Many people believe that commercialism has taken over too many of our beloved celebratory events. From birthdays to Christmas, or one-off celebrations like graduations and housewarmings, a lot more people are taking to making their own 3D printed gifts to add that personal touch.
3D printed gifts are a popular choice for homemade presents because of their customizability and personalization. Everyone loves getting a present tailored to them made from something they like, are passionate about, or even just a unique or practical thing that they know was made with care.
Gifts come in many forms, from decorative to practical, and so 3D printed gift ideas are abundant. We’re going to look at some of our picks for the best 3D printed gifts here for a variety of occasions and tastes that will be the talk of the party.
Personalized 3D Printed Gifts
One of the best things about 3D printing is the ability to personalize almost any project. While this is great for personal printing, 3D printing gifts can really help you show your appreciation and knowledge for a friend or loved one.
Gifts are always welcome gestures, but nothing says you care quite like a truly unique present tailored to another’s likes.
Nameplates
3D printed gifts come in many shapes and sizes, but few are more personal or versatile than 3D printed nameplates.
These personalized stands have many uses, whether as a bookend for a housewarming or a desk plate to congratulate someone on their new job.
Whether this ‘Dad’ nameplate for Father’s Day, or a marker for a pet’s bed or bowl, all plates come in a variety of styles for a lot of uses. They’re a great 3D printed gift idea for anyone who doesn’t just want to get something at a store.
Bookmarks
The best 3D printed gifts don’t have to be large gestures in big packages, sometimes the little things are the most appreciated.
Bookmarks are one of those things we always have until we really need one. Many of us have turned to using receipts, paper scraps, or – heaven forbid – dogearing to remember our place in our story of choice.
3D printed bookmarks make for fantastic gifts that can be as simple or as complicated as you like to suit the gift receiver. Bookmarks are fantastic as small presents and stocking stuffers because they can be anything, like pop-culture references, monograms, or even designs that match their favorite reads.
You can find some a collection of some of these 3D printed bookmarks here.
Keychains
Our keys go everywhere with us, and so many like to personalize their sets with keychains to show off their personality as well as making them easily recognizable when the darn things are inevitably lost.
Keychains make for some of the best 3D printed gift ideas because they can be almost anything, animals or characters, or objects like books or game controllers.
If you’re creative enough, you can take keychains as a base concept and turn almost any design into a 3D printed keychain as a gift for anyone of any taste.
3D Printed Christmas Gifts and Stocking Stuffers
While most of the best 3D printed gifts on this list would suit most occasions, there are a few things that just feel much more at home under the tree or in a Christmas stocking.
So here are some of our favorite 3D printed gifts that make for great Christmas presents for young and old alike.
Decorations
We all have that one friend who just goes nuts for the holidays, and for this friend it’s always a nice surprise to get something that makes their home that little bit more Christmassy.
3D printed Christmas decorations make for delightful endeavors, and painting them can be a great activity for kids. Whether you want to print a standard Santa head or snowflake, or go for things a little more unique, 3D printed Christmas decorations make excellent gifts for those who are a little bit festive all year long.
If you need some inspiration, you can find some wonderful designs like the ones found here, or make customizable and easily modifiable 3D printed Christmas trees like these.
Playing to someone’s personal tastes is always a great way to make any 3D printed gift more magical, so why not give your gamer friend this Jirachi Christmas tree topper, or 3D print these Elsa-inspired ornaments for your Disney-loving chum.
New Year 3D Prints
Because of its proximity to Christmas, New Year’s Eve can sometimes feel like an overwhelming thing to plan, organize, and decorate for. So what better 3D printed gift to give to your resident party host than a little thing or two to help with the planning?
Cocktails get an extra bit of oomph with these festive 3D printed swizzle sticks, for example. Or if you really want to make a bang at midnight, this party popper cannon is a personal favorite of mine for its clever design and fun outcome!
If you’re a bit of a shutterbug at parties, or better yet have a particularly photogenic friend, the best 3D printed gift for them this holiday season is a range of photo booth accessories. Party pictures are made all the more fun with fun props like this champagne bottle, this crown, or this fake pair of lips to add to the fun.
If you have any Spanish friends, the perfect 3D printed gift for them during the Christmas season is this twelve grapes holder. On their new year (Nochevieja) Spanish people traditionally eat one grape for every chime of the clock at midnight for luck, making this an excellent 3D printed gift for your homesick Spanish friends.
I don’t know about you, but December 31st is my favorite night of the year, and I adore finding newer and more fun ways to ring in the new year every time. If I got any of these as 3D printed gifts for the holidays, I’d be over the moon!
