The other thing is pink, shimmery and honestly a tiny bit addictive once you get going. This one is taken from an actual ZoeDIY tutorial, and I'm actually showing you how to make beaded pens as the tutorial did. Not a theory post, just one project, all the way through the pink and white round flower head that's stuck on top of the beaded pen.
Finished this one is a much softer more girly looking Christmas tree beaded pen. We still used the same calm patient steady hands but we created something that looks completely different. For the finished item you end up with a flat circular base consisting of a whole load of tiny pink crystals with a delicate chain of sparkling around the edge and 2 pink dyed flowers decorated at the front. That's the end result achieved. and more out then it began with, which is what makes DIY beaded pens so exciting.
Something to be honest about, because it's relevant. This is the clip of the work involved in making the piece. This ends once the flower section is made it doesn't document it being installed onto a pen so I won't fake that up; complete the flower section check it and then stop at the point where the video cuts out.
The must-have items for this pink flower beaded pen project:
The abbreviated story: a smooth round face, a bit of sticky tape, a mountain of pink glitter, some rhinestone chain, a couple of tiny flowers. Done. You can buy all the ingredients you need in our beadable pen project kit so you don't have to go around the house looking for something similar which isn't actually very good.
Quick project snapshot before we dig in:
- Name of the project: a pink flower. Description: it would be a flower topper for a beadable pen.
- Time: Fairly significant, 20 to 30 mins once your bits are in place.
Most important is the coverage. If your crystals are uneven the final piece will look unfinished even if the flowers are spaced correctly. So don't be mean with the sparkle layer all else is forgiven.
Lay it all out first. Just do it! Crystals in the tray, tape ready and unpeeled, the flowers to one side, chain nearby. It makes life easier to not have to fumble for scissors when you need to stick something fast (glue does not wait!). Apropos beginners, this is a step most forget but should not!
Materials and tools
Here is the kit I used in the video. I have linked each of the products individually so you can see the actual size and version I used before you order. Your generic tools in your kit are really just plain text.
| Material | ZoeDIY Product or Tool | Project Use |
|---|---|---|
| Clear round base | 32mm Clear Round Plate Base Bead (FS0650) | Flat clear disc on which everything is built up. |
| Sticky tape | Approx 30mm Round Double-Sided Nano Tape for Fancy Beads (FS19208) | one round sticky tape can be glued on any flat side of the base and hold crystal. |
| Pink crystals | 2mm Pink Crystal AB Sugar Diamonds for Sugar Beads & Beadable Pens (FS1115, H6-19-05 Pink) | Pressed on the tape to cover the surface. |
| Rhinestone chain | 2mm AB Rhinestone Chain for both Fancy Pens & Fancy Beads (FS0978, H6-24-06 AB) | The chain surrounds the outer edge of the base so creates a border. |
| Beadable pen | Light Blue Beadable Pen With Tube (FS4219, H12-09-04 Light Blue) | The pen that is pictured to the right of the completed decoration. |
| Flower decorations | Hand made Flower Decoration (FS1004 in pink color for this project) | 2 flowers, one on either side of the finished piece. |
| Hot glue gun | generic tool, not linked | To attach the flowers. |
| Scissors | generic tool, not linked | Used to cut chain to length. |
| Shallow tray | generic tool, not linked | holding the crystals while pressing into them. |
Quick note on the flowers. For now they were showing as white on the site. The pink one in this project was- dyed by us to look as such so don't take this as us promising a bought pink module. And I'll not show you the dying process of this one as it doesn't in the video. Which is the quid in why I get paid.
How can I produce this pink flower decorative piece?
7 steps, in this order. This is where the 'how to make pens with beads' finally becomes something you hold in your hands. Read all of it once before starting, then proceed slowly through the first 2 steps.
Step 1 - Apply the round nano tape
Take one round bit of double sided nano tape and peel off the backing. adhering one flat side of the clear round plate base bead to the flat side of the tape. flat. flat. flat. all. That's right. If it is not flat too, but not 100% flat, bubbled or tilted to the side, all the later crystals would be bored too. So just slightly push it from the edge of it with your fingertip.. Make sure the fingertip is clean and no glue (not have glue got on it and then trying to match the glue to the glue). As the tape was round and the base was round therefore it didn't need to trim, that was specifically designed for this purpose. So a simple start. Well.
Step 2 - Cover the surface with Sugar Diamonds
Scatter the pink sugar diamonds into a shallow dish. Press the sticky side of the base down into them as firmly as you can, to make sure the sugar crystals adhere to the entire underside of the base. Be gentle! The pressure should be flat, not stabbing (I tried stabbing and half the sugar crystals wound up on the carpet instead - and 2mm sugar crystals in a beige carpet are barely retrievable, ask me how I know!) A shallow dish is helpful because the crystals will make a puddle rather than scattering all over the place.
Step 3 - Check the surface coverage of the crystal
Again, take off the base from the tray and really examine. If there are any bald patches in the adhesive press a free crystal into it by hand. The fiddly bit, and it's well worth it. A base 9/10 covered still looks undercooked, (that one awkward hole is the first thing you notice), fill in the spaces now whilst the tape is tacky and grabby, as it soon becomes less so once it has been handled. Totally worth every second. I agree.
