Hello Oliver + S sewers, this is Shelley from Bartacks and Singletrack. I'm thrilled to return and show you how I gave the no-tie scarf from Little Things to Sew a new twist—literally! As a pencil scarf.

Recently, while flipping through a magazine in a café, I stumbled upon these adorable lambswool knitted pencil scarves on Etsy (credit to Sara Carr for the inspiration). Instantly, I envisioned creating a sewn version using leftover sweater fleece from my son’s school uniform projects. Talk about upcycling!

Ironically enough, as I was daydreaming about this project, autumn was approaching for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, while my Southern Hemisphere children were laid up with colds. With some extra time on my hands, I decided to give this pencil scarf a try and document the process for all of you. The kids even said they appreciated it—though I think they were just trying to be polite between coughs.

Apologies if this tutorial feels overly detailed, but this was one of the few projects in Little Things to Sew where I initially hit a wall. Let’s dive in!

I used sweater fleece for these scarves, but you can experiment with nearly any fabric. Just remember, thicker fabrics might require a lighter lining material for the loop sections (pattern piece 2b). To ensure balance, I trimmed about 1.5 inches off the main scarf piece (pattern piece 2a) near the notches and loops, creating the eraser end.

Starting at the eraser end, attach the band piece to the scarf with a ½-inch seam. Next, sew the eraser piece to the band piece with the same seam allowance. Press the seams open.

At the opposite end of the scarf, attach the beige wood piece with a ½-inch seam, followed by the pencil tip piece. Again, press the seams open.

Now, here’s where I got distracted—I’m notorious for tweaking things instead of sticking to the original plan. So, I decided this pencil would have a name tag at the eraser end. Remember when adults used to shave a patch into your pencils so you could write your name on them? Well, this scarf is meant to be a gift for a little friend, so I added a name tag. Feel free to skip this step if you prefer.

I sketched a rectangle measuring 1 ½ inches by 5 inches onto a scrap of beige fleece using a washable pencil. Then, I rounded the ends to form an ellipse.

Using a basting stitch, I outlined my drawn lines. Then, I cut around the ellipse with about 3/8-inch seam allowances and snipped the curves.

The basting stitch made it easier to fold under the seam allowances. Fold them evenly and press well.

Next, stitch the name tag onto the scarf at the eraser end, positioning it about an inch from the long edge to avoid the seam allowance. Notice the pin marking where the loop will be attached—it’s important to keep the name tag clear of that area.

Afterward, it hit me—it would have looked better done by reverse appliqué to mimic a shaved pencil. Oh well, live and learn! If you're feeling ambitious, consider taking it that extra step.

Now, let’s continue with the scarf construction according to the pattern instructions. This part can get tricky since there’s a lot of turning and flipping involved. Keep track of whether you’re inside-out or right-side-out—it can get confusing!

Attach the loop pieces as instructed.

Flip each loop/scarf section so the loop pieces are right-side-out. Place the two loop/scarf pieces together, right sides facing. Don’t worry about pressing the short ends yet—they’ll be stitched later.

Sew the long edges together as per the instructions, but leave a gap about the size of your hand near the pencil end. We’ll use this gap to turn the scarf right-side-out later.

Turn the entire scarf right-side-out through the gap. Start turning it inside-out again until the loop edges appear. Pin them together and sew to close the loop.

Pull it back to right-side-out again, then repeat the process from the other end. Turn the scarf inside-out until the loop edges appear, pin, and sew them together. You should now have a complete loop. Turn the scarf right-side-out and admire your work—or go back and sew closer to the dots if you left gaps like I did!

Turn the scarf inside-out again to finish the ends. At the eraser end, sew across the short end with a ½-inch seam and trim the corners for turning.

At the pencil end, measure halfway (3 inches) across the short end and mark a point ½ inch from the raw edge. This will be the pencil point.

Draw a line from this point to the seam connecting the main scarf to the beige wood section. Stop at the intersection of the two previously sewn seams.

Repeat the line on the other side.

Starting on one long edge, sew along the drawn line. Pivot at the point and continue along the second line to the opposite long edge.

Clip the corners in preparation for turning the scarf right-side-out again.

With both ends now sewn closed, turn the scarf right-side-out through the gap in the side seam. Hand-stitch the gap closed with a slipstitch, and voilà—you’re done!

If you added the name tag, you can write on it with a fabric marker or embroider the name with thread.

And there you have it—a no-tie scarf transformed into a pencil! Perfect for back-to-school season or for kids who love to doodle on everything—including walls!

Thanks for following along! I hope you enjoy making your own pencil scarves. Until next time, happy sewing!

Flannel Fabric

Flannel Fabric,Flannel Cloth,Flannel Material,Cotton Flannel

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