Make DIY School Supplies

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Here comes the school year! Brighten up your back-to-school with these DIY school supplies that you can make in a snap.

DIY painted back to school supplies
DIY painted back to school supplies
DIY painted back to school supplies

I. Love. Back-to-school! I probably say it every year, but I just can’t help think of the quote from You’ve Got Mail – “I would send you a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils if I knew your name and address.”

Don’t you feel the same?! I always refresh my office supplies during back-to-school time, even though I’m way (waaaayyy) past my back to school years.

I love this little project because you can truly customize it about a zillion different ways. All you need is some stencils and some craft paint.

I used a plain mason jar and a plain folder file (because I needed a little extra desk organization), along with a pencil case that I’m keeping in my purse for my pens and the kids’ crayons + stickers. But you could really experiment on a whole bunch of different supplies to make exactly what you want.

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More Amazing BAck-to-School Ideas

If you’re here for back-to-school inspiration, you’ve come to the right place! I cherry-picked a few more of our best school year DIY projects to inspire you.

Be sure to pin your favorites:

Supplies You’ll Need

How to Make DIY School Supplies using a Stencil

Make Time: 1 Hour

DIY painted back to school supplies
  1. Start by using a 1-inch wide paintbrush to paint the inside of your mason or glass jar. This will create a solid color so that when you stencil the outside, the pattern will really stand out. Set this aside and allow it to start drying while you begin to stencil your other pieces.
  2. Choose your first stencil and place it down on the face of the object you’d like to paint.
  3. Use the foam pouncer to gently dip in some paint and then press the paint into the open area of the stencil.
  4. Once you have the coverage you’d like, remove the stencil and repeat the process in another area to continue the pattern. Be creative — add new colors or shapes to make your pattern extra custom.
  5. To get a layered look, choose another stencil shape and cut it out. Once your first stencils are completely dry, you can layer a second stencil over them and paint with a different color.
  6. Allow everything to dry thoroughly before using. Ta-da!
DIY painted back to school supplies
DIY painted back to school supplies
DIY painted back to school supplies

My Favorite Craft Paint for DIY School Supplies

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again — Martha Stewart always has my favorite color selection in her paints, but any craft paint will work.

I get my paints mainly at Michaels because I like the color selection. There are just some shades that you can’t get anywhere else!

So be real — have you ever DIY’d your school supplies?! Something comes over me in August and September and I just can’t help myself.

Leave a comment and let me know if you’ve ever made anything for back-to-school. Have a great school year, friends! xoxo

DIY painted back to school supplies
DIY painted back to school supplies
DIY painted back to school supplies
DIY painted back to school supplies

DIY School Supplies

Yield: DIY School Supplies
Active Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour
Difficulty: Intermediate
Estimated Cost: $20

Learn how to make your own DIY back to school pencil case, pencil cup and folder file! These pretty stenciled and painted back to school supplies are easy to make and totally customizable. Click for links to all of our supplies!

Materials

  • Stencils
  • Craft Paint
  • Blank School Supplies

Tools

  • Foam Pouncers
  • Paint Brushes

Instructions

  1. Start by using a 1-inch wide paintbrush to paint the inside of your mason or glass jar. This will create a solid color so that when you stencil the outside, the pattern will really stand out. Set this aside and allow it to start drying while you begin to stencil your other pieces.
  2. Choose your first stencil and place it down on the face of the object you'd like to paint.
  3. Use the foam pouncer to gently dip in some paint and then press the paint into the open area of the stencil.
  4. Once you have the coverage you'd like, remove the stencil and repeat the process in another area to continue the pattern. Be creative -- add new colors or shapes to make your pattern extra custom.
  5. To get a layered look, choose another stencil shape and cut it out. Once your first stencils are completely dry, you can layer a second stencil over them and paint with a different color.
  6. Allow everything to dry thoroughly before using. Ta-da!

Notes

I've said it before and I'll say it again -- Martha Stewart always has my favorite color selection in her paints, but any craft paint will work.

I get my paints mainly at Michaels because I like the color selection. There are just some shades that you can't get anywhere else!

This post was originally sponsored by Martha Stewart and Plaid Crafts. This post also contains affiliate links for your convenience. Thank you as always for your support!

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5 Comments

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