Recycled Photo Pencil Holder

This easy mother’s day craft makes use of a recycled container to make a pencil holder for Mom. She’ll love it, because you decorate the sides with photos of her favorite people. Now, whenever she reaches for a pen or pencil, she’ll see the smiling faces of her family and friends!

by Twila Lenoir

Materials:

Plastic container(I used a frosting container)
Paper twist
Ribbon roses
Glue
Printable sticker paper
scissors
Photos
Clear contact paper(optional)

Project Instructions:

1. Clean the container and remove the logo paper. Scan photos or use those you already have saved on the computer. Print your photos on the sticker paper and cut them out.

Notes on printing stickers: I used sticker paper with pre-cut circles and software for stickers, but most card making software would probably work. You could also use a plain sheet of sticker paper, and just size the photos to print on a single sheet. Remember that you will need to overlap the photos to completely cover the container so leave enough room around the main image on each photo to allow for this.

2. Stick the photo circles, or whatever shapes you have cut, around the container in a collage. Overlap the photos so that the outside of the container is completely covered.

3. If you like, cut a piece of transparent contact paper to fit around the container and carefully stick it down over the photos to prevent fading. I made this pencil holder to give my mom on Mother’s Day, so I used pictures of all the important people that she loves – like me, of course.

4. Take your paper twist and untwist a small portion of it. Place the container on the paper and trace around the bottom. Trace and cut out two circles like this. Glue the first one to the inside bottom of the container and the second one to the outside bottom of the pencil holder.

5. Take about a yard of untwisted paper and glue this length wise around the inside of the tub. Make sure there is enough to go over the top of the tub and glue this last section down firmly.

Glue another section of untwisted paper around the bottom of the pencil holder.

6. Decorate the top with ribbon roses or other small silk flowers.

This will be a cherished gift that mom will enjoy every time she reaches for a pen or pencil. Happy Mother’s Day!