Hey there! So, I’m realizing just now as I’m writing this that I’ve been on a bit of a succulent / planter kick lately. I’ll link to those other posts at the bottom of this one. But here’s my latest. This succulent planter made with pens gives you a cute way to store pens on your desk or kitchen counter by disguising plain Jane ballpoints with faux succulents from the craft store. You’ve probably seen pens like these before, but they’re usually made with stems that are obviously artificial. I tried to make the fake-out a little more convincing by using artificial succulents that are pretty realistic-looking, and tucking them in a planter filled with rocks.
Here’s what you need:
Tools & Materials
- 3 to 5 faux succulents
- 3 to 5 run-of-the-mill ballpoint pens
- 1 small bag of craft river rocks
- planter (I chose one that was roughly the same height as the pens so the succulents wouldn’t stick up too high, making it look fake)
- electrical tape
- floral tape
- scissors
This craft will take you all of, like, 10 minutes to make. Which, as you know, is about the only kind I like to take on these days. One note about the type of succulents you choose, though. I found there were 2 kinds of stems. One consisted of a long thin piece of wire encased in plastic and wrapped with green paper. The other kind is hard plastic and the succulent can be popped off the top. The ones with bendable stems–the ones with wire–work a little better because you can tape the whole wire to the length of the pen, giving it more stability. The other kind works, too, though.
Steps
- Detach the succulent flower from the stem, revealing either a wire or a small plastic tip at its base.
- Take the cap off a pen and attach the succulent to the non-writing end of the pen with electrical tape, pulling the tape tightly so the flower doesn’t slip.
- Wrap the entire pen with floral tape.
- Fill the pot with river rocks and insert the pens
Voila! I love it when form meets function. Here are some similar posts you might like:

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