How to Best Store Your Colored Pencils

Updated by Brandon F. on August 25, 2023

One of our readers sent us an email asking for advice on the best way to store and prolong the life of your favorite colored pencil set.  We thought this was a great question!  A good colored pencil set can be considered an investment and something that you want to try to get as much use out of as you can, especially when some of the sets can reach well into the hundreds of dollars!

Fortunately, colored pencils, for the most part, are much more durable than a majority of other artistic mediums.  The concern with “drying out” that exists with paints and “melting” that can exist with crayons and oil pastels doesn’t exist.  

Since the pencils are made of a much harder material in the core, they handle the heat and lack of moisture much better.  Also, at any given time a vast majority of the core is protected by the outer shell.  Remember, the shell isn’t just there for structural rigidity.  It is also there for protection!

Avoid Heat and Sunlight

That being said, heat still isn’t great for colored pencils.  Or rather more specifically, direct sunlight.  Sunlight, if exposed to colored pencils for a long period, can cause some slight fading on the exposed color and can also somewhat dry out the tip.  This might not be noticed in some products that have a harder core but in softer products that are known for their buttery feel and low lightfastness (remember, lightfast can affect color both before AND after it is applied to a canvas!) it might be a small concern.  

This is an easy fix as most indoor settings won’t be dealing with a ton of high temperatures and direct sunlight.  Just avoid laying them by windows that are always open in warmer climates and this issue should be avoided.

Store in Cool, Dry Places

The happiest place for a colored pencil set to call home is a cool place without extreme humidity changes.  Thankfully, many of the higher-end brands come with great sealed containers that completely block out outside light and most humidity fluctuations.  There have been reports of colored pencil sets that have been stored in attics that typically go well into the 130Fs and above for years being a bit brittle when taken out of storage but in most cases simply sharpening the point down some and exposing fresh core solved the problem.

Avoid Dropping or Stepping on Pencils

This one is sort of a no-brainer.  The containers also double as protection for a much more common cause of early pencil death: dropping them or stepping on them.  Because of this, it is important to always try to keep your pencils in their case when you aren’t using them.  Many of the cases are designed to withstand being dropped and will dent the case frame before applying the force through your pencils.

Consider Wrapping Them Up

If you happen to have multiple singles or for some reason have lost the case that the colored pencil came in, we recommend wrapping the pencils in saran wrap, storing them in a closed shoebox, and sticking them in your closet somewhere.  Try to avoid putting them in storage that doesn’t have ventilation but if you have to it still isn’t the end of the world. Keep in mind that this may only be a temporary fix: keep an eye out for local garage sales and online listings and maybe you can pick up a replacement box for cheap.

Summary

In summary, colored pencils are pretty resilient and arguably the longest-lasting of any popular art medium.  The combination of a hard core protected by a wooden shell and the sturdy case they typically come in means that a good set should last you for a long time.  However, we have listed our recommendations below to help ensure that you make your favorite set last as long as possible: