Designing Your Own 4th of July Pencil Holder

There are many people who enjoy decorating their home for the 4th of July. This does not just include window clings and American flags, but household items as well! For example, you can turn an ordinary tin can into a patriotic pencil holder! This 4th of July craft is so easy, both children and adults will be able to do it.

Here are the materials, directions, and a few ideas for designing your own 4th of July pencil holder. Anyone who has never done this craft before should read through all of the directions and ideas before starting on it. While this craft is easy, there will be painting and possible cutting involved. So any children working on this craft should have the help and supervision of a trusted adult.

Note: The suggested colors for this craft are red, white, and blue.

Materials:

Round Tin Can.
Paint.
Paint Brushes.
Old Newspaper.
4th of July Themed Beads or Charms.
Ribbon.
Scissors.
Glue.
Scotch Tape.
Construction Paper (as an alternative to paint).

Directions:

1. Spread out some old newspaper in the area where you will be working. This will catch any drips and messes from the paint.

2. Paint the tin can however you want. One easy way is to paint horizontal red, white, and blue stripes around the can. If you decide to do this, paint one color at a time. Once one color completely dries, move onto the next one. You can even paint white stars over the blue area if you want. Do not soak the can in paint, as it may run down the can and ruin the design.

If you do not want to paint stripes, you can paint stars, fireworks, sparklers, rockets, small American flags, the Liberty Bell, or "USA". You may have your own ideas in mind as well!

You may realize you do not want to use paint for this craft. You can use red, white, and blue construction paper instead, also in horizontal stripes. Use the scissors to carefully cut out the stripes from the construction paper. The width can be any size you want, but make sure it is long enough to around the tin can. Once you have it all cut out, glue the construction paper to the outside of the can. This should cover the entire outside of it. Use enough glue to hold the construction paper, but do not soak it in glue. Doing so could cause problems with further decorating your tin can. Scotch tape can be used as an alternative to glue.

Make sure you allow any paint or glue used for this craft to completely dry before moving on.

3. Once everything is dry, you can continue to design the pencil holder if you want to. You can paint another design over the first layer, cut the designs out of construction paper, or draw them on yourself. See step two for design ideas.

Once again, allow any paint or glue used for this craft to completely dry before moving on.

Additional materials for decorating can include 4th of July themed stickers, ink stamps, and glitter.

4. This step is optional, but here is an idea for anyone who wants to add any finishing touches to their pencil holder. Measure and cut a piece of red, white, or blue ribbon. You may even decide to use three pieces of ribbons to include all three colors. If desired, slip on a few red, white, and blue beads or patriotic charms. Tie the ribbon (or pieces of ribbon) around the top of the tin can. You can even place a piece of tape or two over the ribbon to hold it in place (should it slide down).

How long this craft will take will depend on how you want to design it. But you can be as creative as you would like when designing your own 4th of July pencil holder. When you are done, you will have your own original pencil holder to use for the 4th of July (or even all year round). It can be used at home or at work. You can even make one to give away as a gift! Use it to hold pencil, pens, markers, paper clips, rubber bands, erasers, and other small items! Have fun working on this craft and enjoy the 4th of July!