Ideas on repurposing empty plastic pens

Mgood4aminute
by Mgood4aminute
I'm an avid writer puzzle solver and have gone through about a hundred or more empty gel pens. All same type and size. I thought about cutting into beads, maybe coloring but was hoping could use the whole pen of course without the empty ink and nub. Any suggestions on a project to use or who could use them? Beside throwing away or recycling them. Thank you for your time and efforts.
  6 answers
  • A long time ago, I saw that Bob Vila (used to be on This Old House) made a lamp shade with all the barrels of empty pens. Maybe you can do something artistic like a mobile?

  • Janet Pizaro Janet Pizaro on May 05, 2017

    A beaded curtain?

  • Mgood4aminute Mgood4aminute on May 05, 2017

    yes I had thought of that...maybe huh? thanks for your reply

  • Karen Klinck Karen Klinck on May 06, 2017

    KGive them to the local boys/girls clubs. They can put replacement gels in them so the kids have something to use for schoolwork. Doesn't matter what they look like on the outside looks like as long as the inside writes in blue or black. Alternatively, you could always use them as posts to hold up your houseplants. (?)

  • Jo Blin Jo Blin on Mar 25, 2019

    I'm thinking about painting them and fashioning into a wind chime.

  • Jo Blin Jo Blin on Mar 25, 2019

    Covered some with washi tape with intent to use horizontally as ring and bracelet holders. Still working on the sides. Thinking of an abbicus sort of arrangement.

    For the dried up ink tubes, I'm going to try chopping them up w scissors for a textured placement of color, the way one might use microbeads or for adding to a collage. Hopefully I can fish the plastic tube bits out. If not, might just use it f the texture and paint over it. Not sure if I should then cover it w a varnish of sorts or even clear nail polish.