With some imagination, a dash of patience, and well-timed inspiration, you can turn any creative hobby into something that borders on true art and great design. If you happen to be into 3D printing, then you’ve got an incredible amount of flexibility. Meanwhile, the internet is full of truly amazing hobbyists who want to share their best ideas with anyone who will listen.
Bored Panda is featuring some of the best 3D-printed designs that we think should be celebrated far and wide. Scroll down for our curated list of the best pics, and don’t blame us if you have the sudden urge to check if you have enough space for a 3D printer at home.
#1
Image source: Amber Maxfield
#2
So my two year old daughter didn’t have a proper place to keep her shoes – So I made this for her.
Image source: Michael Tsukerman
#3
Image source: Stassie Laurier
Creativity doesn’t come without a cost. If you care about the environment, your mind might naturally start to wonder just how big of an impact 3D printing has when it comes to plastic pollution.
The downside is that this hobby results in lots of wasted material. As reported by Filamentive, a whopping third (33%) of 3D prints end up as waste. What’s more, around 70% of 3D printer users don’t recycle their waste.
The upside is that a huge amount of that waste can be recycled and reused. What’s more, the future looks bright with advances in tech leading to improved recycling and a more efficient circular economy.
#4
My girlfriend recently got chickens and I’ve been waiting for this moment.
Image source: William Proctor
#5
Image source: Jason Puglielli
#6
Crazy realistic. 20 hour print on h2c.
Image source: Robert McAndrews
Some of the things that you can do with your 3D printer’s plastic waste include granulating it, donating it, and melting it down.
Granulating the waste makes it reusable for the 3D printing process. The upside is that creators and businesses save money by reusing existing material, instead of it ending up in landfills.
#7
Finished printing 2.5 days. Cleaned up remainder of trees then preped for paint. Here is the completed render bronzed.
Image source: Mark Samuels
#8
Image source: Randy Groot
#9
Image source: Alex Rocca
Another thing you can do is donate your scrap materials to schools and colleges, which likely have 3D printers. If your waste materials are actually reusable, you can help your local community out this way.
Alternatively, you can melt your scrap to make molds for crafting or to sculpt new designs.
#10
Image source: Lauren Hudson
#11
This vase came out so cute!!! 3d printed and hand painted. Took 8 hours printing time!
Image source: Danielle Steigleman
#12
Hi everyone, here’s my latest and biggest project. My three-legged cat finally has his own bed on the floor ^^
Have a great day, and keep being creative!
Image source: Lexx Premier
One huge issue that might lead to more inefficiency and plastic waste is how your 3D printer is set up.
A recent piece on XDA emphasizes how your printer’s factory settings might be the cause of greater amounts of scrap. The problem is that factory profiles favor “reliable results over efficient material use.”
However, as you learn the ins and outs of your machine, you can then find ways to make better use of your resources.
#13
Image source: Tomas Baldman
#14
Image source: Tim Black
#15
Image source: Dee B Mitchell
“Your printer’s default profiles weren’t designed for your room, filament, or typical projects. They have to work in dry offices, damp basements, warm spare rooms, and many other environments the manufacturer can’t predict. They also have to work for people who may not yet know what half the slicer settings do. That means leaving a comfortable margin wherever a leaner setting could cause a failed print,” XDA explains.
#16
Image source: Patrick Allinger
#17
Started printing a couple months ago and my goal was to make figures because i’ve always been an avid collector of figurines. This is my first finished print! took a lot of time and work but i’m pretty proud of it.
Image source: Lulu Draghia
#18
Image source: Brenden Tuttle
“Those margins make sense when you’re just getting started. A manufacturer would rather have someone waste a little extra filament than risk a first print lifting, sagging, or coming loose from the plate. The problem is that the same profile often stays in place long after the user has learned what the machine can handle. At that point, a beginner-friendly safeguard can quietly become a permanent source of waste.”
#19
Fresh off the printer! Articulated iguana printed on my Bambu Lab P1S. Can’t stop playing with it!
Image source: Trâm Trần
#20
Minimal cable organizer.
Image source: Emin Özçelik
#21
Image source: Tony Chavez
In a nutshell, consumers value reliability. 3D printer manufacturers know this, so they pre-program settings that don’t prioritize efficiency.
The idea is that you end up using slightly more material, but you don’t have to worry about the design collapsing or having aesthetic flaws.
#22
Image source: Anthony Mendoza
#23
My Little Free Library is up and running! I 3-D printed the decorations, and books have been donated by amazing neighbors!!
Image source: Christine Jensen Grant
#24
Image source: Luiz Paulo Vieira
What you can do is experiment with your printer, changing one setting at a time so that you find the right balance between speed, quality, and resource use.
“Some factory settings can stay exactly where they are because they work and don’t create enough waste to justify the effort. Others deserve attention because the same unnecessary plastic appears after nearly every job. The goal isn’t a printer that produces no waste. It’s knowing why the extra material is there,” XDA stresses.
#25
I am an elementary public school librarian and I have an area called MakerSpace where the kids get to be creative. Printed these for decor and fun.
I’m also working on a big 250 USA celebration and theme in my library this year, so the Lego man with the Mohawk is red, white, and blue.
So excited for my students to see them in a few weeks!
