DIY pencil case

This quick-sew pencil case will keep your favourite stationery neat and tidy, with pockets for notepaper and elastic to hold your pens and pencils in place.

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By Samantha Claridge

Published: August 24, 2020 at 5:43 pm

Getting ready for the new school term or looking for me-made desk ideas to pretty up your office space? Reach for your sewing machine and make this DIY pencil case, complete with handy loops to store your pens and pencils. This project was designed by Samantha Claridge for Simply Sewing magazine.

Before you begin this project, you’ll need to download our DIY Pencil Case Pattern

New to sewing?

Check out our beginner guides to help you learn the ropes:

You Will Need

Cotton fabric (2 fat quarters for the outer fabric and lining)
Interfacing (Heavy weight, 25x25cm (10x10in))
Bias binding (150cm (60in))
Elastic (2x35cm (14in))
Zip (30cm (12in))
Sewing machine (with z), With zip foot
Basic sewing kit

Total time:

An afternoon

Step 1

Use our DIY Pencil Case Pattern and mark the shape on your outer fabric, lining fabric and interfacing.

Step 2

Cut all three pieces out.

Step 3

Use the template to make and cut two pockets from your lining fabric.

Step 4

Sew bias binding along the top of the two pockets and fold over the straight edge.

Step 5

Clip or pin the pockets and elastic to the lining and interfacing, making sure you include some looser loops in the elastic to hold larger pens.

Step 6

Sew the elastic in place and create the pen loops. Sew down both sides of the pockets 2mm (¹⁄₁₆in) from the edge.

Step 7

Place the outer fabric wrong sides together with the interfacing and pin or clip it all together.

Step 8

Topstitch together all the way around, 2mm (¹⁄₁₆in) from the outer edge.

Step 9

Create the fold lines by sewing down the centre lines marked on the template.

Step 10

Undo your zip and starting at the centre bottom, pin or clip the zip (coil facing inwards) around the edge of the case, you may need to snip in to the zip at the corners to get it to lie smoothly around the curve. Sew it in place. Fold the head of the zipper to the inside of the case.

Step 11

Make a small end stop with a scrap of fabric and slip it over the head of the zip.

Step 12

Pin then stitch bias binding all the way around, encasing all the raw edges.

Step 13

Flip the zipper head to the outside so that you can close the zip.

Samantha Claridge

Designer Maker

Samantha is a busy craft blogger, sewist, artist and handmade advocate. She lives in Berkshire and has been running her online store, Samantha Claridge Studio, for almost 18 years. She designs her own products from sewing journals to pin badges and blogs with her best friend Heather over at Live it. Love it. Make it. She works as a freelance designer and has had her work featured in magazines including Sewing World, Simply Sewing, Reloved and Mollie Makes. You might have seen her on TV as she’s a regular guest designer for Sewing Quarter, where she demonstrates sewing projects and techniques. Find her on Instagram @samanthaclaridge