Moleskine Pen Holder Hack

Here's an easy and cheap Mole pen holder for your sketchbook.  In fact I use this on all my journals and notebooks.  Whenever I get a new book, I put this pen holder in it.

(Quite a few people have been interested in this hack so I thought I'd add a few more details that might be helpful.)

I always place the pen holder on the first page of the journal/sketchbook/notebook because this first page is always the strongest part of the book block. (It's called the "endsheet" in the publishing business.)

Another reason I use the first page is that, when the book is closed, the pen will hang over the pages of the book, sort of tucked away. The hard cover book edges usually extend past the pages a bit to protect them.  This pen holder allows the pen to be wedged tightly between the hard cover edges.  So the pen doesn't hang up on stuff as you pull it from your backpack or purse.  It stays tucked out of the way when you are not using it.  When you remove the pen to write, the clean plastic tape folds flat and stays out of the way.

In a nutshell


Here is the simple process:

1. Cut a strip of 10" packing tape.
2. Place the tape sticky side up.
3. Fold 3 inches of the tape over on itself 
4. Wrap your pen inside about 2.5 inches of the folded over tape and place about a half an inch onto the sticky part (which is still facing up).
5. Cut the excess tail of the tape to the width of first page of your book.
6. Attach the sticky part to the "endsheet" of your Moleskine (or other hard cover book)

I use clear packing tape for the following reasons:

• It's nearly invisible even with the pen in the holder.
• It's cheap.
• It's easy to find at almost any store.
• It's strong and holds well.

You don't have to use clear tape of course.  At Walmart I saw an entire rack of wide tape in a rainbow of colors.  (It was in the paint section of the store.)  So if you are looking for something that matches your sketchbook, look no further.  Or if you want to add a little "funk" to your sketchbook, choose an accent color.  Your choice.

The hardest part of this hack is dealing with the sticky side of the tape facing up while you fold over the tape on itself and wrap your pen inside.

Just follow the sequence and you'll be fine.

It's the best way to guarantee that the right pen will always be with your sketchbook!

 …dave
I may not be totally perfect, but parts of me are excellent. - Ashleigh Brilliant