How to store planner pens (5 ways – and my favorite method!)
Some women buy clothes and shoes, I buy stationery – especially pens! The addiction has gotten a little out of hand so I’ve had to find the best way to store them. If you’re a fellow pen addict, here are 5 ways to store pens.
1. Pen cup
If you don’t have many pens, a pen cup is one of my favorites ways to store them.
I use a few pen cups for all my black planner pens – as these are the ones I use most frequently. As well as the PaperMate Inkjoy Gel – my favorite pens for color coding!
Update: I no longer store pens vertically like this. I lay all of my pen cups on their sides so the ink remains horizontal (pen ink lasts longer this way)
Pros
- Doesn’t take up much room on your desk
- Lots of pretty options to choose from – my favorite is this acrylic one from Kikki K – the base is gold <3!
Cons
- Pens (especially pen lids) can tend to look the same so if you’re looking at them from above or you have a lot of pens in the cup it can be hard to find the pens you’re looking for
- Unless you put a lot of pens in them, the pens will fall or look ‘messy’
Makeup organizers make great pen cups – this one has 4 compartments – ideal for keeping all the pens by one brand together
2. Drawers
Let’s take a moment to appreciate the eye candy 🙂
This set of acrylic drawers sits next to my laptop at my desk – love it!
I really like that they’re see through so I don’t have to try and remember what is in each one and can see all of the pretty colors.
Pros of using drawers
- You can fit a lot of pens in the drawers
- Easy to see what you have
Cons of using drawers
- Unless you have a lot in there they can move around a lot (I like to keep the pens for each brand / collection e.g. PaperMate Flair and PaperMate Inkjoy together)
- Drawers can get expensive (I got these from eBay – they were cheap for $30 but most of the others were $60+!)
Related: How to make printable storage contents labels in Photoshop (step by step video tutorial)
3. Using a box, tray or basket
Pros of using a box or tray
- Can see what you have right in front of you
- Boxes can be stacked and are usually rectangle so are an easy shape to store
- Looks nice on a shelf!
Cons of using a box or tray
- If it’s not covered you can’t stack them – you can’t fit as much in them as drawers
- Unless there’s dividers e.g. you use a cutlery drawer insert, the pens can easily get out of order
- If the box you’re using isn’t see through and you don’t have it labelled you have to open the box to see what’s inside – which can be a pain if you have a big stack of boxes!
Using clip top bags or storing pens in their original packaging will keep them in order so you can easily find the pen/s you’re looking for.
I like to store pens in their collections, and in their original packaging if they come in a plastic or hard-cover case. This makes them easier to store and easier to find what I’m looking for i.e I just flip through the packs of pens rather than rummaging through a ton of different pen brands trying to find all the other colors in the collection. It also looks nice and neat!
Related: Best pens for writing on washi tape
4. Pencil Case
Pros of using a Pencil Case
- Portable
- Cheap
- Lots of designs to choose from (you could even sew your own!)
- You can get clear pencil cases with holes pre-punched if you’re using a binder
Cons of using a pencil case
- Because there’s no dividers, the pens can easily get out of order
- Over time pencil cases can get dirty and damaged with wear and tear, zips can break etc.
Related: Favorite places to buy planner pens (online)
5. Pen case
Pros of using a pen case
- All of your pens neatly laid out so you can see exactly what you have on hand
Cons of using a pen case
- For the size of them, you can’t fit nearly as many pens as you can into a set of drawers or storage container
- They’re bulky
- They don’t maximize space
Related: 5 Planner supplies you should never skimp on
There are many different options for pen cases including multi-layered (where you can flip through the pen case) such as the MAMBI pen case which are quite portable, and larger size ones that have space for just 1 layer of pens, and aren’t really portable.
This one is from Pilot
Related: Favorite pens for writing headings in my planner
6. Other Options
- Clip top bags – a cheap and easy way to keep all of the pens in a collection in one place
- Hair tie or rubber band around the pen collections
Related: What type of pens write best on correction tape? (gel pens vs. ballpoint vs. marker pens)
Which method is my favorite?
I prefer pen cups for pens I frequently use, otherwise acrylic drawers as you can store so many pens and since they’re see through you can easily see what’s in them.
Related Posts:
- How to make a personalised screensaver/computer or laptop wallpaper/desktop background
- How to make printable labels in Photoshop
- Review of the Plum Paper Memory Keepers Book
- Planner companies that will let you download, print and try their planner layout for free
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I love all your ideas on storing planner pens and markers! I’d like to add one more option. My friends and family often give me decorated coffee cups/mugs, the ones with handles, not the stainless steel travel cups. After several uses and washes, the paint or coloring starts to rub off, no matter how careful I am, and I am leery of drinking from them . Rather than throw them away, I use them for my pen cups. Like you, I put certain types or brands in each cup.