DIY Painted Pencils

Hey, it's Lexa! So, I don't really enjoy using plain, boring, regular pencils. I ususally use ones that are colorful and have some sort of design, or I use mechanical pencils. Here's a simple way to personalize your 'normal' pencils, so you can do some art AND make your normal pencil's how you've always dreamed they'd look. (Ok, so maybe dreaming about your perfect pencil is weird. But still, here's how to make a 'normal' pencil your own.)

Supplies:

• Acrylic paint in whatever color you chose
• pencils 
• pant supplies
• paper (to cover work space)

Instructions:

Step 1: Cover your work space and get ready

Step 2: Put tape over whatever part of the pencil you don't want to be colored (tip, eraser, et cetera)

Step 3: Use a base coat in whatever color you want of acrylic paint. (I used white.) You can do this one side at a time, but an easier way is to paint the whole pencil and balance it between two things, so the tip is on something, and so is the eraser, but the rest is in the air. (After you've painted it, so it can dry.) I used two paint bottles for this, placing the tip on one bottle, and the eraser on another.

Step 4: Let dry, then finish painting. (I added polka dots, but you can do polka dots, hearts, stripes, et cetera) Dry Time depends on your paint. I waited 20-30 minutes. Repeat this step as many times as necessary until you are finished with your pencil.
Step 5: After 24 hours, take the tape off of the pencil, and sharpen if you haven't already.
Step 6: Use!! The pencil still works as a pencil, all you did was make it colorful!!

Painting ideas: 

• polka dots
• stripes
• chevron
• hearts
• stars
• smiley faces
• just one color!!

Techniques:

For polka dots, use the holes in notebook paper, or hole-punch regular paper.

For stripes, use the lighter color on the whole pencil, and once that dries completely, put tape over the part you still want to be the lighter color, and cover it in the darker color.

Now enjoy your DIY painted pencils!