Do you find yourself justifying keeping those little bitty strips of paper that you trim off?  No need!  You can turn those scraps into something really cool.  Thanks to a demo from my friend, and long ago Stampin’ Up demonstrator, Judy, I have been using my scraps to transform regular pens into fabulous pens for years.  Here’s how!

I use the Pentel R.S.V.P. pen because it has a clear barrel, and the top end unscrews.  This pen is also refillable, so you can just keep using it.  Maybe changing the interior design to match the seasons, or your bullet journal (yep, still eye ball deep in bujo world).

You will need a strip of patterned paper that is 3.5 inches long by .5 to .75 inches wide.  I’m using .75″ because that is the smallest width my cutter can handle.  I sometimes shave a little bit more off, if it feels too thick once you get to the next step.

After your paper is the correct size, roll it around a pencil to make it flexible.  We want this paper to look like a tube.   You will then want to roll it tightly around the ink part of the pen to make sure it will fit inside the barrel.

You will then slip the rolled paper into the barrel of the pen.  Like you’re on a deserted island and you are putting a rescue me (or send pizza) note into a bottle.  Then screw the end back on and voila — fancy pen, and one less piece of scrap paper littering your desk.

I am making a bunch of these suckers to sell at my upcoming fairs.  They make a great gift when paired with a little notebook or post-it note cozy.  Go ahead, make a few!