Image source: Laura Matte
#26
So I’ve printed some Faerie houses, this one being part of a faerie village in a tree trunk out front. It got it’s first visitor today. Pretty sure my daughter put the juvenile toad up there, but love the pic regardless.
Image source: Jeff Combs
#27
Image source: Brenden Tuttle
We can’t wait to hear your thoughts! Upvote your favorite pics and join the conversation in the comments with your fellow Pandas.
Which of these designs impressed and inspired you the most? What is the coolest thing that you have ever 3D-printed yourself or seen someone else create?
#28
Image source: Aaron Rogers
#29
Image source: Carl Howarth
#30
The latest version of my “KLETKA 4” wall clock.
Image source: Dimitar Palanski
#31
Hello, I created a 2 in 1 (both a bird drinker and a feeder in the winter) you can install it on a wall or hang it on a thread.
Image source: Edijs Strazds
#32
Image source: Edijs Strazds
#33
Image source: Rich Ar
#34
Latest Project turned out awesome.
Image source: Michael Boettcher
#35
Uno Minecraft cards holder.
Image source: Fidel Pineda
#36
I’m in the process of making my Halloween display for this year.
Image source: Donley Koshowsky
#37
48 hours of printing.
Image source: Anthony Floyd
#38
I had way too much fun with this. I think it’s sparked my creative side and I’ve really enjoyed learning Blender to fine tune and tweak them.
Image source: Mark Reed
#39
Iron man.
Image source: Amy Que
#40
This wasn’t just my project—it was ours.
I handled the printing and assembly, and my beautiful wife absolutely crushed the paint job. She turned a great print into an amazing display piece.
Image source: Brian Sharp
#41
Finished up this raygun.
Image source: Daniels Poke
#42
Image source: Troy Lord
#43
Hey guys, I made this cool shower speaker that hangs on the metal frame.
Image source: Kavya Khatri
#44
Image source: Allen McCoy
#45
I just finished this made-to-order, one-of-a-kind Halo 2 themed OG Xbox case. It’s printed in ASA, with a PETG gold “X”.
Image source: Terra Dactyl
#46
This is my first big print. It took over 96 hours and a whole lot of patience. We are a Harry Potter loving house and making Dobby fits perfectly.
Image source: Angela Dunn
#47
Image source: Addicted RC Fabrication
#48
I made this for a customer from a photograph he sent me…
Printed in white, then hand painted.
Image source: Craig Read
#49
Image source: Daryn Nevels
#50
I just started 3d printing around 2 months ago and wanted to share my first ever print from scratch!
Image source: Brandon S. Yard
#51
Image source: Rudy Torres
#52
Image source: Daryn Nevels
#53
Image source: Bheyzyl Barbon
#54
Image source: Emily Fowler
#55
First 2 items for grandkids.
Image source: Kevin Carter
#56
Image source: Brenden Tuttle
#57
Power means control, and control means… an ultimate 3D print!
Printed on Bambu Lab, and the level of detail is out of this world! From his iconic metal mask to that menacing, rule-the-world posture, Doctor Doom is ready to bring some serious Latverian supremacy to the shelf. There’s honestly no better feeling than a perfect print coming to life!
Image source: Dennis Xawery Moore
#58
Image source: Brian Sharp
#59
This print was finally the print where my wife said “ok you’re right the 3D printer is worth it” I don’t know if she meant it or if she was just happy I didn’t go to home Depot for 1 thing to come back with about 8 other things and not even get what I went there for.
Image source: Rodney Turner
#60
Image source: Csobolya Tibor
#61
Printed in 5 colors with stunning detail! The multi-color print really brings the majestic moose to life and highlights every part of the design beautifully.
Printed with the Bambu H2C.
Filament: Bambu
Image source: Alexander Peter Paasch
#62
Just finished my latest project. The Christmas House. Made it on my Snapmaker U1. Took me about a week to complete it and the most waste I had while doing the projects was the prime towers but other than that there was very little poop. ( it’s the waste when changing colors.). The detail on this project is awesome and there is absolutely no bleeding of the colors.Just hoping my glue will hold up, if not will need to get stronger glue.
Image source: Peter Denis
#63
Image source: Julia Carvalho
#64
Been printing for a little over a month now. Pretty proud of this one. Im a member of local Veteran Chairt MC and I wanted to replicate our cut. This was step 1. The leather vest.
Image source: Leatherneck Labs 3D Concepts
#65
Image source: Andy Setrum Ngabar
#66
Image source: Sheldon Hunt
#67
Love this root woven owl. I have a lot to learn but I’m getting there.
Image source: Jonathan Hagan Sr.
#68
Image source: Sarge Hertzog
#69
Image source: Benjamin Donahue
#70
Image source: Brandon Burleson
#71
Image source: Ricardo G. L. Milhim
#72
Image source: John Oliver
#73
Image source: Jimmy Rosdahl
#74
Image source: Jon DeTray
#75
Image source: Logan Corey
#76
Image source: Joey Pilotti
#77
A print in Memory of my Star who passed away.
Image source: Anthony Meadows
#78
Image source: Andréa Garrison
#79
Image source: Tomas Baldman
#80
Image source: Josh Moore
#81
Image source: Paulo Bubolz
#82
Image source: Steven Tapp
#83
Pen holder.
Image source: Nathan Hurt
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