Flower Pen Tutorial

or How my boss loved me after I figured out a way to save the company money

Do you work in a job where the clientele keep taking your pens? They pick it up to sign something and suddenly the pen has disappeared into oblivion. Bermuda Triangle? Aliens from outer space? Nah, it’s only the natural reaction to slip that pen into a purse/pocket/bag and suddenly you find your budget being busted by constant pen replacement. Well, there is a way to keep those pens!

Most folks are honest souls who truly don’t mean to take your pen. They simply forget that it doesn’t belong to them because they’re trying to finish up the transaction with you and hurriedly dispense with it in the most logical place. Unfortunately this means that the pens grow legs and disappear.

Here is how I solved this problem where I work:

Step 1

Gather supplies. You’ll need:
a bunch of faux flowers
a fist full of pens
some gnarly scissors
a roll of packing tape

You can get a bunch of fake flowers fairly cheaply just about anywhere. Try your closet, garage sales, your local discount store, the dollar store, or if you want to get fancy, your local craft store.

You can gather up a bunch of stray pens you and your colleagues have lying around. They don’t have to be anything fancy; in fact, the free pens you picked up at conferences, etc. are great. I do recommend that you not use clickable pens. The clicking action will be a bit tricky after you’ve attached your pretty flower.

Don’t use your best scissors. You’ll be using them to cut down the flower and the metal will dull the blade. Don’t stress if you don’t have packing tape. Any tape will do. The packing tape is the easiest to use because it will cover the entire flower stem in one round.

Step 2

Cut the flowers from the stem. You want to leave about and inch and a half to two inches of stem on the flower.

Take your scissors and gently cut through the plastic stem outer coating. Turn the flower and cut the stem outer coating again so that all the plastic is cut and you can see the metal stem. Ditch the scissors and grasp the flower on either side of the cut. Bend the stem back and forth at the cut point until the metal snaps and breaks the stem into two pieces. This is easier on some flowers than others. If you’ve got particularly tough wire try using the scissors to cut it. If that doesn’t do the trick then seek out and use some wire cutters.

Step 3

Roll off and cut about an inch and a half to two inches of packing tape.

Attach a thin, quarter inch strip of the tape to the top of the pen. Slide one of the flower stems under the tape and next to the pen.

Wrap that flower stem up tight with the packing tape. Don’t worry about getting the tape perfect. It’s ok to have bubbles and be off center a bit. I promise that no one will notice. Everyone who uses the pen will be staring at the gorgeous flower and won’t notice the tape.

Step 4

Repeat process with all your pens and flowers including the rogue flower from the last batch you made.

Sadly, a handful of people will walk off with your pens no matter what you do to try to secure them. But they will last longer than the naked pens. And hey, at least they left the flower behind.

Step 5

Set all your pens in a pretty container and set on the counter at key pen usage point.

Many, if not all, of your coworkers will think that these flowers are real and will ask who sent you flowers. Tell them you grew them yourself as you whip one out to show off! Remember to tell your boss how much you’re saving the pen budget.

Comments

[heather]

I love this idea and it keeps the men off from stealing a pen...which they do around here regularly!

[spacedog]

These are great pens! So fun.

[Sandy]

I used one of these pretty pens at the hospital's out-patient office the other day. The bunch of flowers/pens looked very pretty in their vase when not in use.

[sarah]

Those look great! My husbands cousin made some like that and "planted" them in floral foam in little terra cotta pots. She used them as bridal shower goodies.

[jill]

Would you know where the flower stem pen was invented. I'm researching it for a college course. thank you

[Pieces]

I have also seen them planted in a terra cotta pot filled with dried beans. Very easy to get them in and out and people can see the stems. I always feel pretty when I use them!

[sharona]

Brilliant!!!!

[cecilia]

:-)what a nifty idea, Felicia!

[erika]

I love this!

[Lisa]

sure adds some "fluff" to an old craft!! Cute!!

[mycraftyways]

This is such a sweet and fun idea !