Nick Douillard made a nightlight with his vacuum former
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- Posted in Arts & Crafts, Home decor
Discover how artist Nick Douillard used vacuum forming and HIPS sheets to create a custom blob nightlight. Bring unique sculptures and lighting designs to life with vacuum forming.
American artist Nick Douillard is well known for his playful, imaginative creations that explore a wide range of materials and techniques. His signature “blobs” (quirky, abstract figures in delightfully blobby shapes) have won him fans all over the world.
After crafting a charming blob ghost in an earlier project, Nick decided to take his creative experiments further by designing a custom blob nightlight.
Once again, he used his MY YARD vacuum former to bring this idea to life.
To start, Nick sculpted the blob’s friendly face out of clay. Once the clay shape had dried, it became the perfect mould for vacuum forming. For this project, Nick chose a HIPS sheet (High Impact Polystyrene).
HIPS is an excellent choice for making lamps and light fixtures because it is opaque enough to hide the bulb but still allows light to softly shine through, creating a warm, diffused glow.
After heating and shaping the HIPS sheet with his desktop vacuum former, Nick carefully cut out the formed piece to fit his nightlight design. He also cut eye holes so he could insert the fake eyes, giving the blob its signature character.
To complete the design, Nick mounted the finished blob face on a wooden backboard that fits in front of the light source. Once everything was assembled and wired up, he added his finishing touch: a whimsical hat for the blob nightlight. The final result is a playful yet functional art piece that brings a bit of imagination to any room.
With a custom nightlight like this, you’re guaranteed sweet dreams!
Nick’s work is a wonderful example of how artists can combine traditional sculpture techniques with modern tools like vacuum forming to create unique lighting and decor.
If you’re inspired by creative art, sculptures, or just want to see more of Nick’s adorable blobs, make sure to follow Nick Douillard on YouTube and Instagram. His projects are full of fun ideas and crafty inspiration for artists and makers alike.
Machines
Materials
- Clay
- HIPS sheet
- Lamp and wiring
- Wooden board