DIY Fountain Pen Tray for about $25

EDIT 03.04.21: And the winner is......./u/Hiemal_Rei!! Congratulations!! This was REALLY hard to choose as there were some terrific submissions - I really had a hard time debating who would win. BUT that's what I've decided! I've reached out to them in a private message, and thank you to everyone who has participated! Keep on writing, and hey, give the DIY a shot if you really want to have one of these trays - you'll be surprised how easy it is to create. Thank you again for all the comments, love and inspiration. I love this subreddit for many reasons and love to hear how excited and inspired a lot of you became with this project. Keep on going and I'll see you for the next nib that is added to our collections, cause let's be real, there is always another nib to get :) Jonny


I'm giving one of these away for free to anyone in the /r/fountainpens sub-reddit!! Giveaway instructions: 17:42 - Deadline: 02.28.21 @ 11:59PM EST

Link to Reddit post:   / diy_fountain_pen_tray_with_a_moderatorappr...  

Shopping list -

Note: You can buy all of this in-store at Michael’s craft store which I encourage you to go and support your local craft store to keep them open! If you can’t find these items at your local store, I have links for the main components below:

One board / wooden base - 5x7
- I actually ended up using a 5 x 7 mini chalk board, because it was the perfect shape to hold my pens + the natural edge on the chalk board worked to hold everything inside.
[Purchase the Pepperell Crafts Chalkboard Slate, 5” x 7” at Michaels](https://www.michaels.com/pepperell-cr...)

Felt sheets with peel-away adhesive backing - your felt sheets should be large enough to fully cover both sides of your board + room to spare to wrap it around the edges and at least a centimeter or more around to the other side – I used 2 sheets for my version of this project.
(Typical price at Michael's per sheet: $1.99)
https://amzn.to/3cISSoS

1 Pack of 8-inch* lollipop sticks (*or the size needed to cover the space on the board you buy)
- I would suggest bringing a tape measure/ruler with you to the craft store to measure the tray to make sure they fit OR can be cut down to fit. When it doubt, bigger is better! Because you can trim it down.

8-inch (I recommend this size) - about $4.49 at Michaels (Not on their online store unfortunately) - https://amzn.to/2YOe2tv
6-inch: [6” Lollipop Sticks by Celebrate It® | Michaels](https://www.michaels.com/6in-lollipop...)

- Fabric glue or Craft glue (something made to connect fabric/felt to wood, or whatever material you use as your base)
[Beacon Fabri-Tac™ Premium Fabric Glue, 2oz. | Michaels](https://www.michaels.com/beacon-fabri...)

Other items/tools needed - If you don't have these you can get them all at the craft store
- Box cutter or exact-o knife
- Scissors
- Letter opener or something else with a flat side to spread out the felt (butter knife, tiny metal spatula, or even a credit card can work in a pinch)
- Pen(s) to test the sizing of the grid you’ll create BEFORE you glue it into place. (Perhaps don’t used your prized fountain pen for testing...incase you get glue on it!)
- Ruler or measuring tape
- Lighter
- Pencil
- Materials to protect your working surface (paper towels, newspaper, etc.)

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In this video, I'll show you how to make a black felt fountain pen holder in 2 configurations: a 6 pen tray and a 4 pen tray with space for 2-3 ink bottles.

I made this because I’ve been so disappointed with the different products out there for fountain pens - especially in the display/tray space for ease of use while having them lay on a desk. So I decided to make this one on my own with a quick trip to Michaels craft store. In total it cost about $20 give or take for the materials I had to buy. If you have to buy everything including the tools, it would be more around $40-$50.

For those that are coming from the subreddit of /r/fountainpens - hey hey! Thanks for watching - I made this for you and hope you enjoy this DIY!

If you liked this video and it helped you make a really nice tray for your desk, I’d really appreciate it if you could like this video, subscribe to my channel, and send it to a fountain pen enthusiast that you might know - it would really help my channel grow!

Thank you!

Jonny

www.jonnyaperture.com
IG -   / jonnyaperture