49 Best Crafts to 3D Print and Sell Right Now in 2024
Introduction to Crafts to 3D Print
3D printing technology has revolutionized manufacturing and opened up new creative possibilities across industries. From rapid prototyping to bespoke product creation, 3D printing empowers both professionals and hobbyists to turn imaginative ideas into tangible reality.
In the world of arts and crafts, 3D printing unlocks unlimited potential for personalization and customization. Now anyone can create one-of-a-kind craft pieces from the comfort of their homes. Whether you are looking to make customizable decorative items, practical tools and accessories, entertaining games and toys, or thoughtful gifts, 3D printing has something to offer every crafter out there.
This article explores 49 of the top crafts that you can bring to life with a 3D printer. We delve into the unique value offered by 3D printing for each craft item and provide examples of designs that you can 3D print at home. So let‘s get started!
Practical Household Items and Accessories
Cable Guards
Cable management is a universal need in every home and office. 3D printed cable guards provide a customizable solution to organize cables and prevent wire damage through abrasion. You can design guards that perfectly fit your specific cable types and available space.Dice
3D printed dice open up creative possibilities that you won‘t find with store-bought dice. Customize the numbers, size, shape, texture, and material to create unique dice for board games. Give your D&D parties more character with hero-themed dice.Door Stop
Door stops aren’t usually seen as a customizable item. But with 3D printing, you can design door stops that blend functionality with aesthetic appeal. Create door stops inspired by your favorite characters or decorate them with meaningful symbols and messages.Drink Coaster
Protect your tables from moisture damage with 3D printed drink coasters personalized to match your style. Keep it classy with leather-textured coasters or add some cheer with smiley face designs!Pen Holder
Organize your stationery collection with a customized 3D printed pen holder design. Pick colors and textures that align with your room’s theme. You can even print your name or fun shapes on it.USB Flash Drive Case
Add some personal flair to your essential tech accessories with personalized 3D printed USB drive cases. Design them to showcase your favorite fandoms, brand logos, inspirational quotes, or trendy patterns.Smartphone Holder
A smartphone holder is a desk essential for any professional or student. With 3D printing, you can create stands suited to your exact device model, viewing angle, and usable work area. Add some personal flair by customizing the shape or adding decorative textures.
Decorative Pieces and Home Décor Items
Vase
3D printed vases allow incredible freedom in sculptural shapes that are difficult to craft by hand or machine. Create artistic centerpieces for special occasions, funny face planters for your desk, and personalized urns to display air plants in a classy way.Napkin Rings
Dress up your table setting with 3D printed napkin rings modeled after your dinner guests’ favorite characters or customized with names and event details. They also make great wedding favors or creative party invitations.Planters
Unleash your inner sculptor to design stackable geometric planters, hanging plant holders, self-watering pots, and other functional items to display your leafy friends. Go all out with creature shapes like snakes, frogs, gnomes – sky‘s the limit!Bookmarks
Encourage reading habits with thoughtful 3D printed bookmarks. Quote lovers can display inspiring words of wisdom while Potterheads may prefer house crests and magic wand designs. Not fans of words? Print your favorite emojis instead!Vase
Flowers brighten up any space. With 3D printing, customize decorative vases in your favorite colors, shapes, and designs to create one-of-a-kind statement pieces. Add names, initials, or special messages to create personalized gifts for loved ones as well.Stackable Organizers
Reclaim cluttered spaces with 3D printed stackable storage boxes. Keep them minimalist for closet organization or take customization up a notch with labeled compartments, dangly handles, magnetic closures, and textured exteriors.Letter Board Signs
Spell out inspirational quotes, funny messages, and special announcements with 3D printed letter boards. Designs can range from holiday décor to personalized room signs to menu boards for a DIY cafe stand. Go wild with font styles and sizes!
