- 03
- Feb
Okay, here it is! These are so easy to make, and they are a great gift! I will let you in on where I get most of my supplies for this before I start the tutorial. The pens you can get a lot of places. Easiest is Walmart - a 2 pack is $1.06. You can get them at office supply stores in larger quantities and they are most likely cheaper that way.
The microbeads themselves you can also get a lot of places. I prefer one place for both my beads and my O’So sticky tape/sheets. I go to PennyWiseArts for all these items. Not only are they a great price there, but they are super nice and helpful too! I have been extremely please with the items I have gotten from them. For the pens I used 1/8 inch O’So sticky tape, 6 x 8 O’So Sticky Paper Backed Sheets, and Mini Micro Beads Clear - CB-1000. I could not recommend this store more, their products are the best, and they have the best prices too!
Beaded Pen Tutorial
Supplies:
Pentel R.S.V.P. ball point pen
O’so Sticky Sheets – piece cut to 2 ½ in x 3 3/8 inch
O’so Sticky Tape (or red liner tape)
Dazzling Diamonds Glitter
Bowl or Container long enough for a pen
Patterned paper (or Stamped paper) cut to 2 3/8 x 3 1/4 inches
Microbeads
Step 1:
Put red liner tape along both edges (lengthwise) of your patterned paper. The side you want to see on the pen should be facing down.
Step 2:
Removed one of the red strips and stick that part onto the barrel of the pen. Then wrap the paper around the pen very tightly. Remove the second red strip and adhere the end of the paper to the pen. Your paper should overlap slightly.
Step 3:
Remove one side of backing from your o’so sticky sheet. Very carefully (when it is stuck down, it is hard to move!) stick this onto your pen. I try to line it up on the opposite side of the patterned paper seam.
Step 4:
Very carefully, adhere the sticky sheet to the pen. When you reach the first edge of sticky paper, start there and remove the other side of backing. The end of you sticky paper should overlap your beginning seam. If they do not over lap, or there is a gap – this is easily fixable. Just cut another strip 3 3/4 inches long and just wide enough to cover your gap. Then stick it on the pen over the gap. This won’t be noticeable when the pen is finished, but a gap would be!
Step 5:
Pour microbeads into container. Drop sticky pen into beads and roll around to completely cover sticky paper.
Step 6:
Hold bead covered pen over container and roll between your fingers. This helps to get any loose beads off the pen and also kind of “set” the beads into the tape a bit more.
Step 7: (optional)
Hold beaded pen over container of glitter. Sprinkle glitter all over pen as you roll it around in your fingers. You want to really coat the pen with the glitter. Then tap it off several times (or thump one end with your other hand) to shake off excess glitter. I like the glitter because it fills any tiny gaps left from beads. Plus it just makes it sparklier!
That’s it! You’ve got a gorgeous, sparkly, beaded pen!
I made a few more just to show off different papers. In my experience, the darker designs or inks will look better with the beads on top. Lighter ones tends to get a little washed out by the beads. Have fun with it!
**ETA** I was asked how many pens you can get from one container of beads. I purchased a 5 oz bag at least a year ago. I still have over half of it left. I have made at least 30 pens so far as well as a few other projects. A little goes a long way with microbeads. And no, the beads do not fall off when the pen is used. I have some that are two years old and the beads are still on there!
February 3rd, 2007 at 12:29 pm
Turned out great Em! I might need to do these for an upcoming class…thanks for sharing!
msdetloff
February 3rd, 2007 at 12:41 pm
great tutorial! how many pens can u make from one container of beads?
February 3rd, 2007 at 12:45 pm
reat tutorial!! Thanks!
February 3rd, 2007 at 12:49 pm
Wow, they look so pretty! But won’t the beads fall off when the pens are used/handled? I’ll try to find some sticky tape here, and see if I can do that!
February 3rd, 2007 at 6:41 pm
Emily…Thank you sooo much for your clearly presented and lovely tutorials!
February 4th, 2007 at 10:07 am
Thank you, thank you, thank you! I’ve been wanting to learn how to make these for a long time. I’m such a visual person, so your pictures were very helpful!
February 4th, 2007 at 10:57 am
Thank you for the great tutorial AND thank you for letting us know where to get the supplies.
Love your work.
February 4th, 2007 at 6:19 pm
Emily, your pens are beautiful and your tutorial is very easy to follow. Great job!
February 5th, 2007 at 11:33 am
thanks for the tutorial - you make it seem so easy!! i would like to try these; a great way to spruce up a regular ‘ole pen!!
i enjoy your blog - keep up the great work!!
_Beth
February 5th, 2007 at 10:01 pm
Thank you so much, I love you blog!! You are awesome. Thanks,Katie
February 11th, 2007 at 10:00 pm
Thank you for making the tutorial. I have al of the things that I need to make these beautiful pens but have felt a bit unclear as to how to make them. I now feel that I can. Thanks again.
Mary
May 6th, 2007 at 6:07 pm
[...] used the last little bits of paper on these pens. There is a tutorial on the beaded pens here. I am using most of this for the Teacher Appreciation gifts for the boys this [...]
September 10th, 2007 at 12:04 pm
Emily, I was so excited to make this over the weekend! It turned out great. I posted a couple of my pens on my blog. I do have a question though…the length of the patterned paper on the tutorial is 3 1/8″. When I cut the paper that way, it didn’t run the entire length of the pen (see the picture on my blog). So, on the 2nd one, I cut it to 3 1/4″ which was perfect. I used the same RSVP pens you did. I kept the length of the O’So Sticky sheet at 3 1/4″ which matched the length of the patterned paper. Maybe I’m the only one who encountered this problem?
September 14th, 2007 at 1:34 am
i really like the set very nice, i would like to know where to get the micro beeds?………… thank you
October 19th, 2007 at 3:49 am
[...] Beaded Pen tutorial [...]
November 24th, 2007 at 4:20 am
thanks toots, i am going to make some this weekend. right now i am in bed, cause I’m not feelin so hot, but i am planning to get all my teacher gifts done this weekend. se ya soon. jenn
December 9th, 2007 at 4:25 pm
[...] beaded pens [...]
December 10th, 2007 at 9:24 pm
cool
December 11th, 2007 at 3:11 am
I just tried to make one. I bought the 11/0 Seed Bead Crystals from Hobby Lobby. I don’t think they work as well as yours probably do so I went ahead and ordered some from Penny Wise. I can’t wait to get them and the O’so Sticky paper. I had also bought some sticky tape that Provo craft makes. It worked but it was only 1/2″ wide so it was a lot of cutting. I will wait until my order arrives to make any more. Thank you for the guidelines on how to do them.
December 28th, 2007 at 1:18 pm
Emily - I love your tutorial. Thanks for all you share. I have loved your projects through the year. I am looking to find where you purchase the micro beads. If it is penny wise - what is their website? Thanks so much for all your creativity - and for sharing it with us.
Annette
February 24th, 2008 at 10:30 pm
Thank you so much for the tutorial! Your directions were very clear and easy to follow! My pens turned out beautiful!
March 5th, 2008 at 3:39 pm
[...] supplies: rsvp pen, Shabby Princess for Bo Bunny paper; micro beads, sticky strip, Dazzling Diamonds glitter; and oh so sticky paper. <pen tutorial here> [...]
May 8th, 2008 at 3:45 am
Loved the tutorial, Emily. One question tho: Does the glitter get all over your hands when using it. My hands tend to sweat when writing for a long time, and then I go and touch my face. Do you ever have that problem? I would be afraid that I didn’t get all the loose glitter off. Thanx in advance!
June 10th, 2008 at 10:53 pm
[...] Beaded Pens [...]