdot did a bit of origami to make these cute paper pinwheel pencils that actually spin when you blow on them.
12. Harry Potter wand pencils
Just in case you’ve been hoping to come across a slightly more themed pencil idea, here’s a great concept for the book lovers out there! This tutorial from Kim Orlandini guides you step by step through the process of making a whole set of wooden looking wands designed after those in the Harry Potter series. They’re sure to make taking notes feel a little more magical!
13. Confetti pencils
Are you still feeling quite enamoured with the idea of making simple but colourful pencils but you feel like you don’t have very many creative supplies to work with right now and you don’t really have the time or budget to go out and get more things? Well, if you can find some colourful paper, some plain pencils, a hole punch, and some glue, then you’ve actually already got everything you need to make these adorable confetti pencils outlined step by simple step on Make and Tell!
14. Simple painted pencils
Are you actually still in the market for something wildly easy and you’re not really bothered about making it look too flashy, so long as it adds something easy colour to your day? In that case, we’d definitely suggest taking a look at how Hello Glow made these lovely painted pencils! They even show you an optional step for giving each one a saying by hand with a fine tipped pen.
15. Napkin decoupage pencils
If you’ve never tried decoupage before, particularly napkin decoupage, then we’re sorry to tell you that you’ve been missing out on something awesome! Change that by taking a look at how easily Cut Out and Keep made over the outsides of their pencils by doing a little bit of watercolour looking napkin decoupage using floral printed paper napkins, just like the kind you’d use at your table.
Have you made other kinds of awesome customized pencils before that you were very happy with indeed but that you don’t see here on our list? Tell us all about what you made and how you did it or link us to photos of your finished work in the comments section!
