DIY Colored Pencil Roll Tutorial

Fabric Pencil Roll Free Sewing Tutorial. How to Make A Colored Pencil Roll Up Bag. 

The idea behind it was to spark a bit of joy in tidying up all those crayons; I sewed in a specific fabric strip for each crayon, giving every color its own dedicated spot. 

And I have to say—it works! What I didn’t anticipate, however, was how many visiting children would insist on having one of these rolls for themselves—and even less so, the enthusiastic response from mothers, preschool teachers, and school teachers. 

Perhaps this—my all-time favorite gift for children—might be just the thing for your own loved ones, too? 

To sew one of these rolls, you will need:

First, a pack of colored pencils. I always use the 24-count set from Faber-Castell. Thanks to their angular shape and small raised dots, the pencils are easy for children to hold; plus, individual colors can be purchased separately almost anywhere. 

This means you can enjoy using the pencil roll for years, as you can refill it time and again whenever the pencils get worn down from sharpening or one goes missing.

I always supplement the 24-pencil set with gold and silver (a big hit with the girls) and at least 4 other colors, which are available individually. My pencil rolls are therefore always designed to hold 30 or more pencils—because the more beautiful the rainbow, the more striking the roll looks.

Now, for each color, you will need a corresponding strip of fabric measuring 3.5 x 28 cm. Admittedly, this might involve some rummaging through your supplies, but it’s also a wonderful way to use up fabric scraps.

It is important, however, that the color matches the color of the pens as closely as possible, so that the children don’t have any trouble matching them up later on. Perhaps a sewing friend might have a small scrap in the right shade of green?

Additionally, half a meter of solid-colored fabric. In my opinion, colors like gray or beige make the colors of the pens/pencils really pop. I usually use a beige linen fabric. 

A 30 cm piece of Vlieseline H640 interfacing
Thread that matches the solid-colored fabric
A simple hair tie
An attractive button with a diameter of approx. 23 mm (or a coverable button, such as those from Prym)
Optional: a 4 cm wide strip of "Soft & Stable" (foam stabilizer) to act as a guard against items falling out
Optional: pretty fabric scraps for decorating the exterior and covering the button

And here’s how to do it:

First, cut the fabric strips to the dimensions 3.5 x 28 cm, press them, and lay them out in your desired order. Then, stack them from darkest to lightest—and you’re ready to head to the sewing machine.

Place the top light-colored strip in front of you, then lay the second strip on top of it, right sides together. Sew them together along the right edge, using a "presser-foot width" (approx. 1/4 inch or 6 mm) seam allowance. 

Unfold the pieces, then place the next strip on top—again, right sides together—and sew it on. Always ensure that the fabrics are positioned with their right sides facing each other!

Continue in this manner until the final strip has been sewn on. Then, attach a strip of the solid-colored fabric—measuring 3.5 x 28 cm—to both the left and right sides. 

Next, press the piece. Ensure that the seam allowances are always pressed toward the darker fabric so that nothing shows through later. The fabric may shift or distort slightly during this process—this is especially common with linen—but it can be corrected by gently stretching it back into shape. Finally, trim the top and bottom edges of the assembled piece so that they are perfectly straight. 

The assembled strips now serve as a template for the remaining components. Place the piece onto the solid-colored fabric and cut out a section with the same dimensions. Cut a piece of interfacing (fusible fleece) to these same dimensions.  

Additionally, cut a strip from the solid-colored fabric measuring 14 cm by the width of your specific roll. If you wish to decorate the outer roll with fabric, cut a piece for that as well, with a maximum width of 10 cm. Let your imagination run wild!

Next, iron the interfacing onto the reassembled outer fabric, then trim the excess fabric from the long strip so that the outer piece is the same length as the ironed-on interfacing.

For the piece measuring 14 cm by the length of the pencil roll, fold over one of the long edges twice—by approximately 1 cm each time—and press.

My edge shaper has served me well on quite a few occasions.

Stitch the folded-over edge in place, at a distance of one presser-foot width from the edge.

Now, the strip is placed onto the color strip and aligned straight with the help of a ruler.

Then, secure in place using plenty of pins and, if necessary, mark straight lines with a marking pen or tailor’s chalk.

Sew along the lines, making sure to secure the stitches well at the beginning and end of each seam.

Next, insert the pens to test whether all the pen slots are large enough. Optional: Sew on a flap to prevent the pens from falling out. 

I have only recently started adding this strip, which keeps the pens from slipping out when the roll is closed and being carried. Over time, the fabric stretches, and the pens may fit more loosely in their slots.

For this, I take a strip of foam (I use a leftover piece of "Soft and Stable"—a type of stabilizer for bags—measuring about 4 cm by the full width of the fabric), fold it over once, and stitch along the open edges near the top.

Later, the fleece stands up, preventing the pins from slipping out. 

Now, place the outer piece onto the inner piece, with the right sides facing each other, and pin them in place.

Secure the hair tie in place using pins, positioning the decorated outer side facing the appropriate direction. Leave an opening of approximately 7 cm along the bottom, long edge for turning the piece right-side out.

I use a saucer to round off all the corners. Stitch all the way around, leaving a small margin (the width of a little foot/presser foot) from the edge.

Then turn right side out and press carefully; alternatively, secure the edges using Clover clips.

Finally, stitch all the way around close to the edge using a longer stitch length (approx. 3.5), closing the opening used for turning in the process.

Now fill it with the pens again and roll it up to determine where the button should be sewn on. Sew the button on by hand (you may want to cover it with matching fabric first).

And there you have it—your pencil roll is finished! At first, the bottom section might feel a bit taut. In my experience, the fabric stretches quite quickly in that area, and before long, the roll will be the same length at both the top and the bottom.

And this is what the pen/pencil roll, made with patterned fabrics, looks like:

Isn’t this a glorious explosion of color? I, too, occasionally find myself lost in thought while sorting my pens in the evening…

I hope you’ll be able to bring someone a lot of joy with your own handmade pencil roll. To all the sewing beginners out there: don’t be afraid to give it a try!  

Personally, I especially love sewing for children; they truly appreciate a gift like this—they couldn’t care less about crooked seams, they’re just happy to see a rainbow! 

 Have fun sewing your own, and enjoy gifting it!