We will never tire of learning all about our wonderful Mayku Makers! Today we meet Anna and Tatiana, the owners and founders of London-based, Nata Concept Store.
Anna and Tatiana have been friends for over 15 years, they also live together. The pair share an interest in art and vintage style so it made sense for them to become business partners. Nata Concept Store was created in 2018, with a curation of vintage items that the Anna and Tatiana wanted to sell. The store included clothing and accessories handpicked by the duo as well as objects from other small businesses that complimented the Nata Concept Stores aesthetic. From there things grew and continue to develop.
Using the FormBox vacuum forming machine to create custom molds for candles and wax
In December 2019, Anna and Tatiana played with the idea of making custom candles and adding them to their inventory, as great upsell from their already popular vintage homewares. As art and creativity are the core ideologies of Nata, they didn’t want to sell the same candles you can find in any store - they wanted to combine their vintage aesthetic with handmade eco-friendly candles.
So, in an effort to find a way to create custom candle molds, they toyed with custom silicone molds and heard about the FormBox through an old university classmate. Anna then contacted the friend and got some more info, tips and tricks before deciding what to do. By the Summer of 2020, they had bought their own Mayku FormBox and vacuum forming custom candle molds has become a reality.
Luckily for the pair, the passion for design runs in the family, so with a little 3D design help from Anna’s Father, they were able to unlock unlimited creativity with the combination of a 3D printer and the Mayku FormBox.This workflow saves the pair time and money compared to other custom molding methods. The FormBox also allows for fast prototyping, so Team Nata can test an idea before committing any further time or materials to it.
Nata’s next plan is to try and go one step further with their mold making by creating two-part molds, so that they can delivery more complex shapes without the need for relying on custom silicone molds. Anna and Tatiana have been learning as they go, discovering which shapes work with the FormBox and which break all the rules of vacuum forming! If you want to learn the basics of vacuum forming, check out this article on our blog.
How Nata Concept Store are creating a sustainable, eco-friendly handmade business
Anna and Tatiana take pride in creating a small business that is also sustainable and eco-friendly. They use soy wax, non-toxic dyes and natural essential oils in all of their candles. Naturally, the eco vibe compliments the circular economy focus of their vintage fashion and homewares too.
In addition to being conscious with their product design, Nata Concept Stores ship their products in reused, recycled and recyclable packaging. This ethos is also reflected in the tools Anna and Tati use for Nata Concept Store, not only are the vacuum formed molds reusable multiple times but our thermoforming sheets themselves are also made from recycled plastic and are fully recyclable.
FormBox molds are used to create lots of the smaller candle designs stocked at Anna and Tati’s store but they’re also used as part of their candle kits - their most profitable way of using the FormBox for their business and a great way for their customers to try out a new craft without a big commitment.
With the custom FormBox made molds costing from only £1 each, it makes for a great profit margin on DIY kits and workshops, as well as flexibility for supply chain and product development. Simply make what you need, as needed with no minimum order quantity or big set-up cost.
Want to learn more? You can follow @TeamMayku on social media, join our Facebook Group, the Mayku Community or request to Speak to a Specialist at any time to find out how you could use a FormBox for your next project.
