Craft a Back-to-School Ink Pen Flower Arrangement
A flower bouquet made from ink pens is a perfect back-to-school gift.

By:
Melissa Caughey
Related To:
Flower Power Pens
Make this cute garden-themed bouquet for a teacher to start the school year off on a happy note.
Gather Your Supplies
You will need: 1 terra-cotta flower pot / 1 can chalkboard spray paint / 10 ink pens / 1 roll floral tape / 10 silk flower stems / dried beans / ribbon / a chalkboard paint pen / scissors / newspaper
Paint the Pot
In a well-ventilated area, lay down newspaper and spray-paint your flower pot with the chalkboard paint. Allow it to dry completely.
Trim the Stems
Trim the flower stems to at least half the length of the ink pen. Remove any excess leaves.
It's a Wrap
Place the ink pen under the base of the flower. Starting at the top of the ink pen, tightly wrap the pen and the floral stem with the floral tape until you reach the bottom of the pen. Trim the end.
Create the Bouquet
Repeat the wrapping process on all 10 pens.
Decorate the Flower Pot
Tie a ribbon around the top of the flower pot. Write the teacher's name or a back-to-school message with the chalkboard paint pen on the side of the flower pot. Let it dry. Add your choice of dried beans to the flower pot for "soil" (I used dried lentils; dried kidney beans work well too).
Arrange the Flowers
Add the flower ink pens to the terra-cotta pot filled with beans. The beans help the ink pens stay in place.
Flower Power
This bouquet is as functional as it is pretty. It will look great perched on the teacher's desk all year long and will give your child a little ego boost to know he or she helped create it!