Celestial Pen and Stand

Create a Celestial Pen and Stand from AMACO, using slice-and-bake clay.

Materials:

Covering Pen Steps:

Remove ink cartridge from pen with pliers.
Knead FIMO® Soft in your hands or fold and roll it through a pasta machine until it is soft and pliable.
Flatten a sheet of Black FIMO® Soft to 1/8" thick. Cut a strip 1" wide by the length of the pen plus 1/4". Place the pen along the edge and wrap clay around until it meets the other end. Smooth seam with fingers. Pinch clay over top of pen. Trim edge where pen cartridge is inserted.
Warm “Saturn” cane in hand or place under a lightbulb. Slice cane in half. Reduce one section to 1/4 of its original size by rolling each side equally with AMACO® PolyRoller™. Cut very thin slices of reduced cane and place over covered pen. Smooth slices down with PolyRoller™. Repeat these steps until the pen is completely covered to your liking.
Place on index card and bake in preheated oven at 265°F, 130°C for 30 minutes. Replace pen cartridge when completely cool.

Pen Stand Steps:

Using 3/4 package of Black FIMO® Soft, roll into a ball and flatten to 1/2" thick. Make thin slices of the larger cane from step 4 and press these around the outside of circle. Smooth seams with PolyRoller™. Roll a log of Black clay and wrap around bottom and top of base. Make a 1/2" ball of Black clay and place in center of base. Press pen down into the center of this ball at an angle. Wrap a log around area where pen meets the base if desired. Remove pen. Cut a slice of the “Saturn” cane and place on front of ball in center of base.
Slice two 1/8" thick sections of cane. Bend Fun Wire™ as desired and place slices on one end of each. Press remaining end of wire into each side of base.
Place on index card and bake at 265°F, 130°C for 30-45 minutes. When cool, place pen into base.
Other suitable pens include the Paper Mate® Flexgrip and the Pilot® Bettergrip pens.

Option: Substitute another Slice’n Bake™ cane and base color of your choice using these instructions as a guide.