Find the best 3D printed gift among more than 30 gift ideas

Posted By Lucie Gaget on Dec 13, 2017 | 0 comments

There is always a special occasion to offer a gift to your loved ones. But sometimes, finding the perfect gift can be a real conundrum. You are maybe looking for a christmas gift, a birthday gift, or a father or mother’s day gift? Whatever the occasion, there is always an idea to 3D print.

In this blogpost, we will help you to purchase the perfect 3D printed gift. First we are going to tell you more about the advantages of creating a present thanks to 3D printing. Then, we will give you some ideas, with a list of the best 3D printed gifts that you could create using this technology. Little ones or big ones, complicated projects or already made items, you have the choice. You will be able to choose unusual, serious or useful gifts. You’ll find gift ideas, for all skills level and all budgets. Follow our gift guide!

Why you should use 3D printing to create gifts

Why won’t you 3D print christmas gifts? Customize the birthday gifts you are going to offer? Indeed, 3D printing is a real asset when it comes to presents, and it is a way to add a personal touch to your gifts. If you have experience in 3D modeling, you can design what you have in mind from scratch and then print it with our online 3D printing service. Don’t worry, if you don’t have any modeling skills, you can always find a great 3D model online, and then 3D print it thanks to our 3D printers.

If you buy or download a 3D model that is not yours, you can always adapt it to your needs, or to the tastes of the person who will receive it. You can modify it with a 3D software, or you can customize it while uploading it on our online 3D printing service. For example, you can choose the 3D printing material, the color, and the finishes that you want to add to your 3D printed items.

It would be impossible to get customized 3D products like that with injection molding, that’s why 3D printing is the good solution. Everything is 3D printable and we hope that this little guide will give you new gift ideas! Let’s see what 3D printed products you could offer to your loved ones.

The best 3D printed gifts!

3D printed decoration

A decoration gift can be original or basic, and you already have a wide choice of objects online. Here are our suggestions:

A candle holder. As 3D printing allows to create complex shapes, you can get impressive candle holders like this one. Moreover, you can obtain great light effects with this 3D printed candle holder.

Coral Candle Fixture by ecken

Equus, by soonsalon. It is an original and impressive decorative part made thanks to the 3D printing technology. It has a light structure so it is easy to hang.

Source: https://soonsalon.com/products/equus/

A spiral vase. It is always useful to have vases at home… It will be even better if you offer flowers to the person at the same time! She will be able to use the 3D printed vase plant immediately. As you can see on the picture below, additive manufacturing allows to build great modern vases.

Spiral Vase by Tubby

A desk organizer is always useful. 3D printing can help you to do anything, even keeping a desk tidy! You can customize it with all the colors that you want. It can be 3D printed in black, white, grey or more punchy colors. You can choose among all our colors during your order on Sculpteo’s website.

Office Desk Organizer by Dagongar

A Handlebar Bike Vase. If you don’t want to offer an interior ornament, you can offer an outside ornament, like this vase to put plants or flowers on your bike! It is small, easy to make but it is ingenious and it will look good on any bike.

Handle Bike Vase by Colleeniebikini

An octopus 3D printed tablet or phone stand. A phone stand is obviously a useful accessory. The design can be really detailed and it can become a nice decorative 3D printed object.

Octopus Tablet / Pone stand by notcolinforreal

3D printed fashion items

In fashion, everything is possible. Obviously, 3D printing is a good ally to this sector, as it is possible to create original and complex objects, but also custom-made items!

3D printed glasses are an easy and useful 3D printed present. 3D printed glasses can be created with a very high-quality finish. If you place your order on our online 3D printing service, it is possible to choose our Color Touch finish to get a pair of glasses with an amazing satin look. Moreover, they will last over time.

Credits: Binokers

As a pair of shoes could be a great present, you can totally offer 3D printed shoes. It can be an original gift. Some companies are offering standard 3D printed shoes, but other ones are making custom-made ones, thanks to a 3D scan of the feet. On the picture below, you can see the 3D printed shoes designed by Seth Aaron, for Feetz.

Credit: FashioNXT

The 3D printed manucure. The nail art ideas are always regenerating It is now possible to create 3D printed nails, to get a perfect and original manucure.

Credit: https://www.thelasergirlsstudio.com

3D printed jewelry. If you’re a bit experienced with 3D modeling, you can use a 3D modeling software to create your own jewelry, and offer high quality jewelry for any occasion. For example, it could be a good present for valentine’s day. You can create it with 3D printing materials like plastic or even metal like stainless steel, silver or brass.

By Gavin Canning on Etsy

A 3D printed bag, by XYZ bag. This fashion accessory is discrete and functional, this bag shows how fashion and 3D printing can easily collaborate.

Credit: XYZ bag

Presents related to games

Games often require little parts that can easily be customized and 3D printed. If you have a game lover in your entourage, that could be the perfect 3D printed gift. Here are a few examples of objects that can be 3D printed:

3D printed dices. You can create different types of dices thanks to additive manufacturing, and you can customize their look, their size and their colors.

Dice by KennethT10

A dices holder. If you don’t want to only offer the dices, you can also make a nice 3D printed dices holder!

Dice holder by kittka

Why won’t you 3D print a chess set? It could be a great present for anyone, and it could even be a decorative present as they are sometimes looking really good. You can actually find a lot of different versions online from traditional chess sets, to creative ones.

Zycus’ Abstract Chess Set by Jelwek

3D printed presents related to music

Some 3D printed items can be useful, especially to listen to music.

A Gramohorn. It is an acoustic 3D printed speaker, that will increase the volume of your smartphone using natural resonance and amplification.

