How To: Pull the burning pen prank

And then there was light…on your pen. Have a little fun and with a little ingenuity and a couple of matchsticks you can liven up any afternoon by pranking your friends with this magically burning pen.

No one will ever ask to borrow your pen again after you pull this hair-raising hoax.

You Will Need

* A ballpoint pen with a cap
* Scissors
* Two matches and a match box
* An unwitting victim

Step 1: Dismantle pen

Dismantle the pen and remove and discard the ballpoint tip and the ink. Set aside the empty tube and cap.

Step 2: Cut match strip

Cut a small square from the strike pad on the matchbox and contour it inside the cap, strike side out.

Step 3: Cut matches

Cut the ends from the matches so they fit inside the tip of the pen tube, match heads facing out. Let them stick out about ¼- to ½-inch.

Step 4: Fill tube with water

Fill the tube with water before reassembling as a safety precaution. Replace the end with the matches in the tube and carefully replace the cap.

This gag won't harm your victim or cause a fire. The water inside will extinguish the fire almost immediately.

Step 5: Watch

Watch in amusement as your unwitting victim removes the cap, causing the matches to light and the pen tip to burst into flames.

French Baron Marcel Bich founded the BIC Company in 1945 after developing popular gravity-flow inks. In 1958, BIC introduced its pens to the American market.