Did Ya See?

Quite a step above the paper and plastic temporary tableware we often drag out and promptly stuff into the nearest trash receptacle. In a truly clever and inspired design, one core set of tableware becomes the mold for as many additional pieces as you need (assuming you have enough wax). When you’re done, just melt them back down and store the wax for use again later.

Meltware has three stoneware pieces — a spoon, a bowl, and a carafe — that double as molds for extending your set. You make the rest of the collection using Carnauba wax, a super-hard, waterproof wax that comes from palm trees. All you do is melt the wax in a pan, then pour it into the molds, and voila! You’ve got brand new spoons, cups, and bowls.

When the party’s over, you can melt everything into balls of wax for easy storage. “With Meltware,” Seegers says in prepared text, “you will make exactly as many as you need, so your kitchen cabinets will never be crammed with stacks of unused tableware.”

Seegers, a student at the Design Academy Eindhoven, debuted Meltware at the school’s graduation show last month.