DIY Rainbow Pencil Holder
Create a colorful rainbow pencil holder using cardboard tubes and cardstock! I used my Cricut to make a sweet rainbow and clouds that can be personalized with a name!
Hello Crafty Friends! Today I have a fun and colorful craft to share with you – a DIY rainbow pencil holder! I made this pencil holder for my daughter to use at her desk. It’s perfect for corralling her colored pencils as well as her writing pencils, markers and even scissors. It doesn’t take up a lot of space on her desk but keeps everything she needs at her fingertips.
A few years ago I made a large pencil holder using cardboard tubes from rolls of Cricut vinyl. It has held up so well over the last four years and still sits on my desk. My daughter of course has been asking for one of her own, so I created this sweet rainbow one for her. A little bit smaller but just as fun and colorful. I again used cardboard tubes from Cricut vinyl rolls and wrapped them in light blue rainbow paper. The rainbow decoration was made with my Cricut Explore using chipboard and colorful cardstock. The clouds glitter and I personalized them with her name and a smiley face using adhesive vinyl.
I am sharing the rainbow cut file in my Etsy shop and it is super easy to use. No need to add score lines or attach anything, just upload it and you’re ready to cut! It is sized to fit a board that is 2 inches wide. The listing also comes with a simplified PDF pattern you can use without a cutting machine. The rainbow is colored in rather than cut from paper. :)
Below is the supply list and tutorial. I love creating pencil holders and desk organizers so be sure to check out my other fun creations!
More Pencil Holder Craft Ideas
How to Make a Rainbow Pencil Holder
Supplies Needed:
- Rainbow SVG Cut File and Printable Pattern – comes with an instruction packet.
- Cardboard tubes
- Chipboard
- Rainbow colored cardstock
- Blue and silver glitter paper for clouds – I used DCWV Glitzy paper for the silver clouds
- Light blue cardstock to wrap the cardboard tubes.
- My light blue rainbow paper is from the DCWV paperstack Rainbows & Unicorns.
- This “Chasing Rainbows” sheet from Simple Stories is another great option.
- Piece of wood that is 2″ wide
- Light blue acrylic paint and paintbrush
- Tacky Glue or hot glue
- Black vinyl and pink vinyl for the name and smiley face
Step by Step Instructions
Step One: Cut and paint the cardboard tubes. Use a craft knife to cut the cardboard tubes so they measure 4″ tall. I used cardboard tubes from rolls of Cricut Vinyl. They are super strong and measure 12″ long. I used a ruler to mark 4″ and 8″ around the tube, then used a craft knife to carefully cut them. Paint the top, bottom and inside of the tubes light blue with acrylic paint. While the blue paint is out, also paint the wooden board.
Step Two: Wrap the cardboard tubes in light blue paper. I chose to use a light blue rainbow print paper to wrap all five of my cardboard tubes and adhered the paper with double-sided tape.
Step Three: Attach the cardboard tubes to the wooden board using hot glue or tacky glue. Glue around the bottom of each tube and also on the edge that will be touching the next tube. I tried to position my cardboard tubes so the seams of the paper were hidden.
Step Four: Create a cute rainbow and clouds from paper. Use my Rainbow SVG to cut the rainbow and clouds, then layer them together using glue. For both the rainbow and clouds, I cut the first layer from chipboard. This helps the designs stand up and gives you something to glue the cardstock onto.
For the clouds, I again cut the first layer for each cloud from chipboard and the top layers from glittery paper. I used vinyl to add the name and smiley face.
Use a small piece of transfer tape to apply the vinyl name and smiley face.
Step Five: Attach the rainbow and clouds to the pencil holder using glue. First attach the rainbow, followed by the larger blue clouds, then the smaller silver clouds. The silver clouds should end up flush with the sides of the wood.
The pencil holder is finished and ready to be enjoyed! I loved making this sweet desk organizer. Grab the SVG cut file from my Etsy shop, Designing Cheerfully, and create your own.
