7 Cool 3D Printed Gift Ideas

With the holiday season inching closer, you’re sure to start thinking about the best gifts to get your loved ones. However, if you’re a 3D printing hobbyist or have access to a custom printing service, gift giving may have just become much more interesting for you. 3D printing lends itself very well to gifting and, in particular, to personalizing gifts. With the right equipment, materials, and designs in place, you can create anything you like and tailor it in a way the recipient is sure to love.

Here are some great 3D printed gift ideas for Christmas — or for any occasion that you want to make memorable for that special someone. Since you’re only limited by your creativity, the key is to have fun with it and create something both you and your recipient will enjoy.

1. Home Decor Items

Home decor is one of the most popular uses for 3D printers. It’s a great way to express your creativity, while making something that is also functional and utilitarian. It makes for a great 3D printed gift idea since you can customize the object to someone’s preferences or to their existing home decor. Furthermore, there are tons of very simple designs you can choose that even basic printers can execute.

You can 3D print anything from bookends to vases and art pieces. It’s also a lot of fun to experiment with different 3D filaments and materials and create something unique; consider options like dual-color filaments and digital micrometers to enhance your creations and have them stand out on a shelf.

2. Tabletop Entertainment

Another idea for a 3D printed Christmas gift is to create board and tabletop games. These usually tend to have a dedicated fan following which means, if you know what you’re doing, you can genuinely delight someone with your gift.

The good news is there are a lot of games out there that can turn out quite well with a 3D printer. Catan, Santorini, Tak, Warhammer, Battleship, and even Monopoly would lend themselves well to being 3D printed. A more elegant gift could be a bespoke chess set with beautifully designed pieces. This could well turn out to be a collector’s item that your giftees could cherish, regardless of whether they play chess or not.

3. Outdoor Equipment

Do your folks or acquaintances enjoy a more active lifestyle? If so, you’re in luck. Producing outdoor equipment is one of the more underrated uses of a 3D printer and a great gift idea for someone that does a lot of hiking, rock climbing, camping, rappelling, and so on.

Everything from custom pitons to carabiners and tent stakes can be 3D printed. You might want to consider the materials you use. For instance, PLA might not be the best feedstock for a piton or a mallet; low-carbon metal powder or even Forge PLA+ might be a better choice due to their increased durability. Other outdoor 3D printed gift ideas include gardening equipment, such as trellises, trowels, secateurs, and even novelty boots.

4. Pop Culture Memorabilia

Want to surprise a friend or a loved one with a really cool 3D printed gift? Look into creating some pop culture memorabilia that you know they’ll appreciate. Film and TV series inspire some of the largest and most diehard fan bases around.

Whether they’re into Star Wars, Pokemon, Game of Thrones, Marvel, or any other universe, you can always find something, such as a character or piece of equipment that is a good 3D printed gift idea. How about Kylo Ren’s iconic lightsaber with the unique crossguard design? Or Khaleesi atop an adult Dragon?

5. Gadgets and Accessories

If your opposite number is a bit of a tech fiend, this is a great option to gift them something unique and 3D printed for Christmas. This could include a custom designed case to house their laptop, mobile, or tablet.

You could also try creating an offbeat tablet stand or cool headphone extensions, personalizing the design to your recipient’s tastes. High-quality PLA 3D printer filaments are a great choice for this kind of 3D printing, offering you a material that is both strong and easy to work with.

6. Jewelry

Want to really make someone’s Christmas? A great gift idea is 3D printed jewelry. A 3D printer is a great way to capture design intricacies and reproduce complex objects that might be more difficult or time-consuming to do manually. Even if you’re just a home hobbyist, you can absolutely print jewelry, depending on the design and your printer. If you happen to have a resin printer, you can supplement your prints with some fine detail work that makes your jewelry pop.

Some great ways to go about this is to create bracelets, necklaces, and earrings, perhaps with a personalized design that means something to the wearer and that they will treasure.

7. Musical Instruments

This might seem like an offbeat idea for 3D printed gifts, but depending on whom they’re intended for, it could turn out to be really special. Consider ideas such as a miniature recreation of a classic Les Paul. Or maybe a unique acoustic instrument with a simple design.

You could also try something simpler, such as creative guitar picks, wall mounts, bespoke drumsticks, and more. The list is endless and you’re likely to find some great designs online for inspiration.

Source High-Quality 3D Printing Materials From PrintBed

PrintBed offers you a vast catalog of top-tier, reliable filaments you can use to bring your 3D printed gift ideas to life. Our focus is on providing color-consistent, tangle-free spools to help you achieve a high level of accuracy and precision while printing. Shop tangle-free rolls sourced and manufactured 100% in the U.S. We’re committed to providing exceptional customer service and help you produce the most creative prints possible. Follow us on social media or keep up with our blog for more 3D printing tips and ideas.