Organic Crafts
Earth-Friendly Art and Environmental Friendly Activities

Pen Garden
Wondering what to do with all those used up pens, highlighters and mechanical pencils? Don’t throw them in landfills, save them and turn them into a colorful Pen Garden.

Materials

Newspapers
Shoe box
Craft paint
Paint brush
Dozens of used pens, highlighters and mechanical pencils
Handful of used bottle caps or buttons
White glue
Two plastic containers about the size of a dairy whip container or half of a plastic milk jug
Six cups potting soil
Two packets of seeds
1 cup of water

1. Place your newspapers on your work surface to protect it.
2. Place shoe box in center and using brush and paint cover all sides of box with colorful designs.
3. Let dry.
4. With glue, cover the painted surface with dried and used up pens, highlighters, pencils, buttons and/or bottle caps, in any design you choose. Put aside two pens with their caps for later use. Be creative with your designs and have fun!
5. Let dry.
6. While box is drying fill both plastic containers with potting soil and some of the seeds and water until moist.
7. Place plants inside of dried Pen Garden box.
8. Next identify your plants with a plant marker. Take the two pens that were set aside, put the caps on tightly and place them into each potted plant. Tuck the seed packets into the clip on the pen lid so you will remember what kind of plant will grow in your Pen Garden!