Welcome to my first Instructable, I hope you like it.

Today I was at a craft supply store picking up a few things for my new hobby. I went to grab a Paint Eraser after I saw it recommended a few times, but was surprised to find a price tag of almost $6 for a little wood and rubber. Here's how to make your own for far cheaper.

I would like to apologize in advance for how the pictures came out. I had low light and am still getting used to the camera, but I think they will still illustrate the steps well enough.

Step 1: Materials

I grabbed most of the items below at a dollar-per-item store, but you should be able to get them at almost any store for about the same price.

Materials Needed (From Left to Right):

- Super Glue ($1 for 2-Pack)
- "Pencil Eraser" ($1 for Pack of 6 Pencil Erasers and 6 Large Erasers)
- Pencil ($1 for 8-Pack)
- Hobby Knife (Already had mine, was about $4 from a cheap tool store)
- Piece of Paper or Thin Cardboard (Free from a box)
- A surface to work on

Total cost per finished item: Approximately $0.30
Savings: $5.69

Note: Cheaper/harder erasers will work better than the softer kinds. I am looking in to using silicone caulking as a sealant to firm up the tools and prevent transfer to the work. While this hasn't been a problem for me with clay, YMMV.

Step 2: Glue Erasers

Remove the eraser from the metal cap on the pencil.

Apply a small amount of glue to the inside of the metal and press the eraser back into place. Allow glue to dry.

Tip: If you re-align the holes with the indentations of the metal, it should easily slide back into place.

Place some glue around the inside of the "Pencil Eraser" (the loose one that was not attached to the pencil).

Press the pencil eraser on to the opposite end (where you would normally sharpen).

Tip: If you don't want to have a smaller eraser, simply glue a second Pencil Eraser on the metal end.

Step 3: Shape With Knife

Use the hobby knife to shape each of the erasers into the shape you would prefer. You just want to get the basic shape as we will be cleaning it up and smoothing it later.

Some common shapes are:

- Wedge
- Angled Wedge
- Cone/Point

Obligatory Warning: Knives are sharp. You know this. They cut you. Do I really need to explain how bad things will happen if you make bad decisions with a knife?

Step 4: "Sand" Using Paper or Cardboard

Lay the paper or cardboard flat on your work surface. Rub the eraser(s) back and forth on the cardboard to smooth the sides and refine the point.

Use your fingers to remove any small shavings from the "sanding". You may also need to use the knife to clean up the tip, then continue "sanding".

Tip: Try to keep the angles you cut flat on the surface. This will smooth out the sides and make a better tip. If you angle the pencil too much while sanding, you will make more of a rounded tip rather than a pointed tip.

Step 5: Done

That's it! Once you have smoothed out your cuts, you'll have a Paint Eraser that is almost as good as what you can buy in the store at a fraction of the cost.

Hope you enjoyed my instructable. Please feel free to leave comments and suggestions.