Recycled pencil holder tutorial

At last! A tutorial!

Sort of a tutorial; I'm not showing any steps, just telling you how I did it, though I'm sure there are similar ideas like this all over the Internet.

It was a slow Saturday (as they usually are for me), and I felt like making something, but I didn't know what. I didn't want to knit, crochet, bead-weave or bake, but I wanted to be busy, so...I recycled!

At first I was going to make a magazine basket like this, but I didn't have enough pages. Then I tried a coiled magazine bowl, but it took too long to take shape.

Truth be told, I love projects that give me instant gratification. Or at least, measurable progress. Maybe that's why I've never really taken to knitting.

And I've always been partial to crafts that give you something functional and beautiful for a few hours of effort.

I lived with my sister and her family, and her 3 boys are constantly using their coloured pencils down to a point, and then dumping them in this giant plastic tub, aka The Pencil Graveyard (because that's where, in their house, pencils go to die...it's also a favourite destination for sticky little hands digging for crayons for art homework).

Well, that Saturday, I was folding laundry when my eye fell on the Graveyard, and an empty sweetcorn tin that I've kept for only-God-knows-what-purpose, and that was it! I had my project!

Something that would be super easy, fast, and recycle, reuse and re purpose. Sweet!

It started out as this

Materials:

• Some pencils
• An empty tin and
• Some craft glue/white glue (or if you really want to recycle, make your own super bond by putting a 1/2 cup of petrol in a jar and dropping in Styrofoam until you achieve a thick, translucent consistency. This is what I usually make and use, and it works like a charm. It also helps me get rid of all that creepy Styrofoam!)

It helps to measure the pencils to be sure they are not taller than the tin, but you might want to stagger the heights for an interesting look; the choice is yours.

And this is my new pencil/hook/pen holder, half an hour later.

Sorry for the bad lighting; it was my camera phone's fault.

Helpful tips

1. Before you start, use a pair of pliers to turn down the ridge of metal on the inner lip of the tin. This edge is razor sharp (I learned the hard way), and if you have children, you don't want their little fingers sliced when they reach in for a pencil.

2. Measure the can's outer circumference with a piece of string. Lay the string flat on the floor, and line up the pencils you're using along the string, to be sure you have enough. I ran out about halfway through and had to start digging for discarded crayons to complete this project.

3. Feel free to mix up, according to your own tastes. Your imagination is your only limitation. I made mine with lead pencils, coloured pencils and crayons, all mixed up together.

And that is that! Tidied up the Graveyard and created something pretty at the same time!

There is really no limit to what you can do with craft glue and an empty tin. Now I'm off to make a pie.

Peace and blessings, and have a fantastic weekend!