Turn a screw-top jar into a pencil holder

Inspect the jar before decorating

Choose a low or medium-height jar with a broad base. A tall, narrow one tips more easily when long pencils lean to one side. Set the empty jar on a level surface and check that it sits steadily. Reject cracks, chipped rims and sharp areas. A paper sleeve cannot make a damaged glass edge safe.

Clean the jar and let it dry completely. Remove the lid and keep it separately if you may want to close the container later. Try the actual pens and pencils you intend to store. Their ends should remain easy to reach. A deep jar can swallow short pencils even when its generous volume looks appealing.

Look at the opening separately from the body. A strongly narrowed neck gathers long pencils but makes short ones harder to reach. Nearly straight sides are easier when you often rearrange the contents. Check whether broad marker caps can pass side by side through the opening. A large interior does little good if the caps jam together at the top. This trial is more informative than the jar’s former capacity printed on its label, and it costs nothing to perform before decorating.

Adjust the contents rather than filling the base

A loose felt disk can soften the sound of pencils landing on the bottom. Cut it slightly smaller than the inside diameter so it lifts out for cleaning. Do not trap moisture beneath it; wet pens or brushes do not belong in this dry desk container.

For many short pencils, a shorter jar is usually better than a deep layer of filler. Loose objects beneath them make emptying the jar unnecessarily awkward. Sort by length instead, using a separate shallow container for erasers or clips. One jar does not need to accommodate every item on the desk.

Add a removable label

A narrow paper band can visually tidy the threaded area or cover an unattractive label patch. Measure around the jar with a scrap strip and glue the band only to itself at the overlap. It can then be removed before washing. Keep the inside and upper rim uncovered.

Place the finished holder away from the desk edge and test it with its normal contents. Pull out a pencil without holding the jar. If it tips, the combination of height, weight and contents is unsuitable. Reduce the number of long items or choose a broader container rather than adding ever-heavier decoration outside. A holder that is comfortable to use needs less embellishment than one that constantly has to be steadied.