Flower Pens
You'll never lose a pen with a flower attached to the end! Younger children can complete the store-bought flower version in a matter of minutes. Older children will find the ribbon rose version more challenging, but once they've learned to make ribbon flowers, they can use them for other projects (such as for jewelry, barrettes, and bookmarks). To find directions for the crazy quilt flower pot holding the ribbon flower pens, click here.
Easy Flower Pens
What You Will Need:
Stick Pens
Fake flowers from the craft store
Wire Cutters
Floral Tape
Using the wire cutters, trim the flower's stem down to 4 to 5 inches. Position the base of the flower bud on top of the stick pen's end. Holding the end of the floral tape in place, tightly wrap it around the flower stem and pen several times.
Without breaking the tape, wrap around the stem and the pen at the top end. Keep wrapping down the length of the pen, overlapping the floral tape as you go. The wax in the floral tape will soften from the warmth of your hands: the wax will harden afterwards to keep the flower pen together.
Ribbon Rose Flower Pens
What You Will Need:
Stick Pens
3/4" to 1" wide satin ribbon, approximately 20 incher of ribbon per flower. We found spools of ribbon in the discount bin of our local discount store.
Green 1/4" wide satin ribbon for the leaves
Scissors
Needle and thread
Floral tape
For each ribbon rose, cut approximately 20" length of the wide ribbon. For the leaves, cut a 5" length of the green ribbon. Cut the ends of the green ribbon at a sharp angle so that each end resembles tiny leaves.
Fold the center of the ribbon at a 45 degree angle .
Take the end of the ribbon that is hanging down and fold it up over the center fold.
Take the ribbon on the right hand side and fold it over the center.
Continue folding the ends over each other until each end has only a few inches left. Holding the last fold tightly between your fingers, release the other folds. The folds will loosen, but won't come completely undone as long as you hold the last fold.
Keeping the final fold firmly between your fingers, slowly pull the other ribbon end down between the final fold. The other folds will tighten up and form the "petals" of the ribbon rose.
Stop pulling the ribbon when you like how the rose looks. You can tighten the rose by twisting the center fold. If the rose isn't coming out the way you want, just release your hold and start again.
Make a stem by tightly wrapping one end of the ribbon around the other. Push a threaded needle through the stem, and wrap the thread around several times to tighten the stem. Push the needle through again and tie off the thread.
Tie a piece of green ribbon tightly around the base of the flower. If the leaves seem too long, trim them at a sharp angle. Trim off the ends of the rose colored ribbon. You can use the ends to make little rosebuds.
To make a rosebud, take the extra ribbon cut off from the rose. Pinch the center of the ribbon so that the ends fold at a 45 degree angle.
Fold down the ribbon's top edge partway and wrap it tightly around the center fold of ther rosebud."
When the rosebud has a nice shape, push a threaded needle through the base. Wrap the thread around several times to form a stem.
Tie a green ribbon around the base of the rosebud. If the leaves are too long, you can trim them at a sharp angle.
Position the base of the flower bud on top of the stick pen's end. Holding the end of the floral tape in place, tightly wrap it around the flower stem and pen several times.
Without breaking the tape, continue wrapping around the stem and the pen at the top end. Wrap the floral tape down an inch or so, then add a rosebud. Keep wrapping down the length of the pen, overlapping the floral tape as you go. The wax in the floral tape will soften from the warmth of your hands: the wax will harden afterwards to keep the flower pen together.
