Planning an elegant party, shower, wedding, or special night with a great group of friends? Yes, we’ve all seen the fake, yet cute, flower pens. Why not freshen-up the idea? Although these pens will only last a day without water, they’ll be something that your guest will find unique, simple, and something that they’ll never forget.  They’re perfect for a wedding guestbook (I would use something more permanent than a pencil), or at a wedding/baby shower for writing utensils during the games, or at a simple party where you want to add a special little touch.  Whatever you use it for, make it simple, beautiful and most of all, your own.

directions

Simply cut your desired flower to ½ or ¾ the length of your pen/pencil. Then cut a generous amount of your ribbon/ribbons that you’d like to wrap around the writing device (I used a green and white thin ribbon on some flowers, and a thin white and paper raffia on the others). Next, simply tie the ribbons in a tight knot and wrap one side after the other into a tight wrap, followed by a knot or bow to finish off. From here, place into your favorite vase, penholder, or decorative piece (I used a simple vase filled with dried lavender to hold the pencils/pens in place). Now you’ve successfully created a simple, elegant, and beautiful arrangement with functional writing utensils.

supplies

flowers (I found mine at my local flower supply store. I’d recommend Trader Joe’sor your local florist as well).

ribbon (you can find at any craft supply store. I got mine at Michaels)

simple vase or mason jar (I would suggest the simpler the better. My vase I got at my local flower supply store for $4.95 but you could also use a mason jar for under $2.00)

filler for the vase (I used dried lavender which I found for $5.95 for 1lb at my localflower supply store. You can also use rocks, pennys, bolts, corks, or whatever matches the theme of the party/event.)

Are you planning, or helping plan, a small wedding without a wedding party or ring bearer? Here’s a simple idea incorporating the wedding bouquet and rings.

First, strip the leaves and thorns off each rose stem so you have a nice smooth clean bouquet. Then take the Jute Ribbon and wrap it around your bouquet about 3-5 times making sure it’s tight. Fold the last edge over about 1 centimeter so you have a clean crease, and then wrap the Raw Silk Ribbon around the bouquet, just like the Jute, but this time about 8-10 times so you have a tight circumference. Next, fold the end of the Raw Silk Ribbon over slightly to make a nice crease and push your 6-10 pins all the way though (you may need more pins depending on how thick your bouquet is). My pins were longer than the diameter of the bouquet, so I had to use wire cutters to cut off the sharp ends sticking out the back. You can also cut the ends off prior to placing the pins in the bouquet. (FYI: make sure you do this in a place where you can easily find the sharp ends that you cut off. Mine went flying everywhere and took crawling on my hands and knees to find them!) Once your pins are in, cut the ends of the stems so they’re a nice even length. Then, lastly, tie a thin white ribbon in the middle of your bouquet into a tight knot, leaving about 3-4 inches length leftover on each side. Take your rings, and slip the ribbon from one side through the rings and tie off in a tight bow. Make sure it’s a tight bow so your rings don’t get lost, and also not a knot so you can easily take them off at the appropriate time. There you have your beautiful wedding bouquet and ring holder. Good luck and enjoy!

supplies
– your desired flower
– jute ribbon (you usually can get at any fabric store. I got mine at Sequoia Floral)
– raw silk ribbon (you usually can get at any fabric store. I got mine at Sequoia Floral)
– round pearl pins (you can get at most fabric shops in the wedding/bridal section.
I found mine at Beverly’s Fabrics for 10 for $0.99)
– your special wedding rings