Start the School Year Creatively: Free Crochet Pattern for a Stylish Pencil-Shaped Holder!

Back to school is just around the corner, making it the ideal time to organize your children's desks with crocheted pencil holders. These practical helpers, which you can crochet with these free pattern,  provide ample space for colored pencils, markers, and erasers, all while looking great.

You can involve your kids in the design process by letting them choose the colors! Whether they prefer bright shades or pastel tones, together you can find the perfect combination.

Additionally, you can add appliqués or patches that showcase their favorite characters or patterns. This way, each pencil holder becomes a personal piece that your kids will proudly display on their desks.

Crocheting itself is a relaxing activity that gives you the chance to spend time together and build excitement for the upcoming school year. Once the pencil holders are finished, your children will be thrilled to decorate their desks with them. So grab your yarn and crochet hook, and start creating together!

You will need:

- A round wooden base (to prevent the pencils from slipping through or damaging the yarn when storing items like scissors)

Important: The wooden base should have a number of holes divisible by 6. Mine has 24 holes, for example.

- Ribbon yarn in your or your child's favorite color (you can of course use multiple colors) and in a beige tone for the part that should look sharpened.
Two crochet hooks (one size 6.5 and a smaller one, e.g., size 3.5 for easier pulling through difficult spots)
- Determination, especially when things don’t work out on the first try.

Here’s how to do it:

We have decided to make things a little easier for beginners, so there are some general tips and information beforehand.

Work is done in closed rounds unless explicitly stated otherwise. This means you always crochet in rounds and finish each round with a slip stitch.

When changing colors, this always happens at the end of the last stitch, or at the round or color change point.

We use the following stitches:

Chain stitch
Pull the yarn through the loop.

Turning chain
At the beginning of a round, chain stitches are made to reach the height of the stitch being worked.

Slip stitch
Insert the hook into a stitch, yarn over, and pull through the loop on the hook.

Single crochet
Insert the hook into the stitch, yarn over, and pull through. There are now 2 loops on the hook. Yarn over again and pull through both loops.

Double crochet
Yarn over the hook, insert it into the next stitch, yarn over, and pull through. Yarn over again and pull through the first 2 loops on the hook. Yarn over once more and pull through the remaining 2 loops.

Treble crochet
Yarn over twice, insert the hook into the next stitch, yarn over, and pull through. Yarn over and pull through the first 2 loops, then yarn over and pull through the next 2 loops, and finally yarn over and pull through the last 2 loops.

Front post double crochet
Insert the hook into the stitch beside the single crochet of the previous round, bring the hook behind this stitch so that the hook comes out on the other side of the stitch. Yarn over as for a double crochet, then pull through. Complete the double crochet as usual.

Front post treble crochet
Insert the hook into the stitch beside the double crochet of the previous round, bring the hook behind this stitch so that the hook comes out on the other side of the stitch. Yarn over as for a treble crochet, then pull through. Complete the treble crochet as usual.

Round 1: Start with a round of single crochet stitches in your chosen favorite color directly on the wooden base. Work loosely so that it doesn’t pull too tightly, as this would cause the holder to take on a strange shape. Close the round with a slip stitch. (24 stitches)

Tip: You can also start with the beige yarn and crochet one or two rounds; this way, it will look like the pencil has an eraser at the bottom.

Round 2: Start with a chain stitch and then alternate between crocheting one single crochet into one stitch and two single crochets into another stitch. (36 stitches)

I like to work only into the back loop, but this is not strictly necessary.

Round 3: Start with a chain stitch and then crochet five single crochets, followed by a front post double crochet.

To do this, insert your hook next to the single crochet from the previous round, bring the hook behind that stitch, so you come out the front on the other side. Yarn over and pull the yarn back through to finish the double crochet as usual. This technique makes the single crochet from the previous round pop out and gives it a three-dimensional look.

Repeat this five times to create a hexagonal pencil holder. (36 stitches)

Rounds 4-8: Start with a chain stitch and crochet five single crochets followed by a front post double crochet. Repeat this five times to maintain the hexagonal shape. (36 stitches)

Round 9: Start with a chain stitch and then crochet one single crochet, one double crochet, one triple crochet, one double crochet, one single crochet, and one slip stitch. Repeat this five times. Make sure the slip stitches land on the front post double crochets so that nothing shifts. (36 stitches)

Round 10: Now switch to the beige yarn. If you need help with the perfect color change, check out the relevant post:

The Perfect Color change

Start with a chain stitch and crochet:
a double crochet on the single crochet
a single crochet on the double crochet
a slip stitch on the triple crochet
a single crochet on the double crochet
a double crochet on the single crochet
a front post double crochet on the front post double crochet (and the slip stitch on top)

Repeat this five times.

Round 11: Start with a chain stitch and begin by crocheting two stitches together as single crochets, then one single crochet into the next stitch, and again two stitches together as single crochets. On the front post double crochet, crochet another front post double crochet and repeat everything five times. (24 stitches)

Rounds 12 and 13: Start with a chain stitch and crochet a slip stitch into each stitch. (24 stitches)

Now you just need to weave in the ends, and you’ve  connected everything with love!

Looking for more ideas for the start of school? In our  Shop, you'll find other lovely crochet ideas and soon more pencil holders in creative shapes. Feel free to stop by!