Make Your Own Unique Holiday Gifts - Pen Turning

With everyone shopping at the same time during the holidays, it can be a challenge to find something that people haven’t already seen. And if you do dream up a great gift idea, it’s hard to settle for less than what you had imagined. Now woodworkers are dealing with this problem with an easy homemade gift that presents endless opportunities for customization -- turned pens.

“Pens make a wonderful personalized gift,” says Jim Carroll, long-time pen turner and product manager at Rockler Woodworking and Hardware. “They’re not hard to make and it’s easy to personalize your pen so it’s specific to the individual.”

With dozens of domestic and exotic wood species to choose from, plus a huge selection of acrylics, there is no shortage of options for custom tailoring. “There are pen blanks in every shade, and the selection is always changing,” says Carroll. “Turners have used our pink blanks for Breast Cancer Awareness, and we even get special editions with team colors for the Super Bowl.”

Recently, pen blanks have also become available in a variety of alternative materials. “Some of them are really interesting,” says Carroll. “We have blanks made from cereal grains, rice, spaghetti -- even corncobs, which look amazing once they’re done.”

But is pen turning difficult?

“No,” says Carroll. “You’ll need a little patience, sharp tools and the desire to create something unique. Beyond that, it’s really pretty easy. Beginners will be more comfortable with hard, natural woods like Maple and Walnut. They’re inexpensive, readily available, and are easiest to turn.”

Pen turning has become popular among beginning woodworkers because it requires very limited equipment: a mini-lathe with some attachments and a set of turning tools. It also requires very little space; a mini-lathe can tuck into a small corner, using roughly the space of a sewing machine.

According to Carroll, “Once you have the initial equipment, a turned pen is pretty inexpensive. The materials for a basic hardware kit and blank cost anywhere from $7 to $15, depending on what it’s made of.”

Information on pen turning is also readily available. Numerous online forums are dedicated to the subject. “Rockler offers free demonstrations to people who want to try it out,” says Carroll. “We hand out free instructional booklets from the stores and offer free pen turning videos online. We even have periodic ‘Turn-A-Gift’ promotions where customers can come into the store and turn a pen from start to finish for only the cost of the materials.”

If desired, a variety of accessories can really round out the gift. Pen cases are available, which make a nice presentation with just a small card -- no need for wrapping paper. If your recipient spends a lot of time at the office, the components for a full desk set: pen funnels, business card holders and paperclip holders, are all readily available.

For more ideas and information on pen turning, including a tutorial and videos, visit “How To” at www.rockler.com or call toll-free at (800) 279-4441.

Courtesy of ARA Content