It’s frustrating to send a set of pencils to school and only half come home! Here are some ways to label your pencils so your child keeps their set complete.
‘Can I borrow your pink pencil?’
When a six year old asks this question, you know the chance of that pencil coming back is probably slim!
One of our community members asked on our Facebook page how she could stop her child losing her pencils. Labelling is the best way to get them back into the pencilcase, but that can be tricky when pencils are so tiny and there are so many of them. If you have two kids with a pack of pencils and Textas each, that’s nearly a hundred pencils to label!
Here are some suggestions from our community on how to label pencils.
label yourself
Use a Brother or Dymo handheld label machine to label each pencil or pen. Once you’ve typed the name, it’s quick to reprint for a pack of pencils. The great thing about a labeller is that each label will be printed exactly the right length for your child’s name. Printing and labelling is a task that your kids might be able to do themselves – could be a good activity to keep them occupied one afternoon in the holidays!
order pencil labels
I always found readymade labels were quite affordable. These tiny pencil labels are ideal as you can order in the colours your child likes and they are fast to apply. Just get your order in as early as possible to ensure you have them in time for the first day of school.
scratch and mark
My Dad used to shave a bit of paint off the pencil to write names on. I found this too time consuming but it is an option if you don’t want to stick on labels. You can use a Stanley knife or even a potato peeler and then use a Sharpie to write the name.
print and tape
Create labels on your computer using a Word document and print them out. The kids can cut the labels out themselves and use sticky tape to attach them to pencils and other school supplies.
dip and write
One clever member of our community suggested dipping the end of the pencils in paint and when dry, writing the name on with a Sharpie. This could be a fun activity for kids to do themselves!
readymade name stickers
If your child has a name that can be found on readymade items in stores, try looking for a notepad pack of stickers with their first name on it. The cheap shops often stock these. Even if there’s another child with the same name, they stickers will likely be unique, making them easy to identify.
nailpolish and a sharpie
One reader said her child paints her pencils with a strip of nail polish and then writes her name on top. Clever, easy and budget-friendly!
Kat’s tip: Find out how to label other school supplies here.
washi tape
Some community members suggested using washi tape. Simply wrap it around the end and write your child’s initials on it. If kids choose their own washi tape, they’ll quickly be able to identify their own pencils, plus they look pretty too!
write-on labels
Kmart now has these clever packs of labels. You just write on them and then seal them over with the clear top layer.
personalised pencils
Do away with labels all together by ordering personalised pencils with your child’s name printed directly on them!
I hope you’re starting to get everything organised for back to school. Happy labelling!
