Tag: crafting-for-almost-everyone

Making Beaded Pens: Fast & Easy Halloween, Xmas Treats

To make a beaded pen, you’ll need to buy the pens I show in the video…I bought one multi-colored set of pens on Amazon and silver ones from Temu. Most of the items I bought were in a single Temu order that I’ve linked below. I’m not affiliated with them, but find the prices I get from them are a lot lower than ones from Amazon. (For my safety when buying from Temu, I didn’t download their app and bought directly from their website using Paypal to buy the orders. Paypal puts a safety link between you and your credit card information so Temu doesn’t access that.)

You can find pens and beads in sets, with everything you need to create beaded pens, and I did that with the Halloween pens, and of course you can find Christmas sets.. When you look to buy a bead or spacer, make sure in the listing they show the product on a beaded pen so you know the hole in the bead or spacer is large enough to work on a pen.

I unscrewed whichever end I could, but it’s easiest if you unscrew the top and fill the rod from the bottom to the top. I used a small silver ball I had in my stash for some of the pens where the beads I used didn’t seem to work well with the bottom or top of the rod (you’ll understand this when you make your own pens). If you use a pen kit, you shouldn’t need to use the silver round bead but I didn’t always use kits.

You’ll want to use your largest bead at the very top so the pen is comfortable in your hand. I recommend you buying the spacers with rhinestones in them as they add a lot to the pens in terms of bling. I bought the big purple flowers on their own and they are rubber and work well with any beads. The butterflies came in a set and I found the spacers didn’t work well next to them, but the small pink/purple balls did. I used some things from my stash and tried to add listings to those below as well.

Once you fill your pen stem to the screwed area, stop. It might be easier to stop just below the screwed area, but it’s so easy to take the beads on and off, you won’t mind it if you need to add or remove a bead. I had a lot of fun making these and ended up making a lot more. I hope you give this craft a try as I gave three pens to my girlfriend and she loved them…one for her college age daughter, one for work, and one for at home. The more of these pens I make, the more beads I seem to have in my original box… I don’t know how they multiply like that, haha..

Items Used:

Multiple colored pens: https://tinyurl.com/ypj8c3wm

Rest of items used in video: https://share.temu.com/Kkeranom2SA NOTE: The only item that didn’t work with the pens because the holes were too small were 50pcs Zinc Alloy Flower Bead Caps, so don’t buy these for making beaded pens.

Strings to hold charms–said they had a lobster claw, but they don’t. https://tinyurl.com/45rjnu49

Star filled glass orbs used at end of video: https://tinyurl.com/tvy9uynw

Bulb pins I used to attach tassels to the pens: https://tinyurl.com/y9fm89uk

To add charms/tassels etc to the top of the pen using the right tools…use a tube bail bead and at least one O ring. Attach one tube bail bead to the pen with at least one O ring attached to the tube bail bead and then the bead or tassel attached to the o ring so it dangles.

Tube bail beads: I haven’t ordered these yet but I think the opening is large enough for pens. https://tinyurl.com/3x9ttxhe

O rings: 9 x 7 mm stainless steel: https://tinyurl.com/5e87vs2u

I used these beads I had in my stash on a couple of the pens normally used in Pandora bracelets: https://tinyurl.com/26k93y37

Small Button Notebooks, Three Ways, Great for Craft Fairs

I thought it would be fun to make tiny notebooks to carry in a purse. They turned out so cute!

Products you’ll need

Two 2″ wood decorated buttons: https://tinyurl.com/ycxeevj3 or two pieces of thicker cardboard cut to 2″ circle and a sharp object like an awl to poke holes for your button holes.

You’ll need four pieces of decorated cardstock to cover both sides of the cardboard pieces

2″ scallop circle punch or 2″ circle punch or 2″ circle die

Matching embroidery floss: 36 colors at Joanns full price $5.49 use coupons available, usually at least 40% so it would be less than $3 for the set. https://tinyurl.com/zwrzkp88

Tacky Glue: https://tinyurl.com/yev5yzds You can also get a smaller bottle at Dollar Tree…use any kind of glue that dries clear.

Decorative paper scraps

Three options:

1. Using two 2″ decorated wood buttons

2. Using two 2″ plain wood buttons and covering them with decorative paper

3. Use thicker cardboard cut into two 2″ circles then using a sharp object like an awl, poking holes for the button holes.

Directions for all three options: These are the same for all three options. Take a piece of cardstock, (you could also use copy paper,) and punch as many 2″ scallop circles as possible out of one piece of paper.

Alternatives: Use a 2″ circle punch or a 2″ circle or scallop circle die. The circles fit inside the buttons better as you can’t see the edges like you can with the scallop circle. Next, take your glue and put a drop on two side by side scallops near the edge and then lay another scallop circle on top, making sure to line them up perfectly with the one beneath. Make sure your glue is always on the same two scallops so the paper pad is glued on one side only. If you use circles, make a 2″ circle template where you make a pencil mark where you want two spots of glue about 1/8″ from each other then line up the first circle beside your template and put the spots of glue where your marks are on your template, then lay your first circle with glue so it is facing the same direction as your template and continue gluing two spots and laying the circles directly on top of each other until all are glued together. Once you’ve glued them all together, put a clothespin on the glue spot to make sure they are well adhered then let them dry.

Option 1, cut out two 2″ pieces of decorator paper

Option 2 and 3 cut out four 2″ pieces of decorator paper. Glue decorator paper to one side of both of your buttons.

Option 3: Once the glue is dry, use an awl and poke two holes near the center of the button where you’d normally find button holes. All three options: Take about 10″ of embroidery floss using all strands and starting on the underside (where there’s no decorator paper on option 2 & 3) and either side of option 1 and pull the thread up through the underside then down through the other hole, then back up through the first hole, and down through the second…do this at least one more time or until the thread is thick enough for your taste. (While doing this process, hold the one end of the floss tight so you don’t end up entangling your floss strands.) Then double knot the floss on the underside and cut off one length to about 1/4″ and put glue all over that side of the button and pulling the other floss straight, glue decorator paper over that side. Use clothespins to hold the paper in place until it’s dry. Take your other button and repeat the process above with the embroidery floss and gluing the decorative paper over the floss making sure to pull your floss tight. Clothespin the edges to make sure the paper stays in place.

I put some glue between my fingers and run it the length of the floss to keep all of the strands together.

Take one of your buttons and put glue on the top and bottom of your stack of cardstock in the same spot as where you glued them originally then lay the button on top of the pile with the floss strands opposite from the glue spots. Take your other button and lay it the reverse side of the first button and again making sure the floss is in the same spot as the first button. Use clothespins to hold it together until the glue has dried.