Matte Magnetic Flower Test Tube Holder - Alu - handmade by Chive Studio Toronto
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Matte Magnetic Flower Test Tube Holder - Alu - handmade by Chive Studio Toronto
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Glass Vases

Alu Magnetic Flower Test Tube Holder

$12.25
Colors: Matte
Shapes
Hand Blown Glass
Dishwasher safe cleaning
30-day return policy

Pickup available at A.N. Deringer c/o Chive Inc

Usually ready in 24 hours

Build the Arrangement That Looks Harder Than It Was

Pick a vase to anchor the shelf, then add the rest until it reads as curated instead of collected.

The Alu Magnetic vase is a magnetic flower holder that puts a single stem anywhere a magnet will stick — refrigerator doors, filing cabinets, the side of a metal lamp nobody thought of as a surface until now. As a fridge flower vase it turns industrial metal into something worth a second glance on the way to the milk, a small improvement most people underestimate until the morning they notice it missing. The glass tube sits in an aluminum mount, offered as a larger tube (1.5 across, six tall) and a compact version (one inch across, three high) — and holds water the way any test tube does, by not leaking. A calla lily, a single lavender stem, a craspedia globe that resembles a small yellow planet against whatever metal you chose. The magnet is permanent. The arrangement is not. That is the entire point. A magnet, a tube, and a single person assembling both at the Chive workshop — the Alu Magnetic has never required a more complicated production method.

Product detail

Product Detail:

  • Material: Glass
  • Glaze finish: Translucent
  • Year Designed: 2008
Dimension
  • Large 5 inches long, 2 inches wide, 2.5 inches tall
  • Small 2 inches diameter, 2.5 inches tall
Vase Care Instructions

All glass vases in this collection are dishwasher safe for easy cleaning, with one exception: mercury glass vases should be hand-washed only. The silvered mercury finish is a delicate coating rather than a solid color, and dishwasher heat and detergent can dull or strip it over time.

For standard glass vases, just load it in with the rest of the dishes — no special care needed. For mercury glass pieces, wash gently with warm water and mild soap, and dry with a soft cloth rather than letting it air dry with water spots.

Rinse and dry after each use, especially if flower food or cut-stem residue was in the water, so nothing lingers and clouds the glass.
Flowers that Love this Vase

Quick Guide to Building a Floral Arrangement

  1. Pick your vase first
  2. Start with your anchor flower.
  3. Build in odd numbers.
  4. Add height, then fill.
  5. Greenery does the quiet work.
  6. Cut stems at an angle, underwater if you can.
  7. Step back before you decide it's done.
Canada wide shipping & returns

Shipping 

  • Standard: 5–8 business days, Express 2–3 business days (at checkout)
  • Canada Wide Shipping: from coast to coast — rates at checkout
  • Packaging Ships: in outer box to protect gift box

View full shipping policy →

Returns

We accept returns within 30 days of delivery on unused hard good items in original packaging. If your piece arrives damaged, contact us within 7 days with a photo and we will replace it at no charge.

View full return policy →
Local pickup & delivery

Delivery: 

  • Delivered by hand across Toronto and the GTA. 
  • Next business day; same-day when you call the shop.
  • Local GTA delivery starts at $14
  • Call for a quote outside of the GTA

Pickup: Order online by 3pm and collect it the same day at:

702 Queen St. W.,
Toronto, ON M6J 1E7
437-777-5021

We are open for in-store shopping

Mon to Thurs: 12pm - 7pm
Fri to Sun: 11am - 7pm

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What people are saying

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The First Thing We Made — The Alu Magnetic

This was the product that started everything, back when the company was young enough that nobody had learned to overcomplicate things yet and the studio still felt like a gamble. A magnet on the back, a glass tube out front, stick it anywhere metal will permit and suddenly there is a flower where a flower had no business being five minutes ago. Todd designed it in 2008 because he wanted a single stem on a refrigerator door, which is the sort of wish that sounds trivial until somebody actually builds it and the trivial thing turns out to be the one people remember. The large format runs about an inch and a half wide by six tall; the compact version measures roughly an inch across by three high — and the aluminum mount holds the glass tube at a slight angle that keeps water stable even when the door swings shut harder than you intended. We have made a great many things since then, some more impressive on paper. This is still the one that gets mentioned first at trade shows, still the one new employees learn about on day one, and still the one we are proudest of. Simple has never needed defending. We defend it anyway.

How to Cut Flowers Like a Pro:

A (Mostly) Simple Guide to Cutting Your Flowers

So, you’re making an arrangement? Let’s ensure it lives long enough to impress someone—even if it's just you.

  1. Scrub the Scissors: Wash your shears first. Your flowers do not want a side of Dorito dust.
  2. Cut at 45°: Snip stems at an angle. It gives them a straw instead of making them chug from the bottle.
  3. Trim Underwater (Fancy Mode): Cut them submerged to block air bubbles. It’s extra, but they didn’t ask to suffocate.
  4. Ditch Submerged Leaves: Strip anything below the waterline. Unless you are actively going for a swamp aesthetic.
  5. Snip Again if Stale: If they sat out on the counter, trim them again. They need a fresh start (don’t we all?).
  6. Swap the Water: Change it and trim the stems every few days so they don't die immediately.

Voilà! You are now a domestic deity. Go take your Instagram photo before you forget to water them.

Pro Tip: The light does half the work.

