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back to school: make a unique pen that everyone will love
All it takes is some imagination and a few simple household ingredients to make fun personalized pens – and to add excitement to back-to-school time! Ingredients: Step by step instructions: 2. Poke the point of the pen into modeling clay, right up to where the plastic wrap begins. Later you’ll use this as a base for standing up your pen later. 3. Mix together the salt, flour and water in a bowl. If the dough gets too sticky, sprinkle in a little flour, a little at a time, and mix it until it’s no longer sticky. But don't make it too dry or it will crack! 4. Lay a sheet or two of waxed paper on the counter where you’re working. 5. Take a handful of dough into your hands and flatten it a bit so you can roll it around the exposed part of the pen (the part covered in plastic wrap). Mold the dough into a carrot shape making the top the widest part. Roll the pen/dough on the waxed paper to make it smoother. Lay the pen onto the waxed paper – it’s ready for its personality details! 6. Use small pieces of salt dough to create your character’s eyes, nose and mouth. Simply roll small amounts of dough into circles or lines and press them on the body. If they don’t stick well, use a little dab of water where they join together. 7. Draw on details like eyelashes, eyebrows and freckles using a toothpick. 8. Add fun elements like feathers, yarn or pipe cleaners as hair. Add small beads and other found items as accessories. 9. Once your pen pal is decorated, carefully lift it from the waxed paper and place it on a cookie sheet (un-greased of course!) or cutting board and allow it to dry. NOTE: Leave the pens for an hour or two on the flat surface, then stand them up to completely dry. That way you won’t get a flat spot on the back of the pen. This is where the modeling clay in Step 2 comes in. 10. Learn to be patient! It’s going to take many hours – a night or two is best – for the salt dough to dry on its own. 11. When the dough is nice and dry, it’s time to add even more details, using acrylic craft paint. Paint one side at a time and allow each side to dry between touchups. Use a toothpick to paint little details. 12. Practice patience again: Let the paint dry! 13. Spray the painted surfaces with two coats of acrylic sealer, being sure to let it dry between coats. 14. Remove the pen from the modeling clay, clean off the tip, and be prepared to be the envy of the classroom!
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