A short length of wooden molding works well--mine is about 24" long and was around $2 at Home Depot, as it sells by the foot and they'll cut the length you want. Picture a half round dowel (which was not available) on top of a quarter inch thick flat piece that extends about 1/4" wider than the half round, but of course it's all one piece. I figured I could cover it if necessary, but tried just the bare wood and it worked perfectly. No steam needed at this point: Just lay the seam along the stick, open the end with a finger or whatever, and run the iron down it. The seam falls open as you go. After that's done I usually press the whole block with steam. I no longer cringe at the need for opened seams! (My added bonus is my stick is just long enough to use as an extension of my finger when I want to reach over and turn my fan on or off and don't want to get up.)