Flower vases for minimalists

Test tubes are repurposed as vases

Author: Tero Kirjokivi, Helsinki

Online since: 05/05/2009, Number of visits: 503300

With the help of strong neodymium magnets, flowers can be staged in simple yet astonishing ways. The following applications show possible creative implementations.

Table of Contents

Flower vase for minimalists

As a little present for our business clients, I made some very simple magnetic flower vases. For this purpose, I acquired a whole bunch of small glass test-tubes (10 cm long, diameter 15 mm).

Then I glued two small gilded block magnets Q-10-04-1.2-G on the top and bottom of every tube. I used a special glass glue. Also, this glue needs to dry for several hours until the magnets stay in place for sure.

As a little help, I put more magnets of the same type on the inside of the tube. These magnets on the inside serve only the purpose of pressing the outer magnets against the glass and will be removed after the drying.

I presented each of my business clients with one completed "vase" and a nice flower. At home the clients can fill up the vase with water and stick it onto a magnetic surface like the refrigerator for instance.

Two test tubes with flowers attach to a metal cabinet, thanks to magnets

Alternative attachment
Note from the supermagnete team: We built this magnetic vase ourselves. Instead of block magnets, we used two gold-coated cube magnets 5 mm; one on the inside and the other on the outside of the vase. This way, the glass doesn't hit the metal surface, only the magnet does.

If you don't have to remove the vases, you could even skip gluing the magnets on. If you want to give them away as gifts, like Mr. Kirjokivi, the magnets should be glued on though.

Flower picture as an eye catcher

Addition from customer Christiane E. Bracher, Ostermundigen (Switzerland):

You can make such a beautiful flower picture yourself.

Materials needed:

a picture frame in the desired size
white fly screen gauze
narrow hook and loop strip
pins
small test tubes
pretty flowers and grasses
2 disc magnets 8 x 3 mm per test tube

Please note: You can also use twigs or dried flowers and grasses instead of fresh ones. You should not choose flowers with very heavy blossoms.

Instructions

Cut the fly screen gauze to the size of the picture frame.
Use the hook and loop strip and the pins to attach the gauze firmly to the back of the picture frame. Trim any excess gauze.
Place a disc magnet in every test tube.
Attach the test tube to the gauze with a second disc magnet (on the backside of the gauze) (see picture).
Place several test tubes next to each other on the bottom of the picture frame.
Using a spray bottle, fill the test tubes with water.
Arrange the flowers and grasses in the test tubes as desired.
Carefully hang the picture frame in a clearly visible spot and maybe even illuminate it with special lighting.

Blooming Fantasy

Addition from customer Christiane E. Bracher, Ostermundigen (Switzerland):

This beautiful room installation of upside-down roses was created using glass test tubes, sphere and right magnets hung with acrylic twine.

Inside the test tubes are small sphere magnets K-08-C. The ring magnets R-06-02-02-G are the counterparts outside tied to acrylic twine.

The flowers are placed in the tubes, which are filled with water and then sealed before everything is carefully hung up.

The "Arc of Roses" was made using small glass test tubes which are held to the iron arc using magnets. Here I used disc magnets 6 x 2 mm - the magnets were simply laid into the test tubes and then positioned on the iron arc. If you use larger glass tubes (filled with more water), you will need larger magnets as well.

This is a neat way to decorate iron railings.

Square wooden magnet vases

Addition from customer Kerstin Frajese, Düsseldorf (Germany):

In my webshop at Etsy I sell, among other things, wooden magnetic vases.

Each vase is one-of-a-kind due to its individual wood structure and blends well into any surrounding with its approximate measurements of 35mm x 35mm x 35mm.

These unique wooden cube vases are hand-made and offer room for 1 - 3 flowers or grasses. The idea came from the fact that my daughter always comes home with many little flowers that needed a nice and visible display: the fridge.

For each vase I use 2 disc magnets 8 x 5 mm with an adhesive force of 2 kg each. They are embedded in the wood and ensure that the vases including content stay securely on the fridge.

