Recycling Plastic Pens

You hate to throw those old plastic pens out. So you dismantle them and think, how to recycle those parts.

For crocheters, use the rubber grip on your crochet hook. The fine point pen grips work on smaller hooks, up to size I. (For the smallest hooks, a little masking tape on the hook will customize the fit.) The broad point pen grips will slide onto size J hooks and a little larger.

For knitters, wash the empty ink tubes and use two as knitting needles. They're 3 mm wide, about a US size 3.

For sewers and needleworkers, make an etui to carry in your purse. Empty the pen "guts" and use the case to carry a couple of threaded needles, a tapestry needle, and safety pins for emergencies. Decorate it with tape so you don't mistake it for a working pen.

For beaders, store your beads by size and color in separate tubes. Poke the pens into a thick slab of styrofoam as a base. They're organized and you can see what you've got.

Measure the pen you carry in your purse, and you can use it as a rough ruler.

By Janice C. from Kenosha Co., WI