Wooden Pencil Holder DIY Gift (Easy Dollar Tree Craft!)
Are you looking for a cheap, easy DIY gift kids can make? This wooden pencil holder is a great gift idea for parents, grandparents, teachers – anyone! Today I’m sharing a baseball-themed version we made for Dad for Father’s Day! Come see how easy it is + get free printable Father’s Day tags!
Easy Dollar Tree Craft Gift!
Somehow these occasions where you need a gift your kid can make sneaks up on us pretty fast!
If you’re looking for a fun, super affordable gift idea that kids can actually make, and one that is ideal for last minute, I think you’ll really like this one.
We made a Baseball-Themed Wooden Pen Holder.
This gift is perfect for Dad’s desk, his nightstand, or even his man cave! But you can customize this for any recipient, in any theme!
And honestly, it’s not really just for pens. This is a great for small screwdrivers & tools, ear buds, glasses, charging cords… anything that needs a place to live on Dad’s desk, nightstand, or in the workshop.
I love that this craft comes together very quickly, is not messy, and very low stress.
So let’s get to it.
This post contains affiliate links. See Disclosures for details.
Materials for Pen Holder
- Wooden pen holder* (craft aisle at Dollar Tree!)
- Acrylic or chalk paint (any color you like — we used black)
- Scrapbook paper (I got the baseball paper at Hobby Lobby. Michael’s also has a great selection. You can even print a background wallpaper on Canva for free!)
- Glossy Mod Podge
- Foam brush or paintbrush
- Scissors
- Pencil
- X-Acto Knife
*If you can’t find a wooden pen holder, you can also do this project with an repurposed tin can!
Directions for Wooden Pencil Holder
1| Paint the top edge.
First, paint the top edge of the wooden holder.* We used black because it’s my husband’s favorite color and we made it to match a trinket tray, but red or white or any color that matches the paper you choose will be great!
Let it dry completely. If you need to speed things up, you can use a hairdryer.
*In the pictures, you’ll see that the top rim isn’t painted. We actually painted at the end, but realized that it would have been better to paint first. The instructions are revised to show that edit!
2| Cut the scrapbook paper.
Lay the wooden holder on the back of the scrapbook paper with the top edge of the cup along the top edge of the paper. Arrange the paper in a landscape orientation (horizontally) to make sure you’re getting the full length of the 11″ side.
Then draw a line along the bottom of the cup and cut your baseball-themed paper to the full length across.
It’s okay if it’s not perfect — Mod Podge is pretty forgiving!
3| Stick it down with Mod Podge.
Brush a layer of Mod Podge down one side of the holder, then gently place the paper on top. Smooth it out with your fingers or a credit card to get rid of any bubbles.
Continue to add Mod Podge and roll the paper around the holder.
You can also lay the paper flat on the table and using the flat surface of the table, roll the cup as you add Mod Podge, to help seal the paper around the holder.
Once the cup is fully covered, you can cut any extra length if it would be too bulky to overlap. Just make sure the seam where it meets is covered.
4| Trim any excess.
Using an X-Acto knife, trim excess paper from the top and bottom by sliding the knife over the flat top surface.
Parents should be help with this part if the kids aren’t handy with a knife.
You can do this on the bottom as well, or just Mod Podge the bottom edge underneath the cup in the next step.
*You can touch up the top rim with paint if any paper scraps are left behind or if the knife scratches the paint.
5| Seal the outside of the cup.
Once all the paper is glued down, brush a nice even coat of Mod Podge over everything — paper and painted edges. It’ll dry to a shiny, glossy finish that gives it a really completed and polished look.
6| Let it dry.
Set it aside for a few hours (overnight is even better) so it can fully cure and harden up.
We will also use a hair dryer to dry when we are in a rush!
Fun Tip:
If you want to add a little extra touch, you can have your kids sign their name or write “Happy Father’s Day!” on the bottom with a paint pen before sealing it.
And just like that, you’ve got an adorable, homemade gift that Dad will actually use!
Perfect for pens, pencils, or even tools and gadgets.
The baseball theme is the perfect vibe if the recipient loves baseball. We filled ours with peanuts, and I love how that came out!
And if you want to make a baseball-themed desk set, you can easily create a baseball trinket tray to go with it – another easy Dollar Tree craft!
Other Baseball Themed Gift Ideas
I also create a few more baseball gift ideas (Dollar Tree ones as well!) to go with it if you want to give an entire baseball-themed gift set to Dad!
Just click on the title or image to be taken to the tutorial!
It includes:
Trinket Tray
You saw that one above!
Dad is Our MVP Sign
Baseball Oreo Pops
These are all tied together with cellophane and adorable gift tags to coordinate the entire gift set, which you can get below!
Free Printable Father’s Day Gift Tags
If you’d like the gift tags you see in the picture, just fill out the box below!
There is a page of each version: “All Star Dad | Happy Father’s Day” and Proverbs 20:7: “The righteous man walks in integrity; blessed are his children after him.”
The tags are 2″ round, which can be cut with a 2″ circle punch.
I also used a 2.5″ circle punch on red and blue construction paper and glued the tag on those to give them a little extra prominence.
These tags also coordinate with Avery 22612 round sticker labels, which you can also stick on larger circle punched cardstock or construction paper, or directly on the gift itself!
For best results, print on cardstock!
More Father’s Day Gift Ideas
If you need more ideas for Father’s Day, check out these posts below!
25 Father’s Day Crafts for Toddlers
25 Adorable Free Printable Father’s Day Crafts & Cards
25+ Homemade Father’s Day Gifts from Kids {That Dad Can Actually Use}
If you tried this idea, I’d love to see it! Tag me on Instagram @100affections & I’ll share in my stories. Or, leave a photo comment on Pinterest!
Other thoughts? I’d love to hear them! Leave a comment below!
And if you enjoyed this post, I’d be so grateful if you pinned or shared. Thank you so much!
