A Delightful Pencil Project: Introducing the Paper-Wrapped Pencil Kit
- Erika Stefanutti
- Sep 17
- 5 min read
I've always found crafting things by hand to be enriching, and no matter the scale of the project, I value both the process of making and the finished product. I'm delighted to share our new paper-wrapped pencil kit and the following tutorial in hopes that you'll enjoy a bit of crafting, too.
Among the first offerings from Parvum Opus (a long time ago, now!) were desk blotters, pencil cups and paper-wrapped pencils. I used to refer to them as 'candy for your desk' and they definitely still have that cheerful quality, but they're much more than just a visual treat. A pencil represents simplicity, possibility, inventing with corrections and iterations, deep thoughts and daydreams-- the analog. A cup full of pencils on a desk, nightstand or side table is an invitation to make a little drawing or write a poem. Unlike a note on your phone, pencil & paper creations exist in a physical and meaningful way: I still have my sons' first scribbles, done in pencil on notebook paper, and they're among our family's most treasured things.
Wrapping pencils in beautiful papers makes them even more irresistible. Today, I'll show you how to make these yourself, and to get you started, I've created a charming kit including six wooden pencils, an assortment of pre-cut, exquisite papers from my studio and printed instructions.
I've had great fun designing every detail of my pencil kit. The triangular boxes have been masterfully made to my design by a team of very nice people in Detroit. They've been crafted in five different stripe patterns of my own design, and each is finished with a colorful wax seal at one end. Since I received the prototypes a few weeks ago, I've enjoyed having the colorful boxes on my desk-- I'm hoping you'll find them equally charming and that they may even find use as a paperweight or souvenir on your own desk.
To Make Paper-Wrapped Pencils, You'll need:
A Parvum Opus Paper -Wrapped Pencil Kit, or:
Round wooden, unsharpened pencils
Decorative paper, not too thick, measuring 1-1/8" wide and 7" long. This should be long enough to cover from the base of the pencil's ferrule with a bit extra length to go past the lead-end of the pencil: this bit will be trimmed at the end.
And:
A natural bristle brush, about 1" wide
A craft knife with snap-off blades or a sharp X-acto knife
Scrap paper (I like to use plain newsprint) to use as a gluing surface
a small damp towel to keep your fingers clean
PVA or white glue, like Elmer's
Optionally, bookbinder's methyl cellulose powder mixed with water (when added to the PVA glue, this extends the drying time and makes the glue glide onto the paper more easily), widely available online and at art supply stores like Blick. Note: If you're using the methyl cellulose, mix it according to the package directions and let it sit overnight so it has a chance to completely dissolve. The resulting mix should be clear & kind of gelatinous.
Step 1:
Prepare your glue: using either water or a mixture of water & methyl cellulose powder, thin the PVA glue to an easily-spreadable consistency.
It should be something similar to heavy cream: thin enough to glide over the paper easily, but thick enough to properly adhere the paper to the pencil. Ideally, you should be able to brush a thin layer of glue onto the paper so it won't squidge out when you roll it onto the pencil.
Step 2:
Lay your decorative paper face-down horizontally on the scrap paper and brush the glue over the entire surface. *As soon as the paper is moistened, many papers will curl, so keep a couple of finger tips pushing down on the paper until it relaxes. This takes a few seconds, and you may need to add a bit more glue to the spots where your fingers were.
Step 3:
Carefully lift the paper and set it down on a clean area of your scrap paper. Place the pencil down on the center of paper with the left end in line with the ferrule, taking care to keep it nice and straight in relation to the paper strip.
Step 4:
Working from the bottom edge closest to you, press the paper up onto the pencil and press the paper from the center outwards to the pencil ends to adhere the leading edge of the paper. Once the leading edge is securely adhered, roll the pencil upwards and away from yourself -pressing down firmly at the same time- until the paper completely covers the pencil. Check for any oozing glue and if necessary, wipe it away with a paper towel. At this point, I like to roll the pencil back and forth in my hands to make sure the paper is well attached and wrinkle-free. Lastly, pinch the excess paper tightly onto the pencil's lead end so that you can see a crease along the cut end of the pencil: this little bit of paper will be trimmed off once the glue and paper are completely dry.
Step 5:
After a few hours or overnight, use your craft knife to carefully trim the excess paper from the lead-end of the pencil. It's important for everything to be completely dry: if you trim while the paper and glue are damp, the paper may tear and pull away from the pencil.
That's it! This is a simple, low-risk, high-reward process, truly. Still, it may take a couple of tries to get the feel for it, so you might want to have a few extra pencils & strips of paper ready for practicing. I like to use a hand-held pencil sharpener for my pencils, just to ensure that the paper covering isn't shredded during sharpening.
Wrapping a wooden pencil in fine paper is a small but meaningful gesture, a treat for the eye as well as the hand. I hope you'll give it a try, and just maybe, your colorful pencils will awaken the latent artist in you.
Souvenir is the blog for Parvum Opus, an artist-run studio specializing in artistic decorative objects and home furnishings. Comment below to join the conversation, and if you enjoyed this, don't forget to subscribe to receive an email when we publish new posts.
