Hand-Made Plastic Vases Look Like Elegant Blown Glass

Delana — Tue, 08 Apr 2014 21:00:34 +0000

If you’ve ever seen a glass blower at work, you know just how involved and complex the process can be. The results that it produces, however, are spectacular. The same things are true of Studio Ruben der Kinderen and these oddly beautiful blown plastic vases.

Dutch designer Ruben der Kinderen uses ordinary materials to make extraordinary functional art pieces. He starts with a plastic (PET) tube which he briefly warms and softens in a toaster oven. He then attaches a bicycle pump and fits the bottom of the tube into a base that will hold the finished vase.

The next step in the faux blown glass process is really fascinating to watch. His DIY home-brewed contraption holds the base steady as der Kinderen pumps air into the plastic tube. The plastic expands and takes shape in a way similar to that of blown glass. There’s a lamp kit in addition to the vase kit, and it might look even cooler:

When finished, these DIY vases look nearly as elegant as any designer glass vase. Der Kinderen was inspired to create the vases by the fact that most of us are unfamiliar with the manufacturing processes that go into making the objects we use every day. This project gives valuable insight into how a product comes to be a product. The unique vases can be purchased on Etsy.

“The BLOW lamps and vases are unique DIY products that simultaneously increase the understanding of production processes. The DIY kit uses the same material as PET bottles in a way that resembles glassblowing. With the automated process translated into a manual youngsters can easily create it themselves, at home or in the classroom, needing just an oven and an air pump.”

“People are rapidly losing knowledge of production processes. We often don’t even know how everyday objects are being manufactured. The PET bottle is a great example of such an object. How great would it be to translate the automated production into a manual one, allowing to create your own unique design while learning about these forgotten processes?”

“Our BLOW products allow for creating a relationship with the product. The DIY kit is used for teaching purposes, comes with an instruction video, and shows a nice insight into industrial production. The product was awarded with a special mention for the ‘Copper and the Home 2014’ competition by the Copper Alliance. It is hopefully the first part of a series of DIY products that give insight into production processes. The lamps and vases can also be bought via our contact form.”

The post Hand-Made Plastic Vases Look Like Elegant Blown Glass first appeared on Dornob.

DIY Plastic Vases Look Like Blown Glass | Designs & Ideas on Dornob - Feed

Hand-Made Plastic Vases Look Like Elegant Blown Glass