Apartment Therapy Re-Nest | Creative Reuse 2008: Simple Pen Holders

Creative Reuse 2008: Simple Pen Holders

What do you reuse? And how do you do it? Let us know, because we're looking for readers' photos and creative reuse projects. The first 15 ideas we post will get a free AT T-shirt (get all the details here). So send your projects our way!

Brian was looking for a way to store all of his markers and color pencils, but he didn't want to "buy something generic or spend a lot of money." So he made these striking holders out of various bits of paper and/or cardboard and binder clips.

Get all the info and instructions after the jump.

Object(s): Scrap paper, paper cups, toilet paper rolls or anything you can fold in to a tube. And binder clips.
Project: Custom pen holders
Instructions: All you do is take a piece of paper, roll it in to a cylinder, fold up the end and clip. Place another clip at the top as the hook. You can also use paper cups, toilet paper rolls or anything you can fold in to a tube. It looks fabulous, its totally customizable and its better then buying some plastic thing that will end up in a landfill.

(Thanks, Brian!)

Comments (7)

So simple, so easy. I can see one of these tacked to the wall of my home office, or even hanging from the hook in a school locker, with a bit of cord or ribbon tied to the binder clip. Thanks for the great idea!

posted by mayala2372 on October 15th 2008 at 9:05am
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The simplest reuse idea for pen and pencil holders is to use a coffee mug - almost everyone has more of those than they need. Not a very creative idea, just effective! Mine is here.

posted by Jeri Dansky on October 15th 2008 at 10:13am
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cut the top off of a plastic water bottle. not that anyone here would admit to having one.

posted by sciencegeek on October 15th 2008 at 12:22pm
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I like the tp (or paper towel) roll re-use idea.

posted by ecology on October 15th 2008 at 6:48pm
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fantastic techniques for reuse :0)

posted by Personalised Pens on October 16th 2008 at 2:17am
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i am sorry this is ugly - you are better of reusing a glass jar and haging with wire to the wall.

posted by Haunted_Studio on October 17th 2008 at 11:33am
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I really liked this idea since it gets rid of clutter on the desk and is so simple.

Here is mine that I just made today:
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b92/jeanieinc/penholder.jpg

I used a plastic cup and cut some quick designs into a piece of paper to dress it up.

posted by mewsette on January 14th 2009 at 12:20am
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