Planner "Bookmarks" Can Hold Tablet Styli

Who Needs an Elastic Pen Holder?

I don't get the current Planner craze. For me, Google Calendar does OK, Sunrise Calendar did better, and if I really, really needed to go for the complete journaling gold, I'd break down and use Microsoft Outlook. Carrying around five pounds of paper that has to be searched through manually is, for me, a time sink.

This past Sunday's Planning With Michaels project was a "pen holder bookmark" made with felt, hot glue, and embroidery-floss tassels. Being a "Trend" class, we needed to have someone in the classroom in case someone who hadn't pre-registered for the class decided to walk in and have a go at.

Not All Tablet Covers Are the Same

I've been pretty lucky with most of my tablet covers. I bought a keyboard cover for my original tablet, a Galaxy Tab 2 7". My iPad Air 2 Smart Cover has an elastic closure, an elastic handhold, and a small elastic loop for a stylus. While there's no stylus loop on the cover for my Galaxy Tab 4 7", it has a wrist strap and a magnetic closure.

Sadly, there was no such option for my HP Stream 7" Windows tablet. While it came with an OEM cover which uses magnets to create a bit of a stand, the cover has nothing to keep it closed, and I have cracked a screen because of its flimsy nature. I cut the design's elastic strap smaller, and presto! I now have a stylus holder for my Stream.

Taking it One Step Further

One thing I really hated about the construction of this project was its reliance on hot glue. The cut felt was hot-glued to create the pen pocket, and the elastic was hot-glued to the felt. Both of these come out looking flimsy and amateurish. It would have been better to securely sew the elastic to the felt before making the pen pocket, and to blanket-stitch the sides of the pen pocket, keeping a similar look but with much better product quality.

That said, hot glue is a lot quicker than sewing, and the project was designed to be completed within two hours.

Additionally, the pen pocket came out too short and too wide to fit my Cross stylus pen; it fell out almost immediately upon picking up my now-securely-closed tablet.

And What About the Men?

Looking at my bright stylus holder, I could see a much nicer version done in suede or leather, with black elastic, holding a nice Cross stylus pen. While one could add a leather tassel, it wouldn't need one: the fine leather would speak for itself. Such a style would work for men and women alike, and could be easily feminized by using one of Michaels' pieces of soft embossed leather. It would work in a business environment as well as a casual one. I'd replace the hot glue with E6000 or leather cement, and if I were using a heavier leather, I'd also stitch the edges with artificial sinew. A second piece of leather enclosing (or hiding) the edges of the elastic would make it look even more professional.

I think I'm going to have to make one...