Last week I said my love of stationery began with a writing course. This is true … but I loved stationery once before. September. What does the word September mean to you? Once upon a time, it meant the start of the new school term, but more importantly it meant a new pencil case. Do you remember the choices? Themed stationery or plain? Pencils or felt-tips? Should the pencil sharpener match the pencil-case or contrast?
By the time I was twelve I had a room full of pencil-cases. My friends once counted around the bedroom. It added up to more than one a year. There were pencil tins – the best ones had special trays, which turned them into multi-layer tins. These looked really smart until they burst open in the school corridor. There were those fantastic zippered sets which came ready-packed with their own notebooks and pens. Do those still exist? Disney used to make them for every major film release. My favourite childhood pencil case had three sections, which meant grotty pencils could be kept separate from writing pens.
It is fair to say that until I was a teenager, my pencil case was like my second home. It was also a statement. One year I had a bright red pencil case with a cartoon spider. A couple of years later, I wouldn’t have been seen with such a thing. It was matching pink equipment or nothing.
I have grown back into stationery, and am pleased the digital age has not seen away pencil cases. I have draws full of pens, but my pencil case is reliably there when I am working. My current pencil case is dark purple, and nature-themed. I bought it the day after that writing course. The one which made me take my writing seriously. It reminds me that writing is a pleasure, and that the implements which allow me to record my thoughts are precious. Children have it right. Our pencil cases reflect who we are.
Louise Nettleton
What was your favourite childhood pencil case like? Do you think pencil cases are important, or just a necessity?
Book Murmuration 
I used to love starting a new school year so I could get a different pencil case! I think my favourite one I ever had was one made from denim and it had a little secret pocket at the front. I think they’re so important, and it’s great to have fantastic stationery in it as well 🙂
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There was nothing better than a ‘special feature’! I loved my pencil tin with its false bottom, and the zippy pencil case with fold-out pen holders. I wish I had them all to include pictures. 😉
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I remember I had a personalised set that I loved, it was a big zip open case that had pencils, colouring pencils and a ruler, pencil sharpener and rubber. The actual case and all my pencils said Sarah on them and I loved it!
I remember picking up a pencil case at Disneyland Paris, it was when they had a special Winnie the Pooh shop and I picked up a cream suede pencil case with brown leather edging and an old-school sketch image of Winnie, Tigger an co. It’s still in my room at my mum’s!
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Oooh, you had a set with your name on?! Those were very popular when I was in primary school. I also had lots of novelty items – do you remember those eraser-pens? They were shaped like pens, and had five or six little rubbers inside. Disney do some *lovely* stationery. x
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I did! So did my younger brother, I suspect it was so we couldn’t accuse each other of stealing each other’s pencils!
I remember those eraser-pens. In a similar vein do you remember the crayon pens? There were like 10 or 12 colours in one and you had to pull the tip off and the push it in the end to cycle through the colours? I loved it at the time but looking back that must have been annoying to get back to a colour you just used! X
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Ohhh yes, I had crayon pens. The crayons were rubbish, but changing the colours around was an hour’s entertainment. 😀 I *need* to write about 90s fads. I must have half this stuff boxed up in the loft. x
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Yes you should! Make sure you include those pens that were 6 different colours depending on which colour you selected at the top
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I adore stationary and the teacher in me always buys a new pencil case and stationary every September – obviously! My classroom is full of pretty stationary items, simply because I can!
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😀 I bet you have lots of post-it notes too? That’s a great reason to buy pretty stationery!
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Absolutely! I have all kind of sticky notes haha but they are always useful. The problem is I buy the pretty ones and then don’t want to use them!
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Great post brought back so many memories of my pencil cases! I was definitely a pencil case hoarder constantly buying new ones, I was a suck for a pretty print! My fav was a power puff pencil case mainly because I had the matching school bag haha!! x
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Oh yes, I’d forgotten about matching bags! 🙂 I don’t remember doing that, but I did have an inflatable bag at one point which I was really proud of! x
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Even now years later I remember the excitement of starting the new term with a specially chosen pencil case! I recently bought my first pencil case in years for all my pens etc for my blogging (mainly to keep the kids mitts off them!) and I love it, it’s brown with gold butterflies 😃
Melanie | http://www.frasersfunhouse.com
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I remember the smell of new pencil cases! That’s a good way to divide your pens from those for destruction …. I mean family use. 🙂
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I couldn’t agree more about stationery being an extension of your identity, especially as a school aged child! I remember going through the matching pink phase as well, oh how times have changed! Your current purple and nature themed pencil case sounds magical, I need to invest in a new one of my own because my current one is rather bashed up and the zip is on its last legs!
Abbey x
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My current one is from Paperchase, and they have some really nice ones. I’m always up for a stationery spree in Paperchase. 😀
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Yes! Love this! This made me reminisce on my old pencil cases 😄. I think I had a Smarties one when I was younger! My current pencil case is a flowery one from Paperchase. I do love stationery too! Fab post 😘 xx
Bexa | http://www.hellobexa.com
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Thanks Bexa. 🙂 Oh, I think I had a Buttons one!! It looked like a giant packet of Buttons. I’d forgotten about those. x
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