Glass catches and bends light in a way ceramic can't. Set the arrangement somewhere it'll get some late afternoon sun, even for an hour, and the water and stems start doing something a solid vase never will.

Perfect Pairs for Any Shelf

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A Promise Mercury Glass Keeps Breaking

The glass vases at Chive come out of the same studio habit that produced everything else here: design the object once, correctly, then resist every opportunity to complicate it. Each one holds stems. None of them hides anything. The Aptar Glass Vase uses electroplated silver done properly — angled glass with a finish that delivers on the promise mercury glass keeps making and keeps breaking. See the Aptar.

Every Shape Solves One Question, Then Steps Aside

Every Chive vase is built around one decision about how flowers should stand, then finished by hand until that decision reads as obvious. The glass collection includes wall-mounted cups, hanging cones, arched centrepieces, and tabletop silhouettes, each one designed to let the stems and the water do the visual work without the vessel competing. Every shape solves one display question clearly, then gets out of the way. Transparent surfaces, translucent colour, and electroplated silver all ship from the same studio. Browse the full glass collection.

Two Scales Of Care, One Line Of Sight

Set the Alu Magnetic on the same shelf as the Liberté Porcelain Pot for a pairing that places one bloom beside a glazed porcelain surface, two different scales of care in the same line of sight, each piece earning its position by doing one thing well rather than several things adequately. Shop the Liberté.

The Simplest Idea

Since opening in 2004, the Chive studio has been making things that hold flowers in places flowers were not previously welcome, and the Alu Magnetic may be the most direct expression of that mission. A magnet, a tube, one bloom on the fridge — the idea is almost offensively simple, and simplicity turns out to be harder to manufacture well than complexity because there is nowhere for a flaw to hide. Small batches, steady hands, each tube checked before it leaves. The studio does not believe in overcomplicating what already works, which is why the Alu Magnetic has survived without redesign since 2008 and without apology since the day it shipped. Every piece is finished by hand at a studio that has never found a convincing reason to automate. Some things are better made slowly.

About our studio

Inside the Chive Design Studio

Low maintenance, high impact. Let's make home styling look easy.

Frequently asked questions

What makes the Alu Magnetic a genuinely useful magnetic vase at home?

The Alu Magnetic earns its place as a genuinely useful magnetic vase by turning any metal surface into a flower display without tools, adhesive, or wall damage — refrigerator doors, filing cabinets, metal lamps, locker fronts, and workshop walls all qualify. The magnet holds firmly through daily opening and closing of the door. One stem is enough.

How many flower stems does the Alu Magnetic vase comfortably display?

The Alu Magnetic vase comfortably displays one stem per tube, which is the intended capacity and the design limit. A single calla lily, a lavender sprig, or a craspedia globe fills the tube without crowding. The large size accommodates taller stems up to five and a half inches above the mount; the small handles shorter cuttings. One stem per tube, no exceptions.

Will the Alu Magnetic vase fit on a narrow shelf or ledge?

The Alu Magnetic vase fits on a narrow shelf or ledge only if the shelf is metal — the magnet is designed to mount the vase vertically on a flat metal surface, not to sit on a horizontal ledge. On a metal bookshelf edge it holds perfectly. On a wooden or glass shelf it simply sits there without gripping. Metal is the requirement, not the suggestion.

Is the Alu Magnetic vase's glass surface prone to marks or scratches?

The Alu Magnetic vase's glass tube is smooth and resistant to most everyday marks, but it can collect fingerprints and water spots the way any clear glass surface does over time. The aluminum mount is more forgiving — brushed metal hides minor contact marks naturally without any cleaning. Neither surface scratches easily under normal use. A soft cloth helps.

How do you clean the Alu Magnetic vase without damaging the finish?

You clean the Alu Magnetic vase by removing the glass tube from the aluminum mount, rinsing the tube with warm water, and wiping it dry with a soft cloth. For mineral deposits inside the tube, a small bottle brush or a cotton swab dipped in diluted vinegar works. The aluminum mount needs only a dry wipe. Avoid submerging the magnet assembly in water.

How do you style the Alu Magnetic vase on open shelving?

You style the Alu Magnetic vase on open shelving by placing it on the metal shelf bracket or a magnetic strip mounted behind the shelf, so the tube hangs at eye level with a single stem catching the sightline. Cluster three or five on a tall metal bookcase for a staggered vertical garden effect. Each tube gets one stem — lavender, craspedia, or a single bloom.

Is the Alu Magnetic vase larger or smaller than the Aptar vase?

The Magnetic runs smaller than the Aptar across every dimension — the large Magnetic format runs about 1.5 by 6 inches, while the Aptar large sits near 2.7 across by 5.2 high. The Alu holds a single stem in a test tube; the Aptar holds a small arrangement in a wider opening. Different scales for different surfaces.

What design tradition does the Alu Magnetic vase draw from?

The Alu Magnetic vase draws from the earliest and most direct design tradition at Chive — the conviction that a flower should go where no one expected to find one. The magnet-and-tube combination was among the studio's first ideas, designed in 2008, and it embodies the principle that simplicity needs no defense. The tradition is making the obvious move that nobody had made yet.
Behind the Studio

The story behind the Chive astronaut vases

The story of Laika, Félicette, a solar eclipse in New York, and a space bar that ordered a hundred vases a month until it closed.

Read the full story