Surprise Christmas Gift Box
While ripping off wrapping paper is an exciting and nostalgic feeling, sometimes you want to put a little spin on your presentation. This 3D printed gift box makes for a delightfully unique experience for your gift receiver and has a lovely Christmas message already printed on the side.
Inside is a little statuette of a snowman and a heart included in the design here. If you’re more experienced with design, you can alter the file to make your own little surprise.
Toys and Figurines
Thinking of Christmas gifts always conjure up images of toys and figurines no matter your age.
3D printed toys and figurines can be action figures, figurines, board game pieces, and puppets just to name a few. Any gamer will be happy to receive any of these 3D printed Pokémon figurines, and any chess player will love their custom pieces.
Figurines are a popular as 3D printed gifts as well, as they add an extra level of personalization to any décor and will always make for talking pieces from grateful giftees. They can be meticulous and detailed like this Kakashi figurine, or small and cute like these robots.
Traditional toys and action figures make for unique and fun 3D printed gifts for kids too, great for birthdays and Christmases as big presents or smaller toys as stocking stuffers.
See also: our ranking of the coolest 3D printable toys.
Jewelry
Jewelry may not be just for Christmas, but its place under the tree cannot be denied.
Making homemade jewelry is a much more common pastime than many assume, and 3D printed jewelry is an excellent way to give a personal air to any wearable present.
Favorite animals and designs can help a person show off their passions, or for the truly creative 3D printing gift giver, you can 3D print jewelry with slots to fit gems or birthstones.
If you use metal, there are hundreds of 3D printed jewelry designs for gifts, and even more that can be tweaked and redesigned if you want a one-of-a-kind way to pop that special question.
See also: the coolest 3D printed jewelry.
See also: the best jewelry 3D printers.
Bookends
Bookends are another common stocking stuffer that always go noticed. The standard A and Z are nice, but why not add that personal touch with Game of Thrones or guitar bookends?
For the gamer in your life, there are bookend designs for Portal and Zelda, or for your more active giftees there are these martial arts stickmen.
These designs are example templates, and should give you a good outline for some 3D printed gift ideas for the next festive season.
Housewarming Presents
Housewarming parties are a long-standing tradition to welcome and tour people around a new home. These 3D printable gifts are normally decorative, practical, or both to make a new house feel like a home.
Door Knockers
3D printed gifts for housewarmings don’t come more noticeable than a homemade door knocker. Lions are the most traditional, but who’s to say a dragon is so out of place?
Or, if your homeowner friend is a Lovecraft fan, you can 3D print a great gift in the form of this octopus!
Name Signs
Name and address signs are not only a great way to personalize a new home’s exterior, but also helps friends find your new dwelling without much trouble.
This is an especially thoughtful gift for friends who live in named houses, though family members, nicknames, or joke titles can be printed on these fully customizable templates.
Tooth Brush Stands
Every home needs a personality, and no room is more uniform than the bathroom, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be decorated with fun and unique decorations.
These ‘Tooth Brush Standz’ are a great housewarming present due to their fun and minimal designs that can be changed or printed in different colors or sizes depending on household members.
They’re simple, but no less heartfelt, and anyone mid-unpacking will be happy to not have to use a glass from the kitchen in the meantime to store their toothbrushes.
The files here come in a variety of poses, from waving to a thumbs up, and even one that seems to be brushing its own teeth.
Plant Pots
Houseplants are as common a housewarming gift as candy canes at Christmas. While 3D printing your own plants might be a bit of a stretch, there are plenty of cool designs for plant pots you can make as 3D printed gifts!
These pots range from standard designs, unique shapes, and even self-watering, all of which put a modern spin on a traditional gift. Our favorite is this bamboo vase for its elegance in simplicity that would look at home in any household.
Gift Card Presentation Boxes
Gift cards are a divisive idea for a present, some see them as impersonal, while others think of them as a more freeing way to both give and receive a gift.
While you can’t 3D print gift cards, you can 3D print this very cool gift card package. The files here include pre-designed ‘Merry Christmas’ and ‘Happy Birthday’ lids, but there’s also a blank one so you can customize it yourself to suit any occasion.
If you’d rather go for the look and feel of a traditional present, this 3D printed Christmas gift card box is a very cute way to offer up your present.
Gift Tags
3D printing isn’t limited to the gifts themselves; a present’s presentation can be important too. 3D printed gift tags are a great way to add that personal touch to any gift before it’s even been opened.
These can be added for any occasion to be the recipient’s name, an image, or a mark for the holidays. 3D printed Christmas gifts can be marked with ‘Joyeux Noel’ or ‘Merry Christmas’, and similar tags can be made for birthdays, housewarmings, or any other event.
