21st century Christmas gift making

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My son Blake and I always try to make something to give our family for Christmas. In the late ’90s, we were quite proud of the packing/box art (inset) we made for some handmade (not by us) ornaments we gave out. We found one of these boxes in the attic this year and it looks rather shabby next to this year’s presents: the two plastic 3D-printed figures, one freestanding and one tree ornament, that Blake rendered in 3D and then had printed at Shapeways. The character is named Vido and he’s a little wizard dude that appeared to Blake in a dream about five years ago. Vido has already been in CRAFT Volume 02, in an article that I did on making your own stamps out of art gum erasers. I still use the stamp. Vido has also appeared in Christmas cards of ours over the years, so we’re both tickled to see him come to life in three-dimensions. It’s really easy to upload the 3D (STL) files to Shapeways and it’s not terribly expensive, either. They cost about $20 each. You can see Blake’s Shapeway’s page on the link below.

SlyDevil Studios at Shapeways

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Gareth Branwyn is a freelance writer and the former Editorial Director of Maker Media. He is the author or editor of over a dozen books on technology, DIY, and geek culture. He is currently a contributor to Boing Boing, Wink Books, and Wink Fun. His free weekly-ish maker tips newsletter can be found at garstipsandtools.com.

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