Journal Pen Holder
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This journal pen holder is a simple diy fabric craft idea that will make a great gift! Keep a pen right where you need it when the memories or funny stories come along!
Journal Pen Holder
One thing I wish I was better at is keeping a journal! Not a journal where I necessarily keep my personal feelings for the day, but a journal to keep the memories of the day! Every day, my three kids do something that makes me smile, sometimes cry and feel extremely blessed to be there Momma! Days go by like a blur and I know I will forget the memories or the silly things they said or did that had me chuckling for an hour. I have recently been trying to keep “notes of the day” and having a pen attached to my journal definitely helps. I made this fun journal pen holder to make sure there is always one there when I need it!
Materials for Journal Pen Holder:
- Fabric
- Elastic
- Sewing Machine
- Hot Iron
You don’t have to have much experience with sewing in order to make this journal pen holder. If you can sew a straight line you are set 🙂 The directions for this pen holder is pretty simple as well. Follow along in the written directions below and use the collage above to help guide you.
How to make Journal Pen Holder:
1. Measure the length of your journal. Mine was about 8 1/2 inches.
2. Cut out two strips of fabric 2 inches wide by the length of your journal and a third strip about 2 inches longer than half of your first two strips. Confusing? My two strips were 8 inches x 2 inches. My third strip was 6 inches by 2 inches. ( slightly longer than half) You also need to cut a piece of elastic. I cut mine 1 inch smaller than the length of my journal so it would fit nice and snug over my journal
3. Using the smallest strip of fabric, fold your edge over a 1/4 inch and press with a hot iron. Top stitch. ( This will be your pocket piece)
4. Lay your pocket piece on top of one of the first two strips. Ugly sides facing each other. Sew down the pocket sides to hold in place. You don’t need to sew the bottom.
5. Lay your final piece on top of your main piece ( pretty sides together. Sew down both sides. You don’t need to sew the top or bottom.
6. Turn both of your ends inside of itself and press with a hot iron. Insert the end of your elastic and fold over the edge slightly to create a clean crease. Sew together and repeat on the opposite side.
Now when you are all finished make a few more! Pair the journal pen holder with a new coordinating journal and pens to make a great gift idea that is perfect for your girlfriends, book club members, Christmas gifts and more!
For more fabric craft ideas you should try these!
The pictures of this post has been updated as of 2018. The directions are the same just some newer brighter images 🙂
This would be great to make wider so reading glasses would also fit in it.
Are you sure you mean “ugly sides together” in step 4 for pocket placement? I had to rip out the seams after doing that. I then placed the pocket piece pretty side up on top of main fabric, also pretty side up and proceeded from there with success.
This was an awesome tutorial. I am going to make one for my Midori Travellers Journal. I want to make some for gifts, and will just leave the elastics free at the ends so the person can just tie them to the length they need. Thank You so much for making these!
Just discovered this on my Pinterest board, and thought it would be perfect to adapt to make a holder for a stylus for my phone. Have just gotten fingernails, and am really struggling with texting now.
Great idea~~ I love it~
This pencil holder is EXACTLY what I was looking for. THANK YOU!!
Quick note: I am 57, my youngest is turning 26 next month. I wrote down Some things my kids did and here is one from when my son was about 8: [We were sitting in the dentist office waiting, Nate was looking at a National Geographic mag. He got so excited and said LOOK MOM, the cheetah is taking down the cantelope!!! I looked at the picture and indeed saw the cheetah taking the down ANTELOPE…]
So persevere young mommas. It is so precious to have some things written down for when they are all out of the nest.
Amazing! This is what I’ve been in dire need of! Can you lease do a tutorial video for this? I couldn’t understand a couple of steps.
Thank you,
M. K
Please*
Thank you so much for the inspiration. I just whipped one of these up today. Instead of using a separate piece for the pocket I used a longer strip for the top piece and folded it twice to create the pocket in the overlap. Too easy. It was a fun little project and I’m stoked to have somewhere cute to keep my pen.
I have a teenaged neighbor whom has adopted me as a big sister/mom type figure in her life and she was telling me that they are NOT allowed to carry backpacks to class. I was amazed. Times are so different from when I was in high school. .::sigh::. Anyway, this is perfect to make for her to help keep pens and pencils with her. I’m also looking into making a bookstrap to help carry her books. There aren’t to many tutorials on these out there. Most of them are made of leather. I’m going to look at some pics and try to wing it…unless anyone on here knows of a tutorial for one ?. Thanks so much for your time and effort in making and sharing this. I pray you are blessed with inspiration daily. Blessings~Stephanie
Hi! I’ve had this pinned for a while and am planning to make some as teacher gifts this weekend but it also occured to me that if you made it bigger you could put lots of pens in (kids colouring stuff, especially in the car, or for someone who takes notes but can’t go far) or journal sized if you like to colour code *whisper* or are an organisational nerd like me…
When I make this (and I will) I will probably make my elastic a bit longer…maybe only 1/2 inch shorter then my book so I can slip it over the pages I have already written on and have a book mark at the same time! I hate using bits of newspaper or tossed mail to mark my place. LOL At least your juice was with your glasses!!
I am so happy to have found this pencil holder for my bible. I am always writing notes on something I have read and of course there is no pen or pencil to be found. I also have a prayer journal that this would perfect for. This also would be a great gift for someone who reads a lot. Have a great day!
I ran across this idea on Pinterest about a week ago but have been busy with Easter preparations and haven’t had any time to sew. I finally got the opportunity today. It was one of the fastest and easiest projects I have made yet. (I just started teaching myself to sew as of last October by using Pinterest and YouTube as my tutors).
