DIY Homemade Wooden Pencil Holder Tutorial – Teacher Gift Idea

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teacher pencil holder gift idea

Teacher appreciation is always in style and I LOVE sharing easy handmade gift ideas that are practical as well! We just love to make neat projects for our teachers to let them know that they are special to our children.  This year we have decided to make some adorable pencil holders for their desks.  Being a teacher cannot be easy, so making sure my children always appreciate their educator is important to me.

Using some simple items that we have around the home, we are hoping to bring some joy to our special teachers with this simple wood craft. Besides, just about every teacher I’ve ever talked to always says they need more school supplies! This is a fun and practical way to gift your teacher a classroom number of pencils!

pencil holder DIY teacher gift

Using a scrap 4×4 post (approximately 4-5 inches high), simply sand all of the edges so that they are nice and smooth. I used a miter saw to make a clean cut on my old 4×4 scrap.

pencil holder DIY teacher gift

Next, use a drill bit that will drill holes large enough to fit a pencil or pen depending on your teacher’s grade level / subject area taught.

You may want to mark the holes with a pencil before you begin so that they are evenly spaced throughout your block. There’s no right or wrong amount of pencil holes to create but it’s fun if you have enough room for a whole class supply!

pencil holder DIY teacher gift

Drill the holes as you have them marked approximately 3/4 of the way into your 4×4 block. Turn the block upside down to remove the wood shavings and *wearing safety glasses* lightly blow into each hole to remove excess wood bits.

pencil holder DIY teacher gift

Using Chalkboard paint (purchase on Amazon or your local hardware store), paint each side around your block. Allow ample time to dry and apply another layer for full coverage.

pencil holder DIY teacher gift

After your chalk board paint has dried completely, use yellow acrylic paint (purchase on Amazon or your local craft store) and a small paint brush to lightly paint the top. Be careful not to apply too much paint to the top because it will drip into your drilled holes and make them smaller. Apply 2-3 layers of yellow paint and allow to dry between each application.

pencil holder DIY teacher gift

Once your pencil block is completely dried, you are ready for your finishing touches. You can paint on your teacher’s name or use a metallic sharpie marker (find multipack of colors on Amazon or at your local craft / office supply store). Feel free to use stencils if you prefer, or write it on first using a pencil. I free handed the name in straight letters and made dots at each letter point.

pencil holder DIY teacher gift

You are all set to apply your chalk to all four sides. It wipes clean with a lightly dampened paper towel to change the words daily for fun days, countdowns or greetings!

pencil holder DIY teacher gift

Add some of your favorite pencils to the holes that you drilled and get ready to make your teacher’s day!

This project is fun and inexpensive, but packs a lot of appreciation for your special teacher!

 

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