Step 4 - Decorate the outer edge
Take the 2mm rhinestone chain and lay along the perimeter of the round base. Measure around the outside of the base with the chain and cut to size. Place around the outside of the round base so it appears to be framing your crystals. No joke it is the 2mm chain that makes a 'homemade' disc look like it came out of the shop! Cut slightly longer than required (it's a big mistake to do a shortened chain because it's not easy to undo!). A gap where the two ends meet is the one thing everyone will see on a homemade design! Measure twice. Cut once!
Step 5 - Affix the first flower
Scorch hot glue gun, then squeeze out a small dab of hot glue and smack a small amount at center of bottom of decorated base. Smoothly, singly slap a pink dyed sprig up against it, eye-balling it while the glue sets. (This takes two, three seconds at the most. blink, it's done already). (Hot glue wads up really fast so squeeze it out quickly.)
Step 6 - apply the second flower
Turn the base over. Again put the small blob of glue a little way in from the edge of the flower and then attach the second pink flower to the back of the base. There will be two flowers on the piece, but one on each side, so if the piece is worn with either side showing it will still look fine. As close as you can get it to the other side if you have a ruler to do so - I certainly did not. Upturned. Dot. Press. All done for this one!
Step 7 - Complete the decorative piece
Finally, when the flowers are both stuck securely it is complete. The pink flower decoration is complete. Let it to time for a minute to settle before you start stirring it about. And here is the real limits again, because this is the question everyone ask next, the film presents the construction process but it does not show how to fix it onto the pen. The stage takes place off screen, so this article ends here.
Practical checks before you finish
Before you think it is done, see four things. Four practice on the client-side to spare you from starting all over again. Not a lengthy lecture, just a little list.
- Coverage: apply enough of the adhesive so that it covers all of the crystal surfaces with no bare patches.
- Placement around the body: sits flush against the margin of the structure, finished at the junction of the two margins, with no incision seen
- Focused on flowers: right and left side flowers are approximately center aligned.
- Glue: just apply the glue on the petals of the flower. Do not put the glue in between any of the crystals.
What I purposely won't mention: the duration of the gel and whether it is waterproof. I will not mention the durability of the finish after months of use in the video. This is simply not stated in the video, and I believe estimating a time period is guess work which is how most users find themselves diluting their supplies. Check the technical data sheet for the facts.
Been there done that another tip. My first ever pink, took shortcuts on the step coverage and the bald patch appeared at the elevation it was hit. Rebuilt the entire crystal layer again all over the shop. 20 minutes down the drain. So this testing is not OCD, these are the actual places where a rushed construction is keenly obvious. Take your time on step 2, step 3, rush everything else.
Related ZoeDIY materials
Were you interested in this project then the following would be the next places to visit (one of which you are already on so perhaps not be able to access the link). These links go to the real task rather than a plain list of keyword tags. Each link goes to the real material task.
Design-wise, at the sparkle layer the Sugar Diamonds and the Sugar Beads Crystal families are always good to browse when you require other crystal colors on the identical flat-base system (blue is icy, gold is snug, so the environments range a lot). For the disk itself and others in the group the Based Beads collection is just right for shapes and sizes. On the edging side of things, the rhinestone chain families are available in a variety of widths and surface finishes. Use for what is suitable for the task in hand and not what is tempting!
This is how I think of it now (tags for the parts): base (image). crystals (color). chain (frame). flowers (focal, base, color, frame, focal, in that order). Nail these four positions, and then mess with the other pieces however you want. That's all there is to DIY beaded pens. One technique, a hundred looks.
Frequently asked questions
what are the materials used up in this pink flower beaded pen project?
The core kit includes the following: the transparent round dish/plate as base, a round piece 2 sided nano tape, 2mm pink sugar diamonds, 2mm rhinestone chain, and 2 dyed pink flower decorations, a hot glue gun, a pair of scissors and an empty shallow tray from your drawer. The pen is the light blue beadable one. Everything are in the materials table over the top with the product numbers.
What is the point of setting a round double-sided nano tape on the transparent plate base?
It keeps those little crystals down flat without needing wet glue to really form a bump plus the perfect shape for me to get at without having to cut it. Nano tape is very sticky until you have lifted/pressed it many many times then it becomes not so sticky. Use the surface in one go rather than faffing with it so many times!
Can we get another Sugar Diamond color variation for this same design!
Definitely, the color is to do with the design, not vital! The video did show pink because I wanted the effect for a flower theme, but I will use the flat base method for whatever color of crystals you want. Simply an aesthetic choice, not a promise every color is available for all shapes and sizes, or will have the same effect. I think I'd pick my color and then find the right flowers!
Does the video show how the decoration is then glued onto the Pen?
No. Honestly. This video reaches the stage where decoration is built and both blossoms in place. It then cuts away. It does not reach the stage where the completed item is glued to the pen. That process has not been invented in this tutorial either. We make the topper and then skip the mounting because making up off-camera step's no good to anyone.
Where to go next
Here's how to make beaded pens with pink flower topper, at least the bit that arrived on film! To make your own, pick out the equally bright collection of beadable pen project supplies and choose bases, sugar diamonds, chain and pen bits as you please. Delivery time frames and options are shown on the Shipping Options page, and take a peek at the ZoeDIY FAQ if you have any general questions. Give the pink flower project a try and see how it turns out.
