Painted Pencil Garland

Celebrating the start of another school year?  We’ve got a week and a half till my kids go back and school supply shopping has left me in full-blown school mode.  Despite the fact that I’m seeing pencils in everything, the inspiration for this painted pencil garland actually came from a friend’s comment on an instagram post.  When she commented that she thought my dip-dyed garland looked like pencil tips it got me thinking that a triangular pencil garland would be adorable.  I dug out the paints and this sweet little garland is the result!

I used wooden triangles from Pick Your Plum to make this garland.  If those aren’t available, you could cut your own wooden pieces or use paper or cardstock.  You could even layer colored paper rather than paint the pieces.

I started by painting a black tip for the pencil lead …

… then taped off the top portion to create the eraser.

I filled it in with pink paint and removed the tape then let it dry.

I taped the next section and added silver paint, let it dry, then completed the pencil with yellow paint.  I taped all of the lines except the lead and the bottom of the yellow part … I thought freehand lines would look more authentic, as though the pencil had just been sharpened.

Once dry, I threaded the pieces onto wire.  Yarn or ribbon would work as well but I love the whimsical look of wire on a garland.  In between the pieces, I wrapped the wire around a pen to give it a bit of curl.

The wire ends can be taped to a wall or wrapped around a tack or nail, depending where you hang the garland.

This painted pencil garland turned out so cute and I can’t wait to use it on the first day of school!

For more pencil ideas for back to school, be sure to check out these DIY personalized pencils made with a wood burner …

… an embellished pencil box with a free printable …

… and 21+ ways to personalize pencils for school!