Articles used

Q-10-05-1.2-G

Block magnet 10 x 5 x 1,2 mm, holds approx. 800 g, neodymium, N50, gold-plated

	20 pcs.	0,40 EUR ea.*
from	60 pcs.	0,35 EUR ea.*
from	140 pcs.	0,31 EUR ea.*
from	360 pcs.	0,27 EUR ea.*
Ask for a rebate from 1 100 pcs.

Available: 175 960 pcs.

W-05-G

Cube magnet 5 mm, holds approx. 1,1 kg, neodymium, N42, gold-plated

	10 pcs.	0,54 EUR ea.*
from	40 pcs.	0,44 EUR ea.*
from	80 pcs.	0,41 EUR ea.*
from	160 pcs.	0,37 EUR ea.*
Ask for a rebate from 850 pcs.

Available: 25 090 pcs.

S-08-03-E

Disc magnet Ø 8 mm, height 3 mm, holds approx. 1,5 kg, neodymium, N45, epoxy coating

	10 pcs.	0,53 EUR ea.*
from	40 pcs.	0,44 EUR ea.*
from	80 pcs.	0,40 EUR ea.*
from	160 pcs.	0,37 EUR ea.*
Ask for a rebate from 900 pcs.

Available: 94 780 pcs.

S-08-05-N

Disc magnet Ø 8 mm, height 5 mm, holds approx. 2 kg, neodymium, N45, nickel-plated

	10 pcs.	0,67 EUR ea.*
from	40 pcs.	0,55 EUR ea.*
from	80 pcs.	0,51 EUR ea.*
from	160 pcs.	0,47 EUR ea.*
Ask for a rebate from 800 pcs.

Available: 59 640 pcs.

K-08-C

Sphere magnet Ø 8 mm, holds approx. 850 g, neodymium, N38, chrome-plated

	10 pcs.	0,97 EUR ea.*
from	40 pcs.	0,83 EUR ea.*
from	80 pcs.	0,77 EUR ea.*
from	160 pcs.	0,72 EUR ea.*
Ask for a rebate from 800 pcs.

Available: 2 840 pcs.

R-06-02-02-G

Ring magnet Ø 6/2 mm, height 2 mm, holds approx. 760 g, neodymium, N45, gold-plated

	10 pcs.	0,41 EUR ea.*
from	40 pcs.	0,34 EUR ea.*
from	80 pcs.	0,31 EUR ea.*
from	160 pcs.	0,28 EUR ea.*
Ask for a rebate from 1 100 pcs.

Available: 1 400 pcs.

Test tube

for decoration purposes, not heat or fire resistant!

1 pc. 1,53 EUR ea.*

Available: 5 pcs.

S-06-02-G

Disc magnet Ø 6 mm, height 2 mm, holds approx. 740 g, neodymium, N45, gold-plated

	10 pcs.	0,40 EUR ea.*
from	40 pcs.	0,32 EUR ea.*
from	80 pcs.	0,29 EUR ea.*
from	160 pcs.	0,27 EUR ea.*
Ask for a rebate from 1 100 pcs.

Available: 16 070 pcs.

S-06-02-N

Disc magnet Ø 6 mm, height 2 mm, holds approx. 740 g, neodymium, N45, nickel-plated

	10 pcs.	0,37 EUR ea.*
from	40 pcs.	0,30 EUR ea.*
from	80 pcs.	0,27 EUR ea.*
from	160 pcs.	0,24 EUR ea.*
Ask for a rebate from 1 000 pcs.

Available: 244 150 pcs.

S-08-03-G

Disc magnet Ø 8 mm, height 3 mm, holds approx. 1,3 kg, neodymium, N40, gold-plated

	10 pcs.	0,59 EUR ea.*
from	40 pcs.	0,50 EUR ea.*
from	80 pcs.	0,45 EUR ea.*
from	160 pcs.	0,42 EUR ea.*
Ask for a rebate from 950 pcs.

Available: 13 590 pcs.

S-08-03-N

Disc magnet Ø 8 mm, height 3 mm, holds approx. 1,5 kg, neodymium, N45, nickel-plated

	10 pcs.	0,54 EUR ea.*
from	40 pcs.	0,45 EUR ea.*
from	80 pcs.	0,41 EUR ea.*
from	160 pcs.	0,38 EUR ea.*
Ask for a rebate from 900 pcs.

Available: 91 510 pcs.

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