A pencil topper is one of the few crafts where three completely different techniques, felt hand-stitching, no-sew paper, and moldable clay, all solve the exact same problem. These 8 pencil toppers, pulled from our own tutorials and a couple of standout clay techniques elsewhere, span that full range, from a first hand stitch to a ten-minute paper fold, so there’s a fit whatever supplies are already in the house.
If you want the fastest classroom win, the paper section is your quickest bet since neither pick needs a needle. If you’re after something that turns into a small collection of characters worth keeping, the clay section repays the extra time. These are part of our paper utility crafts, and the felt picks tie into our back-to-school felt sewing series if you want more projects in that same stitch style.
| Craft | Difficulty | Time | Age | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Felt Monster Pencil Topper | Beginner | 15-20 min | 6+ | Halloween goody bags |
| 2. Felt Bat Pencil Topper | Beginner | 15-20 min | 6+ | Halloween classroom treats |
| 3. Felt Star Pencil Topper | Beginner | 40 min | 6+ | Back-to-school gifts |
| 4. Felt Easter Pencil Toppers | Beginner | 45-60 min | 8+ | Easter baskets |
| 5. Paper Star Wand Topper | Beginner | 20-30 min | 6+ | No-sew classroom batches |
| 6. Paper Clay Pencil Topper | Beginner | 30-45 min | 5+ | Moldable, no template |
| 7. Kawaii Cloud Pencil Topper | Beginner | 20-30 min | 6+ | Cute stationery fans |
| 8. Polymer Clay Pencil Topper | Beginner | 20 min + bake | 5+ | Sculpted character faces |
Felt Pencil Toppers (Hand-Stitched, No Machine)
Felt is the material of choice here because the cut edges never fray, so there’s no hemming and no sewing machine required, just a needle, thread, and a basic running or blanket stitch. These four cover the widest spread of age range and occasion, from a five-minute antenna to a three-piece Easter set, so there’s a felt project that fits whatever’s on the calendar.
1. Felt Monster Pencil Topper
Difficulty: Beginner · Time: 15 to 20 minutes · Ages: 6 and up · Materials: felt scraps, needle and thread
Best for: Halloween goody bags
A stitched eye, a curved grin, and two floppy antennas, under $5 in felt scraps and a free printable pattern for all six pieces. It’s the friendliest of the felt picks, since the antennas are the only fiddly part and everything else is a straight blanket stitch.
Make the Felt Monster Pencil Topper →
2. Felt Bat Pencil Topper
Difficulty: Beginner · Time: 15 to 20 minutes · Ages: 6 and up · Materials: dark and light felt, needle and thread
Best for: Halloween classroom treats
The same stitch as the monster, just built around pointed wings, tiny fangs, and a two-tone color scheme that reads as a bat from across a classroom. If you’re making a batch for trick-or-treaters, the wings cut fast once you’ve done the first pair.
Make the Felt Bat Pencil Topper →
3. Felt Star Pencil Topper
Difficulty: Beginner · Time: 40 minutes · Ages: 6 and up · Materials: felt in two colors, matching thread
Best for: Back-to-school gifts
Two layers of felt with a satin-stitched face and a tiny bow tacked under the chin, sized to slip snugly over any pencil. It takes longer than the monster or bat because of the embroidered face, but that’s also what makes it the one worth gifting to a teacher rather than tossing in a goody bag.
Make the Felt Star Pencil Topper →
4. Felt Easter Pencil Toppers
Difficulty: Beginner · Time: 45 to 60 minutes for all three · Ages: 8 and up · Materials: pastel felt, matching thread
Best for: Easter baskets
Three designs in one template, an egg, a bunny, and a carrot, all joined with the same running stitch so the second and third go faster than the first. The narrow rabbit ears and carrot leaf take a steadier hand, which is why this one skews a couple years older than the others. Once you’ve stitched the egg, our Felt Easter Egg Pouch uses the same technique at a slightly bigger scale.
Make the Felt Easter Pencil Toppers →
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Paper Pencil Toppers
When you need something the whole classroom can finish before the bell rings, these are it. Paper toppers skip the needle entirely, so they’re the fastest route to a finished project for kids who aren’t ready for a stitch yet, or for anyone making a big batch on a tight timeline. These two cover both ends of the no-sew spectrum, one built from cut cardstock and one molded by hand.
