Choose a Design

• Before you begin the pencil holder craft project, determine what the container will hold and who will use it. Create pencil holders with multiple sections or layers to serve as catch-alls for desk supplies. Make wide containers for arts and craft supplies to avoid tipping over. Design smaller holders as teacher, grandparent or friend gifts that are not only handy, but also highly decorative.
  
  

Gather Materials

• Choose supplies to create pencil holder crafts that fit your budget. Design quick pencil holders using recycled containers like frozen juice concentrate canisters, milk cartons, soup cans or toilet paper tubes. Use terracotta pots, plastic beach buckets or wide-mouth vases to make more durable versions. To assemble the craft, you'll need scissors, glue and double-sided tape. Gather an assortment of decorative accents like foam shapes, plastic gems, stickers, die cuts, ribbon and buttons to let the kids customize each project to coordinate with the room decor, their favorite colors or a gift recipient's tastes and interests.
  
  

Assemble the Project

• Prepare the container before making the pencil holder. Thoroughly wash and dry recycled containers like milk cartons to eliminate sticky residue. If kids are using soup cans that have metal rims, run your finger around the edges. Use sandpaper or a metal file to smooth any sharp spots. Customize the height of the pencil holder to make writing utensils easier to grab by cutting tall containers to size. Cut the top off of tall milk cartons to create 5-inch-tall containers, for example. Design pencil holders with three compartments by cutting toilet paper or paper towel tubes into various heights and binding the sections together with glue or double-stick tape. Affix a piece of cardboard to the bottom with glue to keep items from falling out. Use items like vases, pails and flower pots "as is" without making structural changes.
  
  

Decorate the Pencil Holder

• Personalize the decorative pencil cup with patterned paper and embellishments. If you're making a desk accessory for a traveler, for instance, cover the container with snippets from an old map or travel magazines. A teacher might like a pencil holder featuring school colors or apple paper, while a grandmother will appreciate a container covered with her grandchild's painted or hand-drawn artwork. Use double-stick tape to adhere the paper to the pencil holder. Add dimensional accents like buttons or gems around the top and bottom with glue. Allow adhesives and designs to dry before filling the pencil holder with utensils. Wrap a gift pencil holder in tissue and enclose it in a gift bag along with an assortment of pencils and pens.