A lot of colorists love to use their colored pencils until the little nubby pencil end! We are determined pencil sharpener aficionados! But the side result is pencil shavings. A. Lot. Of. Shavings.
It is easy to save and admire our colored pages. BUT WHAT DO WE DO WITH PENCIL SHAVINGS? The colossal pile of slightly tinted colored wooden shards and chips? Often they go in the garbage bin. But what if we can do more? What if we can recycle these little shavings? After a bit of research I found there are some super fun and easy pencil shaving craft ideas!
Keep reading to discover 7 Easy Uses For Pencil Shavings:
- Compost
Wait, can pencil shavings be composted? I toss a lot of stuff from the kitchen into my compost. Leftovers and scraps are the traditional homemade fertilizer go-to. But did you know that pencil shavings add fantastic carbon to your compost pile? Carbon is super duper important. It feeds those powerful little microorganisms that break down organic matter. And we need that organic stuff broken down to get the best nourishment. Wondering if an ENTIRE pencil in biodegradable? No worries, I looked it up for you. The answer is MOST of a pencil is biodegradable: the wooden sticks. Any lead (used to make graphite) or ferrule (the metal part used to hold erasers) and most non-synthetic rubber (in erasers) are not biodegradable. Need a home compost bin? Check out the highly rated IM4000 Dual Chamber Tumbling Composter
2. Bedding For Gerbils Or Rodent Pets
Don’t forget your little furry companions! Especially the small rodent ones. They deserve a special treat. Rats, guinea pigs, chinchillas, gerbils, hamsters…they are huge fans of pencil shavings! PLUS, using these small bits of wood for pet bedding is a big money saver. Why spend your bucks on expensive pet supplies when you have some already waiting? Who knew there were so many uses for pencil shavings?!
3. Mulch Or Topsoil
Fancy a bit of gardening? Your pencil shavings are ready to give your green thumb a boost. Not only are pencil shavings a fantastic alternative to traditional topsoil, they make your garden look interesting. Really, does judgy Mrs. Jones next door use colorful pencil shavings in her garden? I think not! And if the Jones’s criticize your gardening choices, let them know that shavings retain moisture and eliminate weeds. How’s that for keeping up with the Joneses. PLUS if your pencils are made with cedar wood, their shavings will repel spiders and ants! But please note, shavings are not fertilizer. So you should definitely use your pencil shavings compost! (See item 1 on this list!)
4. Make Art
Are you ready for another pencil shavings activity? You already used your pencils to color in a fantastic coloring page. But now it is time to push your creativity to the max! Grab some glue and paper and glue your shavings into fun new designs. Pencil shavings arts and crafts are the ultimate material for upcycled projects! They are a fabulous mix of shapes and colors. Why not explore your artistic potential? Not sure what to do? Look up creative ideas on Pinterest then pin your own shaving art. Need some precision craft glue for your pencil shavings? Try out the Bearly Art Precision Craft Glue With Tip Kit
But that’s not all! Keep reading to continue your recyclable pencil shaving adventure:
5. Fire Starter
Brrrrr! Is it chilly tonight? Time to pull out the pencil shavings and start a fire. This is a super useful craft for the home. And kind of obvious. I mean, duh! They are small dry chips of wood. That makes them the perfect fire starter. (Which reminds me…..if you decide to keep your shavings for diy home crafts, be sure to store them in a safe place. Away from heat.) To make you fire starters take a cardboard egg carton, put a candle stub in each egg carton cup, then pack wood shavings around the candle stub in each cup. Whenever you want to start a fire, just break off a, egg carton cup and light it up! Who knew your recycled pencil sharpener shavings could be so useful?!
6. Repel Moths
Ever find moth holes in your clothes after storing them for the winter? Don’t have the budget to buy a new ugly Christmas sweater? Time to get the pencil shavings! Cedar ones, anyway. Yup! Shavings are a fantastic choice for this useful diy craft for the home. Put the them into little cloth sacks and use as sachets in your closet. The cedar wood chips will repel the moths! Don’t have small organic cotton baggies hanging out in a drawer, ready to take on the moths? Check out the Organic Cotton Reusable Produce Bags.
7. Potpourri
This idea is an awesome craft project! Potpourri has three main components: fixative, fragrance and filler. Fixative absorbs the other fragrances (Hint: this is where your wood shavings come in!). The fragrance can be any perfume or essential oil you like. Apply your fragrance to the fixative (pencil shavings) so it’ll last longer. Filler can be fragrant or non-grant and includes dried flowers, leaves and herbs. Store in a jar or baggie. Wait what’s that? Did you just say this is a great homemade diy gift idea? Why yes. Yes, it is. Need some small potpourri bags for potpourri gifting? Check out the Mudder 50 Pack Organza Gift Bags.
And there you have it! 7 easy and useful crafts with pencil shavings!
Which one will you try first? Tell me! Do you have more ideas for shavings? Let me know. Are you feeling impatient to start coloring and make MORE pencil shavings? No worries I have you covered. You can color right now with THESE COLORING PAGES. Download and color today!
Are you OUT of pencils to make more little useful wood chips? Gasp! Let’s fix this right away! Here are some of my favorite: Crayola Colored Pencils, 50 Count, Multicolor
Remember to leave a comment below! Let me know the 1 item on this list you’re going to take action on first.
Did you enjoy this super fantastic post? Subscribe to my monthly newsletter so you don’t miss the next post. PLUS – every newsletter includes a FREE printable (coloring page, or card, or something else wonderful) and MORE! Sign up below…
Sign Up For My Monthly Newsletter For FREE Coloring Pages, Tips, Savings, and MORE!
FIY – Some of the links in this post are affiliate connections to Amazon that enable me to collect commission.