5. Paper Star Wand Topper
Difficulty: Beginner · Time: 20 to 30 minutes · Ages: 6 and up independently · Materials: cardstock, paper strips, glue stick
Best for: No-sew classroom batches
A two-layer cardstock star with a built-in pocket and a fan of colored paper streamers, glued together with nothing more than a stick of glue and some patience while it dries. Because it’s glue instead of thread, it’s the easiest pick on this list to pre-cut in bulk for a whole classroom or party.
Make the Paper Star Wand Topper →
6. Paper Clay Pencil Topper
Difficulty: Beginner to intermediate · Time: 30 to 45 minutes plus drying · Ages: 5 and up with help · Materials: homemade paper clay (paper, flour, water)
Best for: Moldable, no template
No template needed here, the clay is blended from shredded paper, flour, and water, then molded around the pencil tip by hand once it’s workable. It’s messier than the star topper and needs real drying time, but it’s the pick for kids who want to sculpt a face or shape rather than trace and cut one.
See the Paper Clay Pencil Topper at Red Ted Art →
Clay and Character Pencil Toppers
These end up on windowsills and pencil cups as much as on the actual pencil, since a face or character is the whole point rather than a decorative shape. Whether it’s stitched felt or hand-sculpted clay, both of these picks lean into personality over technique, and both are just as happy displayed on their own.
7. Kawaii Cloud Pencil Topper
Difficulty: Beginner · Time: 20 to 30 minutes · Ages: 6 and up · Materials: white and rainbow felt, needle and thread
Best for: Cute stationery fans
A cloud shape stitched with a rainbow underneath and a blushing kawaii face on top, sized to double as a charm if you skip the pencil pocket and add a loop instead. It’s a good next project after the monster or bat, since the stitching is the same, the shape is just softer.
Make the Kawaii Cloud Pencil Topper →
8. Polymer Clay Pencil Topper
Difficulty: Beginner · Time: About 20 minutes plus baking · Ages: 5 and up with help · Materials: oven-bake polymer clay, acrylic paint
Best for: Sculpted character faces
Roll a ball of oven-bake clay, press it around the pencil tip, sculpt on a face with extra clay or paint, then bake it hard according to the package. It’s the most durable pick on this list once it’s baked, and the closest thing here to actually sculpting a character rather than assembling one from pieces.
See the Polymer Clay Pencil Topper at Sparkle Stories →
Tips for Making Pencil Toppers
- Cut or pre-shape several sets of pieces before you sit down to stitch or glue, so you can batch multiple toppers in one sitting instead of stopping to trace again.
- Whatever the material, leave the opening at the base a touch wider than looks right. Felt and paper both tighten up once the seam is finished, and a snug gap turns into a stuck pencil.
- Store finished toppers upright in a cup or a pencil case rather than loose in a bag. Antennas, ears, and wing tips all crease if something heavy sits on top of them.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the easiest pencil topper for a first-time crafter to make?
The paper star wand topper is the simplest starting point since it only needs cardstock, paper strips, and a glue stick, no needle or template pieces to hand-stitch. It’s also the fastest to pre-cut in bulk if you’re making several at once.
Do I need to know how to sew to make a pencil topper?
No. The felt picks all use a basic running or blanket stitch that’s easy to learn from scratch, and if you’d rather skip a needle entirely, the paper star, paper clay, and polymer clay toppers are all no-sew.
What material works best for pencil toppers?
Felt is the most forgiving for stitched shapes since the edges never fray. Cardstock is fastest for a no-sew classroom batch. Paper clay and polymer clay take longer but let you sculpt a shape freehand without any template at all.
How do I make pencil toppers for a whole classroom?
Pick a no-sew option like the paper star wand so pieces can be pre-cut ahead of time, use a glue stick instead of liquid glue for faster drying, and set up an assembly station so kids can move through in groups.
Will these pencil toppers fit pens and markers too?
Most of them, yes. Felt and paper both have enough give to fit a slightly thicker pen or marker if you leave a wider opening at the base when you finish the seam or glue line.
Between the felt, paper, and clay options here, there’s a pencil topper for whatever’s already sitting in the craft box, and none of them cost more than a few dollars to make.
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