Make a Flower Pot Pen Bouquet

What You Need:

• Plain 4” terracotta pot (without any dirt)
• Marbles or decorative pebbles to fill the pot to about 3/4" below the top rim
• Green florist's tape (smooth, mat plastic tape with sticky back, available at craft stores)
• Assorted silk flowers with stems
• Pack of 6 plain ball-point pens

What You Do:

1. Start with a plain ballpoint pen, and remove the cap. Choose a silk or plastic flower—or a small bunch of them—clipping the stems so that there is at least 3" left.
2. Lay the flower stems along the top of the pen (the end furthest from the ball point), so that they seem to “blossom” from it. Starting at the top of the pen, hold the stems in place and wind the florist tape around the pen again and again, to make one firm green “stalk.”
3. Repeat with several more pens, so that you have a pen “bouquet.”
4. Pour the decorative pebbles into your 4” pot, leaving about 3/4" space between the top of the pebbles and the rim of the pot. Now “plant” your pens in the pot, so that they stand up attractively. They'll make a fabulous desk decoration, or even a gift for a friend getting ready for a great school year too!