Time to meet another talented Mayku maker to learn how they use desktop vacuum forming for their craft business. Based in Asturias, Spain - Eleven People was founded by Nicolás and Carlos in 2019. The brand began with making and selling vegan friendly, soy wax candles cast into brown glass jars. Within just a few months, their craft business had rapidly accelerated into offering Jesmonite homewares and other fragrance formats.
After 10 years spent working in retail, Carlos and Nicolás were looking for a lifestyle change. They wanted to create their own artisan business that would allow them to spend more quality time with their friends and family. The pair were excited by the opportunity to create a brand entirely of their own that they could run from home or a small studio. Having built up years of candle making experience creating personal gifts, it was time to bring their design ideas to the wider World!
Vacuum forming as an alternative to custom silicone molds
Initially, Eleven People worked with only jars and silicone molds for the collection. Investing in a Mayku FormBox allowed the team to test new ideas and create new shapes in no time at all. This meant that they could release best-selling soy wax products such as their solid room atomisers in new sizes and shapes at a cost of just £1 per mold. The FormBox also led to Eleven People adding Jesmonite homewares designs to their collection, increasing their potential profit and reach.
Eleven People create custom plinths for their glass bell jar designs using Mayku made molds and Jesmonite terrazzo. Creating a stunning co-ordinating homewares design that beautifully sits alongside their candles and home fragrances. Being able to design the plinth in their studio to the exact size and thickness required to suit the sourced glassware was made far simpler and more accessible than other options by using the FormBox.
“Although buying the FormBox was an investment for us, you start to save money from the first mold that you duplicate” - Eleven People
How to save your craft business time and money with the FormBox
A single custom silicone mold can cost anywhere from £5-60+ each depending on the shape and size. It made good business sense for Eleven People to be able to switch some of their designs to molds costing only £1 each, whilst also creating a faster way to make multiple molds. This meant that the team could accept larger orders, including new wholesalers and fulfill them without waiting for any external providers and reducing the need to make lots of messy silicone molds.
“The FormBox helps us so much. It helped us be able to say yes to bigger projects and stockist orders.” - Eleven People
Whilst silicone molds remain useful for certain shapes and casting materials, the FormBox allows Eleven People to test any concept or new shape quickly. A custom silicone mold takes up to 24 hours to fully cure, whereas a FormBox custom mold is instantly ready to work with and can be created in less than 10 minutes. In less than 15 minutes you can have a whole production line of molds instantly ready to cast into. The time and cost saving of the FormBox for small to medium batch production are something to shout about.
Increase your production yield with a desktop vacuum forming workflow
What’s next for Nicolás and Carlos? They’re starting to plan how they can use the FormBox to create elements for DIY kits and crafting workshops in their local area. The portable, easy to use nature of our desktop vacuum former means that making duplicate molds for education or kits becomes much more accessible. They’ll also be making a cost saving versus silicone molds (the other option) a saving which they can then pass on to their customers. Eleven People are also planning on using the FormBox to create limited edition shapes for seasonal events, such as these Christmas tree decorations in Jesmonite created especially for Winter.
The benefits of vacuum forming for craft businesses
The FormBox, desktop vacuum former is a great investment for anyone needing to make multiple custom molds regularly. Whether that’s for prototyping before committing to another manufacturing process or for hand making the final products yourself. Here’s a few of the key benefits of desktop vacuum forming for craft businesses:
- No more waiting 24 hours for silicone molds to dry - a FormBox mold is ready to cast into immediately and is reusable
- Experiment with new designs and custom creations at just £1 per mold
- Create new business opportunities via selling molds, workshops or bespoke items at an affordable price point
- Increase your production quantity without waiting for external vendors
Want to learn more about Mayku and how we can help accelerate your business or making project? You can request to Speak to a Specialist at any time or follow us on social media @TeamMayku for further inspiration from our global community of creators.