Studies have started in full swing, and you probably have a bundle of pencils and other stationery items by now.

You may want them to look trendy and a little more fun, but most pencils are the same, with only the outside colour changing. That is when a little add-on can make all the difference.

So today, we are giving your simple pencil a little companion of its own: a cute sloth made from felt. Stick it onto your pencil with Velcro, take it off whenever you like and even make it in different colours. It is a simple way to give your everyday stationery a fun little makeover. Let’s start:

Things you need:

1. Felt sheets, or pieces of felt (colours of your choice)

2. Scissors

3. Pencil

4. Markers

5. Hot glue

6. Velcro

Directions:

1. A pencil buddy should not be more than 3 inches long. However, you can make yours bigger if you like. Here, I am making mine 3 inches long (from head to toe) and 2 inches wide (from the forearm to the back). Fold your felt piece in half and cut out the given measurements.

2. Now, on this folded felt, draw a simple sloth with a rounded body and long arms and legs. Keep the shape simple, as shown in picture 2

3. Cut the sloth out carefully; picture 3.

4. Draw a rounded oval head on a contrasting colour of felt and cut it out. Also cut out small rounded rectangles for the eyes, according to the size of your sloth; see picture 4.

5. Paste the eyes onto the head and then paste the head onto the sloth in the respective place. You can also make a second head for the back, but this is optional; see pictures 5 and 6.

6. Draw a small nose and a simple smile on the face with a marker; picture 7.

7. Cut two ½-centimetre square pieces of Velcro and stick them to the inside of the forearms; pictures 8 and 9.

8. Your cute little buddy is ready to hold your pencil! Picture 10.

The writer can be contacted at ithecraftman@gmail.com

Published in Dawn, Young World, August 29th, 2026