The last time I used straws to make something other than a spitball shooter had to have at least been in primary school when we were tasked with building a bridge as part of our civil engineering curriculum. Besides being used as an educational tool, we’ve seen some innovative uses for drinking straws in the form of ‘green’ products and various DIY projects, but we’ve been yet to see a LEGO-esque building kit that has a unique connector system and design-forward aesthetic. The recently-released Jix kit from NYC product designer Patrick Martinez aims to put all those straws you’ve got laying around to good use—like aiding you in building a sub-$20 desk for example.

What Can You Make With 500 Straws?

Designed to work with standard drinking straws, the four or six-point connectors within the Jix system can be used to create literally any size or shape structure—so long as you have the truckload of straws to make them:

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What’s interesting about the Jix system is that it would fit right in at a primary school or even a world-class design agency—the thing is just so dang versatile. From teaching kids the basics of structural engineering and mathematics to allowing architects and designers a medium to play with when holding deep brainstorm sessions, the Jix system is the perfect building system: cheap, modern, useful and simple.

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