14: Pencil Case Holder with Momola

Carry the rainbow, my friends! There is an oft-touted stereotype that artists being messy. [...] I'm not one of those. I like my spaces neat and tidy, and I struggle when all my tools are in weird places. Everyone has a different system. For me, I need something that's easily transportable. So, I'd like to share a little bit about my pencil pack design in case it might be useful to others. (Especially if you want to make handmade gifts for the holiday season for an artsy friend.) This wrap pencil case carrier is one of my favorite things now, and I love how it makes my office look colorful, fun, tidy and ready for an adventure.

Let me just be honest and start with explaining a) I'm a minimalist, b) I live an expat life, and c) I find colors tricky. So experimenting with colors is a struggle. I will turtle into black-and-white at the slightest problem. The investment to learn about color is so freakin' intimidating that I often fail to make use of my supplies. And not using my supplies makes me feel like the investment of further learning isn't worthwhile. On and on. It's a vicious circle, friends.

I'm still pushing against this problem. But I've knocked one conclusion in my head: I'm never going to grow if I won't even try. So I paired up with Momola to make a custom wrap ​pencil case carrier to make the experience more enjoyable. Nothing special going on here. Just a roll-up design based on other designs that I've seen before. And this is not the first time we've paired up to make something (click here to see our dress-making adventure) so you know it's got ​some step logic​ and magic​ making​.

Let me back up and explain that as a kid, I was once gifted a pencil case booklet. When I zipped it open, it had little bungee​ rings all lined up on either side. The bungee rings were perfectly sized for pencils, pens, scissors, erasers, etc. Because it was flat, it slid neatly inside my backpack alongside folders and binders. Genius. As an adult, I lusted after artist​ studio ​photoshoots with beautiful colors and art material​ piled all around. But I also knew that wasn't for me because minimalist/expat/color-avoidance. But boy I did love the amount of playful abundance that other people were experiencing.

Then a couple of years ago, I read Atomic Habits by James Clear and the Four Laws of Behavior sparked a new idea for the pencil case. These Four Laws are a set of rules to build better habits. They include: (1) make it obvious, (2) make it attractive, (3) make it easy, and (4) make it satisfying. Using these rules, I came up with a plan:

(1) make it obvious - it must be visible storage that allows for full viewing, with an ability to hook up somehow

(2) make it attractive - lined with shimmery satin sash, thick muslin, tidy bungee line for storing pencils with generous pencil tip cover so the colors look gorgeous and none of the mess is shown

(3) make it easy - make hooks that can hold weight, maybe even line up the pencils in order of color so they are easy to find

(4) make it satisfying - make it sophisticated and neat enough that it can serve both as storage of art, and as art itself

I​ frankensteinend this idea and brought home fabric to Momola. I actually bought too much at first​ (project enthusiasm/naiveté) ​but Momola opted to teach me how to ​minimize by using what I have. We made bias tape - cutting the fabric on 45 degree angle and folding it inward for a better and stretchier material.​ We made cords. We made muslin straps. We even measured out the space for the pencils and cut the backing material, the muslim, and the bungee ring elastic.

​Then we assembled the pieces and slowly sewed them together and crafted the pencil case carrier. As you can see, it quickly took shape, and the sewing was rather straightforward. The section on the bottom is for miscellaneous art supplies that don't fit in the other sections - like my chunky USB, tiny ruler, pencil sharpener. The middle section has the bungees for the pencils and brushes. And the top has loops to slide a pencil through for hanging on a hook, OR a cord to tie itself upon my shoulder if needed.

The end result came out marvelous. Wrap pencil case travels with me on some longer trips for a quick display of all my colors. I can strap it to my shoulder, or to a bag when I'm doodling live in a museum or in a place where I don't have a desk. And on my studio wall, it hangs as an easy and accessible categorization of my colored pencils and brushes. Seeing it out makes me way more likely to experiment with colors. And that makes a dramatic change in my courage!

Having tools that I like is an important way to keep the inspiration fresh. This is why the moment one walks into an art store feels exhilarating. Each row of brushes, paper, pencils, tubes of paint elicits a squeal of joy! Honestly, half the excitement is in purchasing the darn tools, which is why it's really lovely to be able to get joy from them as much as possible. Displaying them serves several functions - keeps things easily accessible, helps them maintain their inspirational role, and ensures that they get used more often. After all, it's just hanging right there, ripe for the picking.

Happy art-supply-organizing, dear friends, smarti