Inexpensive DIY Pencil Vase | i should be mopping the floor
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Inexpensive DIY Pencil Vase

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This budget-friendly pencil vase is a fun craft to make for Teacher Appreciation Week gifts or teacher gifts for any time of the year, really. It's easy on the wallet with upcycled cans, inexpensive pencils, and a lot of love. It's also super cute and would be an adorable addition to anybody's classroom (or principal's office!). See how we made this pencil vase below.

Pencil Vase
Teacher Appreciation Week is a pretty fun time here at I Should Be Mopping the Floor. I'm married to a principal and have helped plan many a Teacher Appreciation Week, both for schools he has been at, as well as for our own kids' schools. I also have lots of other fun printables and projects for this special season that you can find here. My favorite Teacher Appreciation Week gifts are the handmade ones...they just melt my heart. And this one totally fits the bill for that. See how we made this simple DIY Pencil Vase below. 

DIY Pencil Vase



Not only is this pencil vase a lovely gift for a teacher or school staff member, it makes a darling centerpiece for any school luncheon, as well. A few fellow preschool moms and I actually put these pencil vases together for that very purpose. We created a couple of dozen of these for our preschool's Teacher Appreciation Week Luncheon (put on by all of the parents for the school's staff). These pencil vases were up and down the middles of all of the tables, filled with flowers. After we cleaned up from the meal, we took each teacher their own pencil vase to keep as a simple gift of appreciation. They all were truly happy to receive them. And year after year, I've seen them displayed in their classrooms. Some have kept flowers in them, but they also make great holders for school supplies, too. Turns out that everyone loves their pencil vase.

Pencil Vase Supplies

Supplies for a Pencil Vase


As I mentioned above, some sweet friends & I had a crafty morning putting these together for our preschool's Teacher Appreciation Week. Crafting is even more fun with friends! Below are the supplies we used for this pencil vase craft.

  • standard vegetable cans (14.5 ounce is what we used)
    • Be sure to thoroughly wash your cans. One of my fellow crafters, Kristen, volunteered to wash all of our cans in her dishwasher that had a sanitize feature.
  • pencils...honestly, each of us were able to get a different amount around each can. I would estimate around 24 pencils per can, give or take.
  • hot glue gun
  • hot glue
    • You can use low temp or high temp on this, it won't make a big difference.
  • ribbon 
With this hot glue used in this craft, it can be harder to get little kids in on the creation of this one. But older children may be able to help with plenty of supervision. Be sure to use a lower temp glue gun and watch vigilantly if you decide to go that route. I'm not responsible for any hot glue boo boos on this one, y'all. 


Pencil Vase Craft

Making a Pencil Vase

This is truly a super simple craft. Just gluing, gluing, and more gluing. I found it easier to put a bunch of glue on the can itself and then stick 2-3 pencils on a time. Mine also ended up being the messier ones...the other moms crafting with me were a little more careful and glued each of their pencils one at a time. In the end, they all looked pretty good...mine just required a bit of glue gun hair snipping. 


How to Make a Pencil Vase
Just keep working your way around each can with all of your pencils. If you mess up, you can always pull one off and reposition it with new hot glue. Once all of your pencils are glued, take a bit of ribbon and tie it around as well. We put a dab of glue under the backside of the ribbon to make sure it wouldn't slide off. You can double knot your ribbon, as well, so it stays put even better.


Teacher Pencil Vase
Didn't these turn out so fun? I made one for my older son's teacher, as well, and it was definitely a hit. You truly can beat cute and budget-friendly, amiright?


Looking for More Teacher Appreciation Crafts?



DIY Pencil Vase

When is Teacher Appreciation Week?

In the US, for 2019, Teacher Appreciation Week will begin on 
Monday
, 
May 6th and end on 
Friday
, 
May 10th. Happy Teacher Appreciating, y'all!