Various 3D Printed Plant Accessories.
I always end up buying plants to replace the ones I’ve killed, and I’ve made it a habit to design a new pot each time as a way to practise and develop my design skills.
Plant pots can sometimes be quite technical, or even really impractical, yet look like something straight out of a designer store.
I’ve written small blurbs about each of my favourite designs below to guide you through the design process.
Spire
This design was one of my first attempts at embedding magnets into the 3D printing plastic during the printing process. The benefits of this method is that there are no seams, nor can you see the magnets making the whole end product appear far more premium in my opinion.
The design for this is very basic, yet sleek and timeless looking. Blending a smooth curved base with harsh angles of the cone and squared off handles give the piece a premium and understated look; all while having more functionality than the average hanging plant pot.
I always seem to flood my plants (don’t misread that), that are in hanging planters as it's often difficult to remove the plant to have them drain over the sink. So I set out to fix my issue with a detachable base drainage bowl that sticks in place with magnets.
This is a very simple idea and I’m surprised it's not the standard. The functionality doesn’t detract from the overall design so there are no sacrifices, only improvements.
The Cloister
This design was inspired by another project I was working on with Glastonbury Abbey at the time. The Abbey site was full of cloister designs from the 14th century, and I became rather fond of the archway shape and feel.
My design attempts to bridge the gap between 14th century iconic silhouettes and the modern era's passion for simplicity and understatement. While I do detest the modern strive to be as neutral in design as possible, I thought that this approach would be a fun idea, as these two times in history contrast one another perfectly. With a discrete saucer-style drip tray below, it allows for proper drainage of houseplants.
Featuring both a textured design and a ribbed zig-zag pattern, both were printed without supports and are ready to use straight off the printer.
Printed in matte PLA, these planters are eco-friendly, as the plastic is made from natural sugarcane and corn.
‘Blobel’
Sometimes my plants need a little extra height as they start to outgrow their pots, especially trailing plants like Ivy or Pothos. I needed to give my plants a little extra elevation; rather than stack my pots on a pile of books I promised to give back to my friend 3 years ago, I made something more boutique instead.
This design is geometric, modern, and contemporary, made up of 8 parts—all pin-fitted together with no glue and printable without support. It was a quick project and takes minimal fettling to make, making them perfect for last-minute plant care.
Featuring textured and smooth plastic surfaces, this design is certainly something that stands on its own, and is stable when it does so despite the top-heavy look.
Conduit
I would class this design more as a vase instead of a planter, but never mind. This design was just an idea that crossed my mind one day, so I had to get it on paper to clear out my head.
The principle behind this design is that once the flowers in the vase have perished, rather than picking the flowers up by their stems to dispose of them, you could just lift up the red collars, and it would take the flowers with them to keep your hands clean—all while looking extremely modern and unique.
Again, printed in PLA, though to make this vase watertight, a layer of resin was added to the inside to ensure no leaks and to make this a functional design. The two types of plastic textures here add depth to a signature silhouette, which in my opinion makes this a great piece of home décor and a good conversation starter, at the very least.