DIY Teacher Appreciation Gift Pencil Holder

Make a teacher appreciation gift that’s useful for both teachers and the students.

A wood pencil holder filled with pencils for students to borrow:

Each pencil has a ‘return to Teacher Name’ tag attached at the top:

After spending a little time in my kids classrooms I quickly noticed lots of students asking to borrow items from the teacher.  We know each student begins the school year with a desk full of supplies but somehow as the year progresses pencils and supplies seem to disappear.

This pencil holder full of pencils might come in handy, especially as we near the end of the school year:

Simply drill holes into a 4×4 piece of wood, paint and fill with pencils:

Add a pretty matching ribbon in your school colors and it makes for a nice gift:

Here’s how to make the pencil holder:

1. Cut a 4 x 4 piece at 6″ long.

Make a template for the holes using paper cut to size of holder:

2. Drill holes using a bit size that matches your pencils.

Mark the depth with painters tape and begin drilling each hole:

3. Sand and paint white.  Distress.

4. Prepare pencils.  I choose these Staedtler 36 packs, black pencils only because THEY WERE ALREADY SHARPENED!!!!

(And I needed 72 pencils total, 2 packs was all it took.)

5. Print out ‘return to Teacher Name’ tags:

7. Cut around the packing tape to make a finished tag:

8. Secure tag to metal portion of pencil just below eraser using hot glue.

Stick pencils into holder, add ribbon and you’re ready to give.