A Maricopa teen entrepreneur is turning handmade pens into a growing business. Julian Reyes, 15, owns Turns, Burns, and More, where he makes wooden pens that sell for $30 to $180, according to InMaricopa.
Reyes said his interest in pen-making began after he saw wooden pens at an art market. The seller later showed him how the process worked at his shop, and Reyes said that experience sparked his enthusiasm for the craft.
He now works from a set-up in his parents’ Homestead garage and can produce as many as 20 pens a week when he is in full production mode or filling market orders. When he does not have outstanding orders, he typically focuses on making one pen a week and sells them on Facebook and in person. He also recently launched Instagram and a website.
The process takes skill and patience, but Reyes said he has reduced the time needed to make a pen from about an hour to 20 minutes. He works with wood, resin and fordite, and plans to eventually make his own metal kits, along with adding cutting boards and bowls to his wood projects.
Reyes said his goal is not only to earn money, but also to donate time and money to shelters. He added that his only regret is not starting sooner. Before pens, he tried selling banana bread at age 8 and also spent time on other business ideas, including plumbing.
