Smiggle has always had a hold on Australian children and their parents’ wallets. Stepping into a Smiggle store is every primary-school-aged child’s fantasy. With an enormous variety of bright colours and unique graphics, everyone is sure to find something they like. In contrast to the monochromatic nature of schools, where we all had to wear the same uniforms, use the same backpacks and sit at the same yellow desks, our pencil cases and stationery were some of the only ways to set ourselves apart and announce our amazing taste to our peers. I know I was begging my Mum for a Smiggle pencil case in 3rd grade, partly because all of the cool kids seemed to have one, and partly because I had traded my lunch for a green Smiggle sheep eraser and now wanted a matching pencil case to store it. 

So, what does your Smiggle pencil case say about you? (Or how would I have perceived you in primary school?)

Of course, I have to start with my own pencil case, so here’s a special shoutout to anyone who had the green zipper case! These zipper cases were a lot of fun because you could open every zipper to let all your stuff fall out, or if you opened just the second-to-the-top zipper, you could turn it into a handbag. The possibilities are truly endless with this one. This pencil case was great because, if you’re ever struggling to locate a specific item, you can simply open more zippers to reveal it. However, on many occasions, I would forget to zip up all the zips, and I would find a lot of my pens mysteriously on the floor. This pencil case is definitely not for the forgetful. If you had this pencil case, I think you would be quite artistic, with very good taste (I’m biased, I know), but I do think that an appreciation for a colour gradient should be recognised. You were also not afraid to make jangly noises whenever you walked around, so I’m guessing you would be a huge fan of keychains today. I know I love a cute trinket to hang on my bag (any Labubu fans here?).

If you had this bubble pencil case, I would have been jealous of it and thought you were very cool. You probably had a lot of friends. Let’s be real, everyone wanted this pencil case. When you were bored in class, you would use a felt-tipped pen to trace the bubbles. Some bold kids would even colour in the bubbles. The perks of this design are that it’s so plain and subtle that the owner can use their own creativity to truly make it their own. Although there was a very fine line between a beautifully decorated bubble case and a mess. I bet that you’re a pretty organised person because this pencil case has so many compartments.

This pencil case is arguably the most ordinary of all the Smiggle cases (sorry, not sorry). But in your defence, you could probably still use it in university! We love a sustainable king or queen. If I needed to carry stationery around, I would totally use this one today. But if I had seen you in class with it 15 years ago, I would have thought you were super studious, serious, and just a tad bit boring. I would probably have thought you were a nerd and asked you for help with my math homework. I feel like you may have been a teacher’s pet or, at the very least, a library volunteer/monitor. I bet you’re either studying STEM or law now. 

I think that you were super into fantasy books as a kid, think Percy Jackson, Harry Potter, Narnia and Throne of Glass. You may have even written some fanfiction. I bet that you had a phase where you were super into tarot reading and Horoscopes. I also think that at some point someone would compliment the “butterfly” on your pencil case and you’d correct them by saying it’s a moth because the moon indicates that it’s out at night. You might also be like me and have once been sad that butterflies receive so much more love than moths, simply because their wings are prettier. I bet you have a really great fashion sense today, and own a pair of Dr Marten boots. 

I’m pretty sure this is a newer design; perhaps Gen Alpha has been using this one? This robot cat definitely screams - I love cats and also technology. I think you would be an animal lover and also enjoy Cool Math Games. Your dream job in primary school would have been either a zookeeper or a video-game designer. I really hope there’s someone out there who had this case and is now doing both. 

If you had this pencil case, I bet you liked drawing and were the resident class artist. Every class had that one kid who was ten times better than all the other kids at sketching and any other artistic endeavour. You probably study fine arts or film now and enjoy films like Star Wars or Jurassic Park.

If you had this pencil case, the one where you could put your name into it with letters, I bet that you had previously lost your pencil case one too many times before your parents forced you to get this one. You would also have had to have a relatively short name for it to fit in the spaces provided (something eight letters or under) or a fun nickname that everyone knew you by. 

This is a very cool pencil case. Many teachers would take this case away because everyone sitting around you would want to poke and play with it. You were just a little bit of a troublemaker. I also bet you had a fidget spinner and knew how to do tricks with it. I think that because you like this popping effect, you might also enjoy popping your pimples (it’s okay, everyone does it). 

I think this pencil case is so pretty, and I lowkey want one right now. I bet you’d have a big friend group and a best friend. You’re a girl's girl today, and I would trust you to watch my bag at the library or my drink at a party. You probably have really nice nails that you get done on a semi-regular basis. If you also had the pom-pom pen or a fuzzy keychain, I would want to be your friend so badly. I hope you still like fuzzy keychains and still have one hanging off your bag today.

Caroline Sinn is currently studying a double degree in Law and Media (Communications and Journalism). When she isn’t hanging out with her super cute dog, she’s listening to Spotify or re-watching her favourite comfort shows and movies.