Credit: http://www.gramohorn.com/

An earbud holder. It is quite common to 3D print earbud holders, but this one is a little bit different, as it can be closed like a little box. It really protects the earbuds, and it will be impossible to lose them in a bag anymore.

Earbud holder by sneakypoo

3D printed gifts for a food lover

3D printed objects for the house are often good gift ideas. It can be kitchenware for example, and it will certainly delight you food lover friends.

A nice cookie cutter, as this one. It is a good creation you can make thanks to additive manufacturing. As you’re free to design anything you want, you can create any shape that you have in mind. You can also find a wide range of 3D models online to make cake and cookie cutters.

Gingerbreak Cookie Cutter by OogiMe

Chopsticks helper. You maybe have that friend, passionate about japanese food, but unable to eat correctly with chopsticks. This 3D printed chopsticks little helper could be the perfect gift for him. Moreover, it’s quite a funny and cute present.

Chopstick’s little helper by Pikitote

A second life mug. It is a little handle, allowing to use a jar as a mug. It is a great way to recycle your jam jars, and give them a brand new life! It is also a good method to avoid the use of plastic bottles.

Second life mug by LeFabSop

Complex 3D printed projects to offer… If you are a bit crafty!

For these gifts, you have to be a little crafty. It is totally possible to create them using 3D printing, because it has already been done. The only thing is that you have to build it, or assemble it by yourself. Consequently, you have to be able to create the mechanical or electronic parts as well.

A 3D printed watch. This is a 3D printed mechanical watch. You can 3D print the parts, and then, you’ll be able to assemble it. For the moment, it is not possible to create a fully functional watch that will last a long time, but it is a promising project. If you know someone more crafty than you, who loves to assemble things, it could be a good present.

3D printed watch with tourbillon

You could choose the easy way and simply buy a drone. But it could also be funny to 3D print a drone, and build it by yourself. This one is also a bit complex: it’s not easy to get your own 3D printed done, it is a lot of work. But once again, it is possible with a lot of patience.

A 3D printed 3D printer. It is obviously an ambitious project. A 3D printer project is feasible and it’s a fun one, but it is necessary to have good electronics skills to build a 3D printer. For example, check out this OB1.4 open beam 3D printer project.

OB 1.4 open beam 3D printer by Wired1

3D printed gifts for kids (and grown-up kids):

Toys for kids can totally be built thanks to 3D printers. Here are some ideas:

A 3D printed skateboard. It is actually an easy design if you want to create it by yourself. Like on the example below, you can make your printed skateboard using Tinkercad. If you need some help to begin with this free 3D modeling software, you can check out our Tinkercad tutorial.

Skatebord by aaskdall

A 3D printed dinosaurs puzzle. Indeed, this can be a cool 3D printed present for young kids. The 3D design is really easy to make if you want to create other shapes or other animals by yourself, you can use a free modeling software.

Dino kids by fablabmalaga

3D printed gifts related to TV shows, movies or books!

You certainly know a major fan of Game of Thrones, Harry Potter or Star Wars. A lot of 3D models related to these universes are available online. Here’s our little selection:

The wand of Harry Potter characters. You can design it by yourself, but as it is popular, you can also find very easily the 3D design of the wand that you want. Here’s for example Hermione’s 3D printed wand. You can add details or a bit of technology like on this example, with the switch and the led.

Hermione’s wand by fflbm4

A HodorStop. A nice door stop, referring to a tragic scene of Game of Thrones. You certainly have a friend who is fan of this show that will be happy with this funny 3D printed gift.

HodorStop by stereolab

3D printed Star Wars action figures or vessels are obviously a good geek gift idea. Here’s for example a motorized AT-AT. But you could also 3D print the Death Star. Online, the choice of 3D printed Star Wars objects is endless.

Motorized Star Wars AT AT by LtDan

3D printed customizable items

There are also 3D printed products that you can totally customize with the name of the person, or with a personal message.

A 3D printed phone case. You can create a phone case with the shape that you want. You can 3D print an existing one, or just customize one with a personal touch.

Customizable Phone Case by thingiverse

A 3D printed mug. You can write anything you want on it, and design it with the shape that you want. The way you’ll work on the product design will add value to your present. It will be even more personal. Here is an example of a 3D printed mug.

Ear mug by roman_hegg

Bonus: Insolite 3D printed accessories

These one are ok to offer to your friends, as a joke for example. They are absurd, but quite ingenious! Let’s see what you could offer:

3D printed toothpaste tube squeezer. No more toothpaste waste thanks to this accessory. There is also an alternative for children, the toothpaste monster! But we all agree that this is not really a pleasant gift for a kid.

Toothpaste Tube Squeezer by ottenjr

A quick shoe ties. It is a little bit insolit, but this accessory can be really practical as you can see on the picture below.

Klots by Kart5a

Last but not least: The solo finger pen is a funny gift that you can make by yourself. Once again, this present is great if you’re looking for a funny idea.

Solo finger pen by Works by solo

The 3D printing technology is always here to give you some inspiration and new possibilities, even when it comes to presents. From 3D printed jewelry to 3D printed chess set, we hope that you found this little gift guide complete and useful. 3D printing can be festive, everything is printable for a party: gifts, but also decorations. You can create birthday or christmas ornaments thanks to this technology or even a 3D printed christmas tree!

You’re planning to 3D print some gifts for Christmas, or for a birthday party? Leave a comment to share with us your 3D printed gift ideas!

If you are ready to 3D print your presents, upload your 3D model on our online 3D printing service. You have a question related to a gift that you want to 3D print? Don’t hesitate to contact us.