DIY Rustic Mason Jar Pencil Sharpener: the Perfect Gift for Any Artist

My wife has always loved art, especially sketching in pencils
She loves going to the forest to sketch some trees or rivers
But what she doesn't like is losing her pencil sharpeners all the time
She keeps all her art supplies in a backpack so that when she goes hiking to sketch, she has art supplies on hand
But the worst part is when she breaks her pencils and she reaches into her bag to get a sharpener
And to her horror, she can't seem to find one
And she ends up buying a new one
I can't tell you how many times this has happened
So for Christmas this year, I had planned on making this a long time ago and thought of it when she lost her pencil sharpeners and I kept in my head since then, I decided to make her a mason jar pencil sharpener
She ended up loving the gift and takes it every time she goes hiking with her art supplies
This is a very easy gift to make and is a perfect gift for any artist or even student

Step 1: Materials

Drill

Drill bits (I got various sizes at first to make sure I had the perfect fit to the pencil sharpener

A pencil sharpener with out a casing

A jar/mason jar

Gift tag and string (optional)

Very strong super glue such as the original SUPER GLUE or Gorilla glue

Paint (optional)

Pen and scissors (optional)

Step 2: Finding the Right Drill Bit for the Sharpener and Drilling

Now for any pencil sharpener, I suggest you gather a lot of drill bits you think would be the same or larger then the hole of the pencil sharpener
So you get the best possible fit
Narrow it down to the last three or four drill bits
Remember that the drill bit must be a tad bit larger than your pencil sharpener hole
Next narrow it down to the one drill bit that is the largest out of all of them but is a tad bit larger than the pencil sharpener
But you must remember that the drill bit must not fit inside the pencil sharpener
Next insert that drill bit into the drill and drill a hole into the lid of the jar
Make sure to get rid of any metal scraps still attached to the hole in the jar
Lastly make sure it is a tad bit larger than your sharpener hole

Step 3: Glueing the Sharpener

Now that you have the hole in the lid, take your strong glue and dab a generous amount around the hole
Place the pencil sharpener's hole exactly in the middle of the hole in the lid underneath
Take a pencil and make sure you can fit the pencil into the hole in the lid being careful not to move around the pencil sharpener under neath
Press hard on the back of the sharpener and invert the lid upside down to dry
Next take a q-tip and clean up the excess glue on the outside of the lid

Step 4: Decorating

Once the glue is dry
Take some paint and start adding touches to the jar
I used gold paint on top of the lid for a rustic look
Then I sealed it off with mod podge
Next I made a tag with brown paper and attached it with twine to the jar for a rustic look
You can make your mason jar pencil sharpener decorations however you'd like
Put the lid back on

Step 5: Results

This is a very easy gift that anyone can make
It is perfect for any artist or student always losing their pencil sharpeners
It has a nice rustic look to it and holds a lot of pencil shreds
Enjoy this handmade gift and happy holidays !