DIY of the Week: Chevron Pencil Case
Even if you aren’t heading back to school this September, you might be feeling nostalgic for the days of sharpening new pencils and cracking open new notebooks—or maybe that’s just me? Regardless, fall’s honorary arrival is as good an excuse as any to give your desk or purse a back-to-school-style organizational update.
This week’s DIY puts a spin on that backpack staple, the pencil case. With a few easy steps, you can craft a little case to keep your pencils, pens, and other small items handy, complete with chevron cutouts that add a cute detail.
Materials:
- Fabric for the outside of the case
- Fabric for the lining of the case
- Thread in a corresponding color to the fabric for the outside of the case
- 1-inch wide Velcro
- Basic sewing needle or sewing machine
- Straight pins
- Scissors
- Measuring tape
- Ballpoint pen
- Iron and ironing board
Craft away:
- Measure a rectangle on each piece of fabric, 9 1/2-inches long by 16 1/2-inches wide. Cut out both rectangles.
- Cut a 3-inch piece of both sides of the Velcro.
- Pin the fuzzy side of the Velcro to the fabric for the outside of the case, 3 1/4-inches in from the sides of the fabric and 3-inches down from the top of the fabric.
- Pin the prickly side of the Velcro to the fabric for the inside of the case, 3 1/4-inches in from the sides of the fabric and 1 1/4-inches in from the top of the fabric.
- Sew both pieces of Velcro in place using a needle and thread or a sewing machine.
- Draw two chevrons on the fabric for the outside of the case on the opposite side of the Velcro, placing them 4-inches in from the sides of the fabric and 2 1/2-inches in from the top of the fabric. I made my second chevron slightly smaller than the first, but you can make them any size you want. Carefully cut the chevrons out, leaving the fabric around them intact.
- Use the iron to press the edges of each rectangle in 1/4-inch, towards the back of the fabric (the opposite side of the Velcro).
- Pin the two pieces of fabric together with the folds facing each other.
- Use a needle and thread or sewing machine to stitch the pieces of fabric together, keeping the stitches close to the edge of the fabric.
- Sew around the outsides of the two chevrons you cut out, keeping your stitches close to the edge of the fabric.
- Fold the bottom edge of the case (the side opposite the chevrons) in 5-inches to make a pocket, and iron it. Pin along the edges of the case to hold the fold in place.
- Sew along the two sides of the case, from the fold to the end of the pocket.
- You’re finished! Slip some pencils into your case and show off your DIY’d accessory.
