Fabric Crayon Roll

If the kids in your life love to color with crayons like mine do, here is an easy and fun way to store their crayons.

Materials: 5 x 16 1/2 piece of fabric for outside

5 x 16 1/2 piece of fabric for inside

6 x 16 1/2 piece of fabric for the pocket

5 x 16 1/2 piece of lightweight fusible interfacing

approximately 45 inches of ric rac (optional)

30 inches of ribbon

box of crayons

Fold the pocket fabric (6 x 16 1/2) in half lengthwise. Press.

Iron the fusible interfacing to the WRONG side of the 5 x 16 1/2 fabric that you want to be on the inside.Line up the bottom edges of the folded piece and the piece with interfacing. Pin together.

Starting from one of the short edges, measure in 1 1/4 inch and use a fabric marker to mark a straight line on the pocket fabric. Continue measuring over 1 inch and draw lines. Finally you should have another 1 1/4 inch at the other edge. Sew on each of the lines, backstitching at the top of the pocket to reinforce. You should have a total of 16 pockets, counting both edges. I used clear thread since I didn't have any thread that would match well to the pocket fabric.

If you want to use ric rac, pin it around the edge as shown. Fold the ribbon in half and pin it in the middle of one short edge as shown.Pin the remaining outside piece of 5 x 16 1/2 fabric right sides together with the pocket piece.Sew around the edges with a 1/4 inch seam. Leave about a 3 inch opening across the center bottom for turning right side out.

Trim the corners, turn, and press flat. Top stitch around all four edges - be careful to catch all the layers of the opening in the top stitching. You can cut the ribbon in half now to tie - or leave it in one round piece and wrap it around the rolled crayon holder like a pony tail holder. Fill with crayons and enjoy!

The cute fabric possibilities are endless! And it is about the fabric!
Tips and tricks I've learned after making lots of these: Use a darker fabric for the inside piece (behind the pocket) - the crayons will leave light marks as the kids slide them in and out of the pocket. If you want to have a fun, non-solid piece of fabric on the inside, use it as the pocket material - the pocket ends up being the more visible piece on the inside of the roll.

Credit: I believe that the lady that I received my original instructions from (at a church craft day) can be found at: http://www.skiptomylou.org/2007/04/25/on-a-roll/. She has a super cute felt crayon and notepad roll as well that I'd love to make . . . If I had a girl! Check it out: http://www.skiptomylou.org/2009/12/18/felt-crayon-holder/