Educational Games and Toys
Mini Catapult
Learn the physics of trajectory and practice STEM concepts with a 3D printed mini catapult. See how launch angle and pivot positioning affect accuracy and distance. Bonus: it doubles up as a cool desk toy when not conducting experiments!Puzzle Plane
Puzzle planes combine problem-solving play with aerodynamic lessons for curious kids and adults alike. Activate logical and spatial reasoning skills to correctly position interlocking pieces to achieve smooth soaring.Spinning Top
Customize stability and spin time by tweaking the shape, size, and weight distribution of 3D printed spinning tops. Discover optimal designs through trial and error. Mix creativity with scientific discovery!Flexi Rex
The Flexi Rex is a multi-part articulated T-Rex toy model that flexes into life-like poses. Assemble all pieces correctly to get your dinosaur friend standing tall and proud! The open-source design is endlessly customizable.Chess Set
Chess is game time elevated to an art form. Design intricately detailed chess piece replicas depicting mythical beasts, sci-fi characters, sports personalities or even family members! And don’t forget the customized chess board.Yoyo
Revisit a classic with 3D printed yoyos customized for optimal spin time, easy tricks, and smoother string handling. Tweak weight distribution and diameter to keep the yoyo centred as you walk the dog or go around the world!
Thoughtful Handmade Gifts
Keychains
Surprise loved ones with personalized 3D printed keychains modelled after their hobbies and interests. Chess piece keychains for strategic thinkers, camera designs for photography buffs, runner’s shoe keychain for marathon enthusiasts – options are limitless!Bookmarks
Gifting books? Sweeten the gesture with a 3D printed bookmark customized with the recipient‘s name. Or highlight their passion – musical notes bookmark for musicians, coffee cup design for caffeine lovers, camera bookmark for photography hobbyists.LED Lithophanes
Looking for a sophisticated personalized gift? Lithophanes are 3D printed art pieces that display images in light and shadow when backlit. Capture nostalgic moments or funny family portraits that turn into beautiful bespoke night lamps.Pet Memorial Plaques
Help friends memorialize their furry companions with 3D printed pet urns, photo frames, plaques, and figurines customized with the pet‘s name, portrait, paw print and other personal touches. A meaningful memento during emotional times.Desk Organizers
Gift customized desk organizers to neat freak friends looking to Marie Kondo their workstations! Print mini drawers, pen stands, cable holders and other nifty organizing tools catered to their exact needs and style.
Practical Tools and Equipment
Bottle Opener
Popping open bottles can be a hassle, especially for those with grip issues. A 3D printed custom bottle opener provides additional torque support through handle extensions and creative grip aids for easy accessibility.Door Stop
Got pals struggling with noisy door slams and violent swings? Gift them a personalized 3D printed door stop molded to perfectly fit their carpentry! Bonus gifts for apartment dwellers looking to avoid damage deductions.Funnels
Transferring liquids between tricky narrow openings causes major splashing and spills. A 3D printed funnel with exact custom dimensions provides a steadier, less accident-prone solution. Help your clumsy yet creative chef friends!Camera Handle Extender
Improve stability for clear, blur-free shots with a custom camera handle extender for friends dealing with shaky hands or mobility limitations. Designs can provide additional holding support, counterweights, multi-grip options or smartphone mount compatibility.Cutting Guide
Ensure straight slices and smooth edges with every chop. Design 3D printed cutting guides for avid cooks with variations for different tools, ingredients, chop styles and user grips.Keyboard Stand
The standard typing position strains wrists for some users while others struggle with slipping laptops. A custom laptop stand improves user comfort and efficiency through ergonomic angles, non-slip pads and compact tilted designs.Cable Organizer
Assist gadget enthusiasts with 3D printed cable organizer solutions compatible with all their devices. Custom compartments tame wires cleanly while labeled dedicated spaces enable effortless access. Minimize desktop chaos!Kitchen Utensils
Elevate cooking experiences for chef friends with customized 3D printed kitchen tools. From ergonomic vegetable peelers, left-handed spatulas to extended length forking tongs – oven to table options for every need!
