Cactus Pen DIY

This is a cool project to make and give as a gift- or to treat yourself! Within this cactus plant is a hidden pen to help you plan out your adventures. 

You only need a few basic supplies:

• air dry clay
• mini pen with cap
• mini pot
• paints and brushes
• toothpicks
• pea gravel or beans
• white glue

Let’s get going!

Here is a little video that will show you step-by-step! (Step outs follow.)

1. Remove clip from pen cap, if it has one.
2. Form clay round pen in a cactus shape. Get some ideas from books or the internet. Just make sure you don’t go below the cap line!
3. Make some extra cacti for the pot. Insert picks in the bottom. 
4. Fill the pot with beans or pea gravel. Place the pen cap, upside down, in the middle. 
5. Use air-dry clay to cover the fill material and hold the pen cap in place.
6. Add your cactus my pushing picks into the clay on top. Make sure the pen still fits in the cap! 
7. Set everything aside to dry overnight.
8. Since air-dry clay shrinks, add some white glue to hold everything together. 
9. While the glue dries, use the paint to add color to your cactus. 
10. Paint the base and pot, too! 
11. Let dry.

This is so much fun- and they make a great give for moms, dads, and even teachers!