Homemade Flower Pens
Flowers are one of nature’s greatest gifts, and they are a popular motif in all types of creative projects, from painting to sculpture, jewelry making to knitting. It is also fun to transform everyday, functional objects so that they resemble flowers. One such object that lends itself well to this type of transformation is a simple pen. While it is not uncommon to see novelty pens resembling flowers for sale at some retail stores, it is both fun and easy to create these whimsical flower pens at home. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Snip the bloom off of a silk flower using wire cutters. Wire cutters are strong enough to cut through the stems of silk flowers, which are typically made of plastic-coated wire. Make sure to leave about 1 ½ inches of stem dangling from the base of the bloom.
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Unspool and tear off about 20 inches of floral tape. You may need more tape, depending on the length of the pen. Using both hands, grab the tape at each end and tug on it slightly; this pulling motion will help to release its adhesive properties.
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Press the silk flower bloom against a pen. Arrange the bloom so it is positioned right at the top of the pen, while the 1 ½ inches of stem are pressed against the side of the pen.
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Position one end of the piece of floral tape against the very top of the pen, just below the bloom. Wind the floral tape around the pen, working from the top toward the bottom. Wind tightly, pulling on the tape slightly as you wind. Make sure to tape the 1 ½ inches of silk flower stem to the side of the pen as you wind.
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Wind the floral tape back up the length of the pen, working from the bottom to the top. Wind tightly, continuing to pull on the tape slightly as you wind.
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Tear off any excess floral tape when you reach the top of the pen. The floral tape will stick to itself and to the pen, holding the silk flower securely in place. You should have a pen resembling a green stem topped by the silk flower bloom of your choice.
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Tips & Warnings
Wind as many layers of floral tape as you desire up and down the length of the pen; the more floral tape you wrap around the pen, the thicker the pen will be.
Consider using the following types of silk flower blooms to make pretty homemade flower pens: Gerbera daisies, roses, tulips, and chrysanthemums.
A slightly more complex method for making homemade flower pens involves removing the cartridge from the pen, inserting the cut stem of the silk flower bloom into the cartridge, securing it with hot glue, and replacing the pen cartridge. This prevents the flower stem from creating a slight bulge on the side of the pen.
References
- Photo Credit red silk rose image by Ken Marshall from Fotolia.com
