Felt star pencil toppers are hand-stitched from two layers of felt with a tiny bow tacked to the front, sized to slip snugly over any pencil, and you can stitch a set in about 40 minutes with just a needle and thread.
This is the second project in A Craft for Everyone Heading Back to School, a nine-project series with one handmade make for every teacher, student, and parent starting a new school year. It’s built for the teacher setting up the room: a first-day desk topper that doubles as a classroom reward or a party favor all year long.
All you need is felt, thread, a needle, and a bit of patience for the bow. No sewing machine and no fancy tools, just hand stitching you can do a few at a time.
Felt Star Pencil Toppers at a Glance
- Difficulty: Beginner
- Time: 40 minutes
- Cost: Under $5
- Ages: 6+ independently, younger kids with help for the stitching
- Best for: Back to school, classroom rewards, party favors
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What You Need to Make Felt Star Pencil Toppers
Materials
- Felt fabrics, in two colors, one for the star body and one for the bow.
- Matching threads, black for the face and a color that matches your felt for sealing the two layers together.
Tools
- Marker, to draw the star’s face before you stitch it.
- Fabric chalk, for tracing the pattern pieces onto felt without leaving a permanent line.
- A pair of scissors, sharp ones cut cleaner star points.
- Sewing needle, for both the face embroidery and the blanket stitch seam.
The printable pattern for this project is available as an individual template in the shop.
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How to Make Felt Star Pencil Toppers
Step 1: Preparing the Patterns
Select a felt fabric for the star and another felt fabric for the bow pattern. Choose a size from the provided template and cut out the patterns. Trace the patterns on the selected felt fabrics, and cut out the traced patterns with a sharp pair of scissors.
Step 2: Draw the Face of the Star
Use a marker or pen to draw the face of the star on any one of the star cutouts. Prepare a needle with black thread.
Step 3: Stitch along the Traced Face
Work the satin stitch for the eyes and the backstitch for the lip of the star.
Step 4: Secure the Stitch
When you’re done with stitching the face of the star, draw the needle (along with the thread) to the backside of the felt and tie 2 knots around any stitch on the backside. Cut off extra thread after working the knots.
Step 5: Place Both Stars Together
Place the star with the face on top of the plain star cutout. Prepare a needle with thread that matches the felt. Leave a small space at the bottom of the star for the topper opening, and start your stitch. Work flat blanket stitch around the side.
Step 6: Tack Down the Bow and Keep Stitching Around
Tuck the felt bow under the star’s chin and take a couple of small stitches through it to hold it in place against the front layer. Keep working the blanket stitch around the rest of the star’s points and edges, keeping your stitches even and close together as you go.
Step 7: Secure the Stitch
When you reach near the beginning of the stitch, make sure to keep the opening gap for the topper. Secure the stitch with 2 knots around the last stitch and then cut off extra thread.
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Tips for Felt Star Pencil Toppers
- Swap the bow color to match the pencil or a favorite color. It’s the easiest way to make each topper different.
- Skip the bow for a simpler version, or use it to tell two toppers apart on a shared classroom desk.
- Once you’re set up with felt and thread, extra toppers go faster. It’s an easy project to batch on a weekend afternoon.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make felt star pencil toppers without hand embroidery?
Yes, you can skip the satin-stitch face and use a fabric marker or small fabric glue dots for the eyes and mouth instead. It won’t have the same hand-stitched texture, but it holds up fine for a quick classroom batch.
How long does it take to make one felt star pencil topper?
One topper takes about 40 minutes from cutting to the final knot, most of it spent on the blanket stitch around the edge. Once you’ve made one, each additional topper goes faster since you already know the shape and the stitch rhythm.
What can I use instead of felt for the star?
Felt is the easiest fabric for this project because it doesn’t fray, so it’s worth sticking with if you can. If you’re out, a stiff craft fabric like flannel can work, but you’ll want to zigzag stitch or overcast the edges instead of a blanket stitch to keep them from unraveling.
Will the pencil topper stay on the pencil?
Yes, the opening left at the base of the star is sized to grip the pencil snugly once the blanket stitch is finished. If yours feels loose, take a couple of extra stitches at the opening to narrow the gap.
Can kids make these toppers themselves?
Older kids comfortable with a needle and simple stitches can manage most of it, but the satin-stitch face and the final blanket stitch go faster with adult help. It’s a good one to make together rather than hand off completely.
Can I make these without the individual template?
You can freehand a star and a small bow shape if you don’t mind some size variation between toppers. For toppers that match each other, the individual template in the shop keeps every star and bow the same size.
More Pencil Topper Tutorials
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