It’s time to dust off those office supplies.  I’m sure you’ve thought of the basics like pens and highlighters, but have you stocked up on rubber bands yet? If you think they’re not one of the ‘essential’ items of the school year, check out what elastiCo, a textiles studio based in Brooklyn, NY did with them.

First, let’s give a nod to the elephant in the room – with a name like elastiCo, you know they are going to come up with something good to do with rubber bands.  And sure enough…

One kick-ass bowl...you could keep rubber bands in it

elastiCo was established by French designer Elodie Blanchard and while they often work with architecture firms and private companies to create installations, the designers spend their time in between commissions creating “limited editions of unique products and accessories propsing a new outlook on daily life and a humerous view of our society”.  Hence, the baskets and lighting fixtures made of rubber bands linked together.

Rubber band vases that kind of remind me of frienship bracelets

The bowls and lighting fixtures you can find from elastiCo are made of the same small, wide rubber bands but they manage to have both a quirky folksy aesthetic (the bowls) and an eerie beauty (the lamps) though both could be described as ‘lacy’.  Another option is the rubber band vase which is coated with a resin and is clearly the most colorful option. Check out the website to view better photos of these products.

So don’t forget the rubber bands.  And if you happen to have some cash left over, maybe you’d like to invest in the XXL Poodle – one really intense pillow.

-B.C.Bodnar

Check out more of our Back to School Chronicles: Paper and Pencils