Make Your Own Journal Pen Holder

This DIY craft project is under RM20, probably even under RM10 if you are not adding colours to your pen holder. If you are a journaling enthusiast, pen holders for your journal is useful to carry along some of your favourite pens and markers. I wanted one for my journal because I wanted to be able to include some stationery and water brushes when I am travelling and painting on the go. Read on to get a rough idea on how to make your own pen holder easily without spending much money.
Craft under RM20 (with fabric paint) / RM10 (without fabric paint)
Experience: Preferably with some basic sewing experience

What You Need:
1. A thick/wide waist elastic band
2. Velcro
3. Thread and needle
4. Fabric paint (optional)

You don't really need a measurement tape for this, To know the length of your choice, measure around your journal with your elastic band, mark it with a pen and cut it according to how long you want. Remember that the elastic band stretches, so don't stretch it when you are measuring around your journal.

Over here, I have double loop the elastic band. I used my pens and brushes to measure the width of each pen slot, and after that stitch with thread and needle. If you are struggling with getting the needle through the thick waist elastic band, try using a thick needle instead for this sewing project, it might help.

Once you are done, add on the Velcro. It is up to how long you want your Velcro to be. In this case, I wanted it slightly longer like a rectangular shape so that there is more coverage when I stretch to secure it around my journal.

What I find most useful about this pen holder, is that I can separate the 'on-the-go' waterbrush and stationery, from the ones that I pack in my travel journal kit. This is useful especially if you are the sort of journal artist who carries a travel watercolour kit, and you want to carry extra brushes and ink pen. You can personalize the pen holder, however you want it to be.