Twig pencils are fun, easy and cheap to make. And the expressions on your friends’ faces when you start scribbling with a stick will be writetious!
YOU’LL NEED
STEP 1: Find a twig. Look for one with interesting color, texture or with a forked shape. (The length of the twig, though, must be straight.) Hold the twig as you would a pencil to find the right size. Use pruning clippers to trim away unwanted parts. Check the twig for bugs (you don’t want any).
STEP 2: Clamp the twig to the edge of a workbench or piece of plywood. Be careful! Too much pressure can crush the twig.
STEP 3: Use a scratch awl or the point of a nail to make a dent at the center of the twig’s end. The dent will become the starting point for the drill bit.
STEP 4: Drill to a depth of 1 to 1 1⁄4 inches. Make sure to keep both hands on the tool!
As you drill, you may need to back out the bit to clear wood chips from the drill’s flutes (its spiral grooves). To do this, stop the drill and scrub the bit with an old toothbrush.
STEP 5: Squirt a small puddle of glue on a scrap of wood or cardboard. Roll the end of the lead in the glue, then work it back and forth in the hole to spread the adhesive.
STEP 6: Trim the lead by breaking it sideways against the twig. Let the glue dry overnight.
STEP 7: Sharpen the pencil with a sharp utility knife or pocketknife. Whittle away from your body, removing thin shavings as you work around the pencil. Use your imagination to personalize your pencil, or simply enjoy the colors and textures that nature provides.
I’ll have to try that some time!
cool
Cool! I’m doing this…NOw
Im going to tell our cubs about this, they will love it
^.^ this i cool! i MUST try this soon!
now THAT is cool!
well that’s a 1st
Interesting…similar to my feather pen I’m famous for at school!
cool idea. might try someday.
this thang is awsome
Cool
Does anyone know of a store that you can get the lead at?
NICE!! I cant wait to try this and show my freinds
Can’t you just take a pencil and widdle away at it to get a like effect?
I tried it, but the drill wouldn’t go in strait
I made it and when i brought to class my teacher told my to throw it away. she thaught it was a real stick
that is cool, i have 1 from a school feild trip and npw i can make my own!
this sounds awesome! i will have to make !
it was a lot of fun and i added a pen to the other side and gave it to my sister and now everybody wants one
itis just a pencil
, but a cool one 
,it also saves $$$$
its sorta hard but i think i can make it
but how do you sharpen it???
my friends will say ”what is that?”
It is totly cool
this is really cool
its cool, but it was hard !
Sweet! XD Sadly i cant make it
It’s just a pencil, it really isn’t that amazing.
it saves some money!1
those look so cool i should make one and use it at school