Stationery Holder

Compartments

• Pen cup 32 × 48 mm opening, 80 mm deep
• Marker bay 32 × 48 mm opening, 51 mm deep
• Tray 32 × 48 mm, 19 mm deep, smooth floor

Keep the long side of the plate facing you the whole time. Directions count studs from the front-left corner: columns 1–16 left to right, rows 1–8 front to back.

1. 01/13 Lay the foundation

   [ ] [x] done

   Place the black 8 × 16 plate with the long side facing you. From left to right it will hold the tall pen cup, the marker bay and the shallow tray.

   • 1× Plate 8 × 16 black

2. 02/13 Smooth floor for the tray

   [ ] [x] done

   Cover columns 12–15, rows 2–7 with six white 2 × 2 tiles in a 2 × 3 grid. Leave one row of studs free at the front, back and right edge. The smooth white floor makes clips and erasers easy to spot and scoop out.

   • 6× Tile 2 × 2 white

3. 03/13 Layer 1: the outline

   [ ] [x] done

   In white, run four 1 × 4 bricks along the front edge and four along the back. Then fit 1 × 6 bricks between them: one at each end and two dividers on columns 6 and 11.

   • 8× Brick 1 × 4 white
   • 4× Brick 1 × 6 white

4. 04/13 Layer 2: lock the corners

   [ ] [x] done

   Switch to black. This time the 1 × 8 bricks run front-to-back over both ends and both dividers (columns 1, 6, 11 and 16), and 1 × 4 bricks fill the gaps. Each layer covers the seams of the one below. That overlap is what locks the walls together.

   • 6× Brick 1 × 4 black
   • 4× Brick 1 × 8 black

5. 05/13 Cap the tray

   [ ] [x] done

   The tray is only two bricks tall, so finish its walls now with white tiles: a 1 × 8 along the right end and 1 × 4s front and back. Leave column 11 bare, because the next wall grows from there.

   • 2× Tile 1 × 4 white
   • 1× Tile 1 × 8 white

6. 06/13 Layer 3

   [ ] [x] done

   Back to white. From here on only columns 1–11 keep growing. Use the same pattern as Layer 1, but finish each long wall with a 1 × 3 brick. The 1 × 6 bricks sit on columns 1, 6 and 11.

   • 2× Brick 1 × 3 white
   • 4× Brick 1 × 4 white
   • 3× Brick 1 × 6 white

7. 07/13 Layer 4

   [ ] [x] done

   Black again. 1 × 8 bricks cross front-to-back on columns 1, 6 and 11. Fill the front and back with 1 × 4 bricks.

   • 4× Brick 1 × 4 black
   • 3× Brick 1 × 8 black

8. 08/13 Layer 5

   [ ] [x] done

   Repeat Layer 3 exactly, in white. This is the last layer of the marker bay.

   • 2× Brick 1 × 3 white
   • 4× Brick 1 × 4 white
   • 3× Brick 1 × 6 white

9. 09/13 Cap the marker bay

   [ ] [x] done

   Tile the middle bay’s rim in black: a 1 × 8 tile on column 11 and 1 × 4 tiles front and back on columns 7–10. The bay is now about 51 mm deep, deep enough for highlighters.

   • 2× Tile 1 × 4 black
   • 1× Tile 1 × 8 black

10. 10/13 Layer 6

    [ ] [x] done

    In black. Only the pen cup continues: place 1 × 8 bricks on columns 1 and 6, and 1 × 4 bricks between them at the front and back.

    • 2× Brick 1 × 4 black
    • 2× Brick 1 × 8 black

11. 11/13 Layer 7: turn the long pieces

    [ ] [x] done

    In white, the long pieces now go the other way. 1 × 6 bricks run along the front and back, and two more 1 × 6 bricks close the sides between them.

    • 4× Brick 1 × 6 white

12. 12/13 Layer 8

    [ ] [x] done

    Same as Layer 6, in black: 1 × 8 bricks on the sides, 1 × 4 bricks front and back.

    • 2× Brick 1 × 4 black
    • 2× Brick 1 × 8 black

13. 13/13 Crown the pen cup

    [ ] [x] done

    Finish the rim with white tiles: 1 × 8s on the sides and 1 × 4s front and back. The smooth edge feels nicer every time you grab a pen.

    • 2× Tile 1 × 4 white
    • 2× Tile 1 × 8 white

Finished

Pens and pencils go in the tall cup, highlighters and scissors in the middle bay, and erasers, clips, tape and a sharpener in the tray. The tiles give every rim a smooth edge.

Remix ideas

• Taller cup

  Repeat Layers 7 and 8 before adding the tiles. Each extra pair of layers needs 4× white Brick 1 × 6, plus 2× black Brick 1 × 8 and 2× black Brick 1 × 4.

• Solid colour

  Build every layer in white (or all in black) for a quieter look. Add the black and white counts together.

• Name plate

  Press a printed 1 × 4 tile onto the front of the tray wall in place of a plain one.