I had recently used a piece of ribbon to tie a pencil to the spiral binding of my current prayer journal but didn’t like how the string seemed to constantly get in my way and would also be an issue if my next journal doesn’t have a spiral binding. I think this journal pen holder may be the perfect solution. I’ll find out tomorrow during my quiet prayer time. Thanks so much!
Hello. This is a great idea that inspired me (http://countrycosy.blogspot.com/2015/10/journal-pen-holder.html). Now I won’t waste time looking for my pens/pencils.
Greetings from Belgium.
Thank you for this pattern! I made them as a gift for my mother, and she loves it and wants one for like everything she has now, haha. So simple, cute, and practical. Best wishes! 🙂
Hi Katie, I made a pen holder for my pocket diary using your tutorial and shared it on my blog today. Thank you for inspiring me. I found your lovely blog via Pinterest. Barbara xx
This is so cool, thank you for sharing this great idea.
This would also work on an iPad (or other books) to carry a hand held fan. (For those of us that ride on public transportation and has their own personal summers!!)
I just made 24 of these. Thank you for your simple directions. I had the courage to say, Hey I can do this and get it done today! Thank you sooo much! I am teaching a class on Journal Writing tomorrow and now I have lovely gifts for everyone!! Maybe I should make a few more!! I will pass out a worksheet for everyone with your URL on it. Thank you again!!
I am so glad! What a fun gift idea!
Before step 6, you’re supposed to turn it the whole thing right side out, and then the pocket right side out, right? That’s the only way it makes sense to me but I’m trying to do this right now and I absolutely hate turning narrow straps inside out. This time I actually busted the seam tugging and yanking, so I may have to start the whole thing over again. Grr…
Great idea!!! Thanks for sharing:)
I made my own pen holder using your tutorial and shared it on my blog today. http://finddailyjoy.com/2014/05/21/pinterest-project-notebook-pen-holder-2/ Thanks for the inspiration!
My 10 year recently learned to sew on the sewing machine with her Grandma. She found this cute little project and hopes to do this the next time she is at Grandma’s house. Thanks for the cute idea!
This idea is so fun and yet so effective. I am not really good in sewing but I would like to try this in different fabrics. Thank you for sharing Katie.
I love this. I thought of something like this because I keep putting lumps in my books because I put pens in them. Now you gave me a great idea. I’m going to make one today. I like this idea too for a gift, we give a journal to children and this would go with it very nicely. I’ll see how easy it is for me to make, I’m a remedial sewer. Thanks!
Great idea. I am going to go and cut one to make right away. I have my purse filled with pens, now I can take some of them out. Thanks for this idea.
My daughters name is also Katie.
I love this! Thank you so much for sharing.
Great Idea! I often give journals as gifts, not I can include this!
Just wanted to stop by and let you know that I loved your Journal Pen Holder so much that I’m featuring it today on The Sunday Faviourates. Please feel free to stop by and check it out/grab a button.
I was thinking what a great idea for mu church note book then saw atbthevtop of comments you were also a Christian and your note pad was on top of yourvbible
I love it!! Thanks for sharing at The Weekend Retreat, hope to see you back on Thursday http://mommyondemand.com/
What a brill idea! one I will adapt for MY journal.
I always wished I had kept track of my children’s days – they went so fast…. although we still have a few words that didn’t grow up and fly the nest – hangcoaters being one!!!
I love this idea! I am really picky about which pens I use for things too, so this would help. And I agree with you about recording memories. I wrote a post about turning a composition book into a cute memory book, and how it makes a great baby shower gift! Take a look if you get a minute. http://diysisters.com/memory-book-baby-shower-gift-idea/ BTW, I found you at the Creativity Unleashed link party!
That is so beautiful! I could really use one of these. I don’t have a sewing machine, but maybe I will borrow my mom’s. Stopping by from the Creatively Unleahed party!
Thanks so much! You will have it done super quick! 🙂
Great idea!! And a good project to use up fabric scraps. I’ve linked to your project on Craft Gossip: http://sewing.craftgossip.com/tutorial-journal-pen-holder/2014/02/14/
–Anne
Thanks so much for stopping by Anne~ I am truly so excited to have this appear on Craft Gossip! Thanks so much!
Oooh, I love this idea. Definitely going to make a couple of these this weekend.
Thanks so much Terry!
I have the hardest time keeping up with pens when doing a journal and this is perfect. Thanks for the tutorial.
I hear ya Jessica! Thanks for stopping by!
I love the holder and it looks easy to make with limited sewing skills. I give journals often as gifts and this will be fun to include!
I promise you can’t get much simpler than this project! 🙂 Sounds like such a sweet gift!
I know what you mean about wanting to remember all of the funny things your kids say and do. Time goes by way to fast! I’ve been pretty good about writing that stuff down. Love the pen holder. I need this on my blog binder so I don’t spend an hour a day trying to hunt down a working pencil! Thanks for sharing at The Makers. I hope you have a great week.
Love this idea!! Super cute and easy to make
Thanks Sonnet!
What a clever idea. I love this, and they would make a great gift with a beautiful note book.
Don’t worry about the juice in the cupboard, I once opened the fridge to find the washing up liquid in there, no idea how that happened!
HAHA..that is too funny Julie! 🙂 Thanks for your kind words!
HI from The Winthrop Chronicles link up. I love this idea. I am always misplacing my pens. When I am ready to journal, I end up wasting a ton of time looking pens to write with. I will be making one of these.
Thanks for this great ideas.
Blessings
Shemi
Thanks for stopping by! 🙂
I love, Love, LOVE this idea! I have been so frustrated trying to keep a pen and pencil near my notebooks and I finally have the solution! By the way, I found you through PInterest. Pinning again! ~Thank you!