Cat Pencil Holder Craft
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New school supplies are always fun to buy. My kids and I love shopping the aisles for backpacks, folders, erasers, and all the items on our back-to-school checklist. However, with five children, those school supplies can easily take over our homeschool room if we aren’t organized.
Pencil holders are an invaluable tool for organization in our home. Each child keeps one on their desk, where they can quickly access writing utensils. It saves us the time and hassle of constantly hunting down pencils.
Our old pencil holders were starting to look worn, so this week was the right time for a DIY pencil holder craft. With an empty can from the pantry and a little imagination, I designed the perfect pencil holder for my kitty-loving girls.
You’ll love how quickly this pencil holder comes together. After making one, you might want to make a whole collection! Plus, it’s easy enough for even the littlest schoolers to help with.
So grab a can and some basic supplies and follow these steps to make your own Cat Pencil Holder Craft.
Cat Pencil Holder Craft: What You’ll Need
The best thing about this craft is that you probably already have everything you need. There’s no need to spend a fortune on extra decorations. This kitty is simple and sweet.
Materials:
- White paper or cardstock (Or any color you’d like)
- Scissors
- Paper Cutter
- Permanent Marker
- Empty Can
- Glue
Setup:
Preparation for this craft is simple. You’ll just want to be sure your can is ready to use.
Empty the Can and Remove the Label
I used a 14-oz can from beans, but any size can works. Be sure to empty the can, rinse thoroughly, and remove the label. When you’re finished, dry it completely.
Time to Craft
Help your child assemble this pencil holder by following these steps.
Step 1: Lay the can on one of the short ends of a piece of paper. With a pencil, mark where you’ll cut the paper at the top of the can. You’ll want to make sure you cut just under the lip of the can so it doesn’t hang over.
Step 2: Using a paper cutter, cut the paper all the way down on the mark. You should have one long piece that wraps completely around your can, with extra length to go around. Be sure your paper fits between the upper and lower lip of the can for a tight fit.
Step 3: With a permanent marker, draw a face on the strip of paper in the middle. We kept it simple by just drawing eyelids, a mouth, and whiskers. Feel free to add anything you’d like.
Step 4: Cut ears from the scraps of white paper. With a gluestick, glue the ears on the top of the strip of paper above the eyes.
Step 5: Wrap the strip of paper around the can and glue in place. (It helps to tape down one side to hold it in place and then glue the other side over the top.)
Step 6: Using the extra scraps of paper, cut out a tail. Glue the tail on the backside of the can.
Step 7: Fill with pencils and enjoy!
Other Ways to Use the Cat Pencil Holder
While this cat is perfect for holding pencils, that isn’t the only use for it. Here are a few other ways to use this adorable craft.
Candy Holder
I like to keep special treats on hand to reward my kids’ hard work during school time. This holder can be used to keep individually wrapped candies. It’s great for use as an incentive for completing homework too.
Hair Tie Holder
With five girls, we are always searching for hair ties. No matter how many I buy, it seems we can never find one when we need it. This craft makes a great container for keeping hair ties in a central location.
Herb Container
We love growing herb gardens in small containers like mason jars or cans. This kitty container is an adorable option for growing herbs like sage, basil, or catnip. Fill it with soil, plant the seeds, and keep it by a window to grow herbs indoors.
Loose Change Container
My husband has a habit of throwing his loose change on the counter at the end of the day. Since we have a toddler in the house, I’m always worried about her putting coins in her mouth. This decorative craft would also serve well as a coin holder on a countertop for loose change from pockets.
What else can we add to this Cat Pencil Holder Craft
We think this Cat Pencil Holder Craft is cute just the way it is. However, you can dress it up as much as you’d like to. Your child might want to add googly eyes, glitter, stickers, or gems to make it shine.
What other animals can I make?
Once you make this Cat Pencil Holder Craft, you might wonder what other animals you can make. We found that changing the animal is quite simple.
Koala
To change the cat into a koala, opt for gray paper instead of white. Change the ears from pointy to round. For the face, make two dots for the eyes and draw a gum-drop-shaped nose in the center.
Rabbit
To create a rabbit pencil holder, cut long, rounded ears instead of triangles. You can also add small, rosy cheeks instead of freckled spots. Create a small round tail on the back instead of the cat tail.
Bear
To make a bear pencil holder, use brown construction paper instead of white. Cut out round ears instead of triangles. Make two dots for eyes on the face and draw a circle around the nose and mouth.
What other ways can I enrich this activity?
- Hardcover Book
- Guendelsberger, Erin (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 40 Pages – 07/05/2022 (Publication Date) – Sourcebooks Wonderland (Publisher)
The back-to-school fun can continue with these other activities!
- Make a Bouncy Pencil Topper Craft
- Make these Affirmation Backpack Buddy Keychains
- Read Little Yellow Bus: A Back to School Bravery Adventure by Erin Guendelsberger
- Create a paper chain for the countdown to when school starts
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