AlReadyMade: Magnetic Bud Vase
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This bud's for you.
Posted by ReadyMade
Project by Sherif Shalaby; photo by James Sanders
Dear Al,
As an avid gardener, I have plenty of early blooms to cut and show off by this time of year. But I’ve grown tired of the garden-variety vases that fill my house. Have you seen the wall of flowers by Shigeru Uchida? They cost a fortune and yet look so easy to make! Despite my plant smarts, I’m a power-tool dummy. I’m writing to you for a more affordable alternative—one that even I can manage.
Chad Kemp
Boulder, CO
Dear Chad,
Lay down your shears and listen up, my friend. I have the perfect indoor solution for your outdoor blooms. Using test tubes instead of aluminum, I came up with an easy way to affix the vases to the wall, using just one power tool. (Don’t be afraid.) If you really can’t risk drilling into a wall, just skip the washers and attach the magnetic tubes to your refrigerator door. Grow wild!
AL
Skill Level
Very Easy
Active Time
Less than an hour
Cost
$
- Test tubes
- 1/2" NdFeB magnets (see tip)
- 1" fender washers
- #10 wood screws
- Flower stems
- Water
- Sugar
Materials
- Cotton cloth
- Glue gun
- Power drill
Tools
Wash, dry, and polish the test tubes.
Glue your magnets somewhere along the upper third of the test tubes and let dry.
Screw the fender washers into the wall in the desired pattern (a circle, a grid, whatever you like).
Fill the test tubes with water and a pinch of sugar, and insert your stems.
Attach the test tubes to the washers.
Replace the water every two days to keep your wall of flowers fresh.
