Stem & Stylo

Project Overview

When I moved into my new room I had two problems, I didn’t have a place to put my pens, and I didn’t have enough plants. Luckily for me, I found an easy solution with just one design!

I used SOLIDWORKS to create 5 unique parts that come together in an assembly to create these potted pens. Tolerancing was crucial here so that the pieces of the assembly would fit snugly together without having to be assembled with excessive force.

To complete the look of the pen pot, I designed leaves that clip onto my pens. These leaves help to integrate my pens with the design and finish the potted plant look.

After finishing the design, I printed all of the parts in a Bambu Lab x1 Carbon printer out of PLA.

choosing leaf clips

I tested 2 different clip thicknesses for look and for feel. The smaller clip was 0.06 inch thick and the larger clip was 0.09 inches thick. I liked both the look and feel of the thicker clip more. It snapped onto the pen easier and felt sturdier once it was on.

I was pleased with the end results but there is always room for improvement. Next steps include designing a way for the leaves to fold up if someone puts the pen in their pocket, expanding the holes for an easier fit, and designing different kinds of plants to go in the pot. This project taught me that iterative testing and precise measurement are essential to creating designs that blend functionality with visual appeal.