Microbeaded Pens - an Easy Tutorial!

I was doing some spring cleaning yesterday and found a project that had sat untouched in a basket for far too long.  I realized it was a project that wouldn't take very long at all to complete either.

In days gone by, I was a Stampin Up! demonstrator, and this was a project that I often made during those days. It seemed like a good time to try it again.  These micro bead covered pens are so darling, and make the best gifts.

So, today I am going to show you how to make these lovely pens, and then later this week, I hope to show you how to make a cute notebook/journal to coordinate with it!  This would make a lovely project for Mother's Day, or for that special friend who likes to journal.

So let's get started!

First, gather your materials, which are simple and few.

RSVP Pentel pens (can purchase here)
Micro Beads of choice (can purchase here)
1/2" Adhesive Tape (can purchase here)
Scissors
Tray/box for mixing micro beads (this needs to be big enough to fit the pen inside)

There are two different kinds of adhesive tape available - Terrifically Tacky and Scor-Tape. They both can be used.  I have an older retired roll of Terrifically Tacky tape that is 1" wide.  I don't think they sell those anymore.  However, using a 1/2" wide adhesive tape will mean that on this pen barrel you will need about three strips 3-1/8" long each to cover the barrel with the tape.

The adhesive tape I have is 1" wide, and I needed another 1/4" strip of tape to completely cover the barrel.

Once the barrel is covered with the tape, remove the backing.  Do your best to not touch the tape, as you want as many beads to stick to the tape as possible.

Drop the pen into your container with your microbeads and roll and smoosh it around.

Once the barrel is completely covered with the beads, it will no longer be sticky.  Brush off any beads that have not stuck to the tape, and roll the pen in between your hands to "smoosh" the beads firmly onto the tape.

Voila!  Your microbead covered pen!  It can be fun to mix and match the colors up, and there is a wide assortment of colors of the microbeads available.

Just for fun, I decided to add some glitter to the project.  Because there are still fine spaces open between the beads, you can now roll the pen in some fine glitter to add that sparkly look to the pen. Again, the color choices are unlimited!  Creativity is unleashed here!  I used some turquoise glitter that I had in a container that was ready to "roll".

To make one pen, from start to finish takes all of 2 minutes!  These pens really have a "wow" factor and feel wonderful in your hands too!  When you buy the materials, you can make a LOT of these pens for just pennies.  These can be used as gifts.  Mother's Day is coming up.  They would make a lovely birthday gift, or just a gift to a special friend.  If you like simple, easy, and the wow factor too - these pens definitely fit the bill!

I made all these pens with the small amount of micro beads I had in my container, with a lot still left over.  Those microbeads go a long way, and can be used for other fun projects too!

Just out of curiosity, I added up the current cost of what it would take to make these pens:
Pens (pack of 12):   $6.16
Microbeads (2 packs for 2 color choices): $ 1.49 x2 = $2.98
Tape:  $7.09

Total: $16.23 (not including tax)   Making 12 pens would cost approximately $1.35 per pen.  You would have enough material to make a lot more pens than 12, or the materials left over can be used for other things.  A pretty sweet deal!

To make these pens extra special when you gift them, in a post coming soon, I will be detailing how you can make a matching journal to gift along with these pens.  Stay tuned!