Upcycle those empty plastic bottles and turn them into this super cute and functional DIY car pencil holder! It's a great way to organize your desk and add a little bit of personality to your space. Plus, it's super easy to make.

Car Pencil Holder

Do you have a lot of pens and pencils lying around your house? Well, now you can organize them with this easy DIY car pencil holder. It's made from recycled materials, so it's eco-friendly too!

This project is really simple and doesn't require any advanced crafting skills. You can make one in minutes, and it'll look great on your desk or countertop.

And if your kids like making fun little projects like this, they might also like making this adorable little egg carton car, or even the egg carton lizard. They are both easy and fun to make as an upcycled kids' craft.

orange plastic bottle pencil holder on white table

What Should I Make the Car Wheels From?

The car wheels are easy to make with almost anything you have on hand. I went simple and made them with just cardstock and foam, but you can use what you prefer to make yours. Below are some ideas that work great for making the wheel shapes.

You can use recycled cardboard and cut it into the wheel shape.
Another idea is to use cardstock or even crafting foam paper.
If you have stiff felt, that will also work on the wheel for the car pencil holder.
Another idea for the wheels of the car pencil holder is to use recycled tp rolls. Just cut them in half and then into thirds. They will be the perfect size for the wheels of the car pencil holder.

You can use any kind of paper to make the car wheels, but we recommend using something that is stiffer so that it holds up better over time.

pencil holder car on yellow with chalk background

Can I Use This For Other Things Than Pencil Storage?

Absolutely. This cute car can be used for anything you need to organize. Make it into an office supply holder and add in your pens, pencils, highlighters, or even smaller items like paper clips. It is big enough to hold a single hole hole punch or even a stapler!

It can be used to hold crafting supplies like markers, crayons, paint brushes or colored pencils. Add in things like pinking shears or unique hole punches, and it's ideal for a crafting closet organizer.

You could also use it in the kitchen to hold utensils or even everyday cooking supplies, or especially on a picnic table to hold plastic utensils, napkins, or even the condiments like ketchup and mustard for your hot dogs.

My favorite for kids is to put this on the bathroom counter. It's perfect for toothbrushes, toothpaste, hairbrushes, hair accessories, or even for things like cotton balls and Q-tips.

orange plastic bottle car pencil holder on table in front of light blue background

More Fun Ways to Decorate My Car Pencil Holder

This is a super versatile project that you can make your own. Get creative and add some fun embellishments to personalize your car pencil holder. Below are some ideas to use for making yours just a bit more unique to you.

You could paint it any color you want or even add a fun pattern with washi tape.
Decorate the wheels with googly eyes or pom poms.
Use stickers or rhinestones to make a design on the body of the car.
Add pinstripes down the sides of the car or even a sticker of flame to go along the side.

The possibilities are endless! Just have fun and let your creativity flow. Now that you know how to make a super simple and cute car pencil holder, it's time to get started! Gather up your supplies and get ready to organize your desk in style.

Supplies Needed

black orange yellow and cardboard paper on white table with scissors

How to Make a Car Pencil Holder

Start by cutting off the top and bottom of a bottle leaving just the flat center piece.

Then, cut out a circle from cardboard, that is the same size as the end of this bottle. Repeat so you have two rounds of cardboard.

Now, place these onto yellow paper and glue them in place, then trim off the edges. You'll have two circles of yellow cardboard.

On top of the bottle, when laying on its side, cut out a square of plastic to create a hole for the pencils to rest inside.

Glue the yellow circle, yellow outward, to each end of the bottle.

hands holding bottle onto cardboard circle

Now, measure the width and length needed to wrap around the bottle onto the orange foam paper and cut to shape.

craft knife cutting orange foam on blue mat

Then, lay the bottle on top and trace around the hole you created on the side. Trace and cut this same hole shape/size from the foam paper, but only cut one end and the two sides, leaving it attached as a flap.

orange felt beinf wrapped around plasticb ottle

Then, glue the orange foam around the bottle so that the space is open on top. You may want to start by gluing that space over the top and then pulling around the sides and gluing it into place.

Fold the flap up out of the hole, and then fold down about 1" of the flap and glue it into place.

Cut out a smaller circle from cardboard and place it onto the black paper or foam paper, and glue it into place. Then, trim off the edges. Use this as a template, to create a total of 4 tires for the car.

Cut out and glue a small ½" wide circle of orange foam paper to the middle of each tire.

finger holding orange circle in the middle of black wheel

Next, glue the tires onto the car, two per side. Add additional designs to the tires if desired.

Cut a piece of white paper that is as wide as the flap on top of the car, but rounded into two "hills" on top for the face/eyes.

Then, add two small round black circles into each of the "hills" on this and glue them into place on the front of that orange flap.

white paper held on front of car pencil holder

Cut out a half-moon shape from the white foam paper, and glue it to the front yellow circle as the mouth.

car pencil holder on yellow paper by chalkboard

More Easy Desk Organizer Ideas

Organizing my desk is what makes it easier for me to stay on top of things in my world. That includes having a cute little pencil holder on my desk. Things like this can hold pens, pencils, markers, and all of the other items that are handy on your desk. Make sure you bookmark these ideas, print out the tutorials, or even pin them to Pinterest to make soon.

Yield: 1

DIY Car Pencil Holder From Empty Plastic Bottles

Make a DIY car pencil holder with a bit of crafting foam and some empty plastic bottles! The perfect kid's desk organizer!

Active Time 30 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Difficulty Easy

Estimated Cost $1

Materials

Tools

Instructions

Cut the bottom and top ends of the bottle off, leaving just the flat center of the bottle.
Cut out a circle, the same size as the end of the bottle, from cardboard.
Then, place the cardboard circle onto yellow foam paper and cut around it, gluing it into place.
Repeat this for a second matching circle.
On top of the bottle, when laying on its side, cut out a square of plastic to create a hole for the pencils to rest inside.
Glue the yellow circle, yellow outward, to each end of the bottle.
Now, measure the width and length needed to wrap around the bottle onto the orange foam paper and cut to shape.
Then, lay the bottle on top and trace around the hole you created on the side. Trace and cut this same hole shape/size from the foam paper, but only cut one end and the two sides, leaving it attached as a flap.
Then, glue the orange foam around the bottle so that the space is open on top.
Fold the flap up out of the hole, and then fold down about 1" of the flap and glue it into place.
Now, cut a smaller circle of cardboard and place it onto black foam paper and glue it into place then trim around the edges.
Repeat this to create 4 tires.
Cut out and glue a small ½" wide circle of orange foam paper to the middle of each tire.
Now, glue the tires, two per side, of the bottle.
Cut a piece of white paper that is as wide as the flap on top of the car, but rounded into two "hills" on top for the face/eyes.
Then, add two small round black circles into each of the "hills" on this and glue them into place on the front of that orange flap.
Cut out a half-moon shape from the white foam paper, and glue it to the front yellow circle as the mouth.