How to Make a Roll-Up Pencil Holder Out of Recycled Stuff

Roll up the magazine pages with a pencil.

Save the Earth by recycling old household materials into a pencil holder. According to the EPA, one way to reduce landfills is by reusing materials that would otherwise get thrown away. Craft a colorful pencil holder by washing out an old aluminum can, like the kind used for soup or beans. Then cover the exterior of the can with rolled-up glossy paper from unwanted magazines. This craft is eco-friendly and good for the wallet.

Things You'll Need

• Duct tape
• Scissors
• Can
• Magazines
• Pencil
• Glue stick
• Craft glue
• Small bowl
• Craft paintbrush

Instructions

1. 

   Wash out your can before using it.

   Cut your duct tape into approximately 10 1-by-1-inch pieces, with a pair of scissors. Lay each piece over the top edge of your cleaned and dried can to cover any sharp parts, covering the entire circumference of the can. Then set it aside.

2. Tear approximately 20 pages from a glossy magazine. Cut each sheet in half lengthwise, to create pieces that are roughly 4-by-11-inches -- producing 40 pieces of paper.

3. Place one of your cut magazine pieces horizontally on your work space. Starting from the bottom-right corner, roll the paper diagonally toward the top-left corner, around a pencil. Your pencil guides the rolls and helps them keep their shape.

4. Glue the top edge of the paper before you reach it, midway through rolling it, using a glue stick. Continue to roll the paper over the glued area. While holding onto the roll, carefully pull out your pencil.

5. Repeat Steps 3 and 4 for the rest of the cut pages. Then pour a small amount of craft glue into a small bowl, and turn your can onto its side.

6. Dip your craft paintbrush into your glue, and brush a section of your can lengthwise. Press one of the rolls of magazine paper you have created onto the area with glue, lengthwise. Align it from the bottom of the can, and don't worry if the rolled-up paper is too long. You can trim it when you finish.

7. Repeat Step 6 to glue the other rolls of magazine paper into place.

8. Allow the craft to dry for at least one hour. Then turn the can right-side up. Trim the magazine pieces around the top of the can so that it is even.

Tips & Warnings

• Create thinner rolls by using a bamboo skewer instead of a pencil.

• Leave the rolls uncut after you glue them onto the can, for a more unusual design.

• Experiment with forming patterns using the rolled-up magazine paper, by grouping certain colors together or gluing them in different directions.

References

• EPA: Reduce and Reuse