Often wrongly attributed to Albert Einstein, the famous quote ‘Creativity is intelligence having fun’ can certainly be applied to some of the creative uses we have come across for cable ties!
When Maurus C Logan developed the zip tie, or cable tie, as an aid for aircraft workers back in the 1950s, we doubt he could have envisaged just how his humble piece of plastic would go on to be used in the following ways.
Would you sit in a chair made out of cable ties? We probably wouldn’t unless it was this stunning suspended chair! The ‘Sea Urchin’ chair by Dutch designers Oooms, takes advantage of the textural effect that can be created with cable ties in what has become an iconic piece of furniture.
Image credit: Oooms, Amsterdam
Of course, we have discussed how artists have transformed cable ties into art previously. Artists like Sui Park, a New York based Korean sculptor who weaves cable ties together to create the most incredible nature-inspired pieces, and Andi Regan, the New Zealand based English mixed media artist who has produced wearable items of clothing.
Image credit: Andi Regan
Image credit: Sui Park
However, while these may be beyond many of us, there are lots of other ways to express your creative side with cable ties, from simple projects like a cable tie phone rest to more ambitious home accessories like lampshades and even outdoor ornaments.
Cable tie phone rest
Cooking from a recipe that you have saved on your phone, or trying to follow an instructional video, can be awkward when you have to keep stopping to hold your phone. Just two cable ties will let you watch something hands-free! Simply wrap a cable tie round either end of the phone, with the heads facing down at the edge and you can prop the phone up easily.
Image Credit: familyhandyman.com
Entertaining children? a bottle of bubble mix but only one wand? Avoid arguments with this creative hack – form a loop small enough to fit into the container of bubble mix, at one end of a long cable tie and voilà, no more arguments and everyone gets a turn.
Cable tie weaving
Coloured cable ties are great to use in creative projects, adding a pop of colour wherever they are used. Multi-coloured wall hangings are a great way to improve dexterity and hand-eye coordination and make a great craft project for all ages. Simply create a frame from stiff card and string and weave coloured cable ties through the string. Detailed instructions can be found at The Art Annex.
Cable tie lampshades
Requiring perhaps a little more patience than a bubble wand, lampshades are really practical way to harness your cable tie creativity. Choose from a central pendant lampshade illuminated with a string of LED lights (instructions here), or a cute table lamp shade for a teenager that can be coordinated with any colour scheme, from Autodesk Instructables
Image credit – Instructables (69valentine)
Image credit – Mikeasaurus
One definition of creative is the ‘ability to create especially new and original things, that show or require imagination’. We’re sure you’ll agree that all these examples demonstrate just how creative you can be with a cable tie. If you are inspired to have a go yourself, check out the Uses and Applications section of our blog for more ideas and head over to our coloured nylon 6/6 cable ties, where you will find cable ties in 1000 packs, as well as a selection of fluorescent colours too.
For any other enquiries, call our sales team on 01623 412160 or send us an email to sales@cableties-online.co.uk