Wearables and Accessories
Jewelry
Express your original style by 3d printing unique jewelry pieces not sold in stores. Create personalized pendants with initials and meaningful symbols or design trendy geometric earrings, stacking rings and bangle bracelets!Glasses Holder Necklace
Offer hands-free eyewear storage on the go with a customized glasses holder necklace. Pick colors and textures ideal for different outfits. Add supplemental clips, cords and clasping mechanisms tailored to preferred eyewear sizes.Pet Tag
Ensure lost pets find their way home with a 3D printed custom ID tag. Upload legible contact information alongside cute graphics of your furry friend‘s face, paw print, name – endless design options!Mask Strap Adjuster
Struggling with mask slippage or ear discomfort? Gift mask strap adjusters providing a customized ergonomic fit. Reinforce straps, extend ear loops, and integrate head support through personalized sizing.Ring Size Adjuster
Finding the perfect fitting ring can be difficult. 3D print ring size adjusters to resize bands for optimally snug yet comfy wearing. Effective and economical option compared to professional resizing services.Button Extender
Reclaim favorite shirts deemed unwearable due to button replacement struggles with 3D printed button extenders. Simply fasten over existing buttons to close pesky front gaps. Fashion faux pas averted!Tripod Phone Mount
Capture super steady and well-framed images on any phone. Custom design universal or device-specific tripod phone mounts pairing stability with flexibility. Rotating phone grips allow you to seize any photo opportunity!
Hobby and DIY Aids
Warhammer Model Holder
Tabletop war gamers rejoice! Construct the ultimate paint station out of 3D printed holders designed for securely gripping Warhammer figurines at optimal angles during detailing work. Customize to fit all models in your army!Bead Organizer
Streamline jewelry design workflows with tailored 3D printed bead organizers complete with compartmentalized trays, creative built-in sifters and portable carrying cases. Customize storage to sort entire bead inventory across multiple projects.Stamping Plate
Elevate handmade greeting cards with customized 3D printed stamp plates for personalized motifs. From names, dates and signatures to thematic images – endless stamped designs to make special days extra memorable!Stencil
Introduce templated uniformity across hand-lettering, scrapbooking, baking, woodwork and other decorative hobbies with 3D printed custom stencils. Map out repeating elements exactly as envisioned.Quilting Guide
Master precise quilt piece alignment, consistent spacing, and accurate seam ripping with tailored 3D printed quilting aids. Gridded stencils, spacing frames and seam alignment tools help stitch flawless designs.Embroidery Hoop
Display cross stitch masterpieces in custom 3D printed embroidery hoops shaped like personal mementoes. Add label nameplates and built-in standing mechanisms for shadow boxes, ornaments and more inventive framing solutions.Artist Palette
Keep paints readily accessible when inspiration strikes! 3D print personalized artist palettes with custom indentations securing specific paint colors and brush types in designated areas for grab n’ go convenience.Camera Slider
Achieve professional camera panning effects for ultra smooth video footage with a DIY 3D printed camera slider. Customize track length and integrate phone/camera mounting tools for total framing flexibility.Electronics Enclosure
Protect vital electronic components powering hobby projects inside a customized 3D printed enclosure. Waterproof casings safeguard circuit boards while strategic ventilation openings prevent overheating.
Conclusion
The world of 3D printing crafts offers unlimited possibilities constrained only by imagination. You can create an endless array of practical, decorative, educational, and sentimental pieces tailored exactly to your needs and tastes or personalized into one-of-a-kind gifts.
We explored 49 top examples ranging from custom cable holders to articulated dinosaur toys to jewelry masterpieces. But these merely scratch the surface of crafting potential with affordable desktop 3D printers.
Unleash your creativity and bring your visions to life in tangible ways unachievable through traditional manufacturing methods. Let this list spark inspiration for your next fully customized 3D printing endeavor! The opportunities are endless.
