Saturday, April 13, 2013

Coffee filter carnation pen




If you work in an office or a business where people are using pens sometime the pens just seem to walk away, and you never have a pen when you need one.  So it’s fun to have decorative pens in a flowerpot filled with beans or rice.  It brightens up the space and they stick around a bit longer.  This project cost practically nothing.  I bought both the coffee filters and a pack of pens for a around a dollar each!  Add some floral tape and acrylic paint and you can make a whole bouquet of cute carnation pens.

You will need:

Stick pen for each carnation

Coffee filters

Roll of green floral tape

Transparent tape

Paper plates

Acrylic paint in desired color (I used red and burgundy)

Small paintbrush

Scissors

1.     Fold the coffee filter in half and cut along the pleat lines towards the center just to the fold line that marks the edge of the pleats.  Repeat this all around.  Repeat this step with two more coffee filters for a total of three





2.     Using the scissors round out the tips of each petal on all three coffee filters.


3.     Open the filters up and mark the center and cut out a small opening in the center of each prepared filter. (This will be where you insert the pen top)




4.     Layer all three filters together and insert the pen top into the holes you made.  Using your fingers, gather together on the pen top.  Use some transparent tape to attach the base to the pen making sure you attach some tape to the pen itself.  It is ok if you add a generous amount of tape here since carnations have a thickness at the base.








5.     Cut a piece of green floral tape and begin wrapping around starting from the top and working down the pen.  Stop just before the pointed tip.  Floral tape sticks to itself and it helps if you press on the tape with your fingers.




6.     Color the carnation.  Add a tiny bit of water to a paper plate. In another section of the paper plate add your main color and thin some of it with the water.  Use the brush to add the thinned color to the flower.  You do not need much since the filter draws in the liquid.  After the color has dried a bit tap the tips only with the un-diluted acrylic paint.  Let dry.











21 comments:

  1. Aren't these pretty? Bellamine has been following your blog closely and will be using many of your ideas for her crafts classes at camp this summer.

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  2. Wow, these are so cute and a wonderful use for coffee filters. Love all the colors you used.
    Have a wonderful week,
    Bev
    @ Eclectic Red Barn

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  3. Very cute! Our secretary at work does this-it makes it so they aren't stolen as much LOL! It really works, too. Thanks for sharing at Pinworthy Projects.

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  4. These are GORGEOUS! They look more like expensice Peonies than carnations! I AM LOVING IT! Saw you on Huckleberry Love! Feel free to stop by cookandcraftmecrazy any time! Newest follower over here! I can't wait to see what else you have up your sleeve! xo-Brook

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  5. This is really sweet! I love this idea ;o)

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  6. What a great idea, fun, easy and cheap. Pinning.

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  7. These are so pretty and look simple enough to make. Thanks for linking up on the Whatever Wednesday Linky Party.

    Sandy
    Cherished Handmade Treasures

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  8. So pretty, you'd never guess they were once a plain old coffee filter!

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  9. These are really pretty! Love the way you got the paint to fade into the flower.

    ~Katie P @ Food, Wine, & Mod Podge

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  10. This is very creative and cute! I am a new follower from southern charm! I would love for you to stop by my blog and hopefully follow me back. Have a great day! Nicole!

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  11. What a creative idea! I never would have thought to use coffee filters! :)

    Thanks for sharing with us at Much Ado About Monday. We hope to see you back next week! :)

    ~Emily
    www.huckleberrylove.com

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  12. Those look amazing! Thanks for sharing at Monday Funday!

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  13. Gracias por compartir el tutorial! son preciosos, tengo que probar de hacerlos, preciosos blog!tienes unas ideas geniales
    un abrazo!

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  14. Hi Crystal

    You must know that we love your project. It is such a unique way to make these coffee flower carnations! You are our #1 featured craft of the week from the Crafty Showcase! Congrats. Here is your feature:

    http://bowdabrablog.com/2013/04/19/bowdabra-feature-friday-recycled-crafts/

    See you at the new showcase this weekend!

    Susie @Bowdabra

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  15. Beautiful........Thank you for sharing with the Clever Chicks Blog Hop this week; I hope you’ll join us again!


    Cheers,
    Kathy Shea Mormino

    The Chicken Chick

    http://www.The-Chicken-Chick.com


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  16. Thanks for stopping by and linking up one of your awesome projects! Stop by again this week and link up some more cool things!

    Have a great week!
    Susie@bowdabra
    http://bowdabrablog.com

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  17. Oh so fun!! I bet Gabrielle (my daughter) would beg me to make some if she saw these!

    Thanks sooo much for partying with me! Can’t wait to see what you link up at The DIY Dreamer… From Dream To Reality tomorrow evening!

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  18. They look so real - Amazing!
    Thanks so much for sharing this on Tutorial Thursdays Linky Party- I can't wait to see what you will be sharing this week.
    x
    Natalie
    www.marigoldsloft.blogspot.com

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  19. So easy! & one good way not to lose a pen while making it pretty! Thanks for linking up & sharing @ DearCreatives.com Inspiration Spotlight party! Hope to see you again soon!!

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  20. Wow I love this tutorial!! Maybe I won't loose as many pens if I make several of these, thank you for sharing! :)

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Thanks for your lovely comments!