If you've been wanting to add a pen holder to a handmade journal — or make a small, practical gift for someone who loves to write — this tutorial covers six different ways to do it, using materials you likely already have on hand. Book pages, scrapbook paper, cereal box cardboard, fabric and lace, elastic, paper clips — each method produces something genuinely beautiful, and they range from a five-minute fold to a fully sewn and elasticized cover attachment.
What we cover
Six distinct pen holder designs, each using different materials and construction methods: a simple folded paper pocket, a narrower multi-fold version, a paper clip–mounted pocket, a fabric and lace pocket on cereal box card, an elasticized journal closure with built-in pen holder, and a folded book page pocket. Along the way there are embellishing ideas for all six — bows, tassels, eyelets, charms, ribbon, and more.
What you'll learn
How to fold a basic scrapbook paper pen pocket, including:
- The simple thirds-fold method using a 6×6 sheet
- A wider rectangle version with a built-in tuck spot (notched open at the top so you can tuck a note or small paper inside)
- A narrower single-pen version using a half-then-corner fold sequence
How to attach a pen pocket to a journal using a paper clip — cutting slits in the back layer, threading the clip through so the shorter arm sits inside and the longer arm grips the cover, then covering the clip with a coordinating paper scrap glued firmly into place so there are no gaps or bulges.
Why I build the fabric and lace pocket on cereal box cardboard — the box gives the fabric-covered piece enough structure to hold its shape and sit flat, without being so rigid it's hard to work with. Gluing the fabric to the card first and then cutting everything to size together is much easier than trying to cut fabric precisely beforehand.
How to sew a fabric and lace pen pocket, including:
- Gluing fabric onto cereal box card, then trimming both layers together to size
- Folding and stitching a decorative trim or lace strip along the lower edge before attaching
- Sewing the whole piece onto the fabric-covered card with a straight stitch, then rounding the corners
- Adding a punched hole with a ribbon bow for a finishing detail
How to make an elasticized pen holder that wraps around a journal cover, including:
- Cutting two small slits in the pen pocket's back panel and threading elastic through from inside so the join is hidden
- Gluing the elastic ends flat and covering the join with a backing piece of paper
- Wrapping and sewing a folded paper band around the elastic join so the finished seam sits neatly against the spine
How to fold book pages into pen pockets — layering two pages together (single pages can feel a little fragile), folding on an angle without pressing anything down until you're satisfied with the shape, and inking all the visible edges before sewing or gluing the pocket closed.
How to embellish any of the six designs, with ideas including:
- Tying a bow from ribbon or silk thread through a punched hole
- Adding eyelets and small hanging charms or tassels at the bottom
- Punched paper hearts, stickers, or small paper flowers
- Washi tape to cover joins and add colour — and to hide any cracking along fold lines
Why inking the edges matters — on every version, running an ink pad along the visible cut edges pulls the whole piece together and makes it look intentional and finished rather than raw.
Tips & gotchas
Paper weight matters more than you'd expect. Thicker paper gives the pocket structure, but go too thick — close to card stock — and it cracks along the folds. That mid-weight scrapbook paper that has some body but still folds cleanly is the sweet spot. If you're not sure which side of the paper to fold toward, test it: run your fingers across both orientations and fold whichever way meets less resistance. That's the paper grain, and folding with it rather than against it makes a real difference.
If you do end up with cracked fold lines, don't panic — ink them or go over them with a paint pen and it looks intentional. Several of the designs in the video have exactly that, and they're fine.
On the fabric pocket: glue the fabric to the card first, then cut. Trying to cut fabric to a precise size and then align it to card stock is harder than it sounds. Glue it down, let it settle, then trim both layers together.
For the book page pockets, resist the urge to press your folds down as you go. Hold the shape loosely, maneuver the page into a position you actually like, and only then commit to the crease. Every fold will come out a little different, which is part of the charm — but folding too eagerly means you're stuck with a shape you don't love.
With the elasticized version, watch the bulk inside the pen pocket itself. Two layers of elastic joining on the inside creates enough thickness that the pen can feel tight — that's why it's worth thinking about whether the elastic join sits inside the pocket or behind it before you start gluing.
When covering a paper clip with a scrap of paper, press the paper firmly down into the clip rather than just smoothing it across the surface. Any gap or bubble there will look untidy and can lift over time.
Finally: score before folding anything on the thicker end of the paper weight range. A light score line with an X-Acto knife or bone folder takes five seconds and saves a lot of cracking.
A handmade pen pocket wrapped around a nice pen is a genuinely lovely thing to give someone, and it takes much less time than it looks like it should.
