A few weeks ago we announced our first 3D printed holiday ornament competition, and today we are excited to announce the winners! We are not the first to hold a 3D printed ornament competition, but we were still blown away by the quality of the entries that were submitted. We asked Makers to incorporate Makey, electronics, and moving parts into their designs, and we got everything we could hope for and more. We have included not only the winners, but also some of our favorite runner-ups for you to enjoy. If you would like to check out all entries, you can find them at Youmagine with the tag “MakingMerry”.
The winner of our contest will have a merry holiday indeed, with a brand new Ultimaker 2 Extended from our sponsor Ultimaker. Our second place winner will receive a $100 gift certificate to the MakerShed to stock up on their Maker supplies for the new year.
We reached out to this year’s Digital Fabrication testing team to judge the entries, and we had a hard time narrowing down our favorites with so many great entries to choose from. We would have loved to give an award to every last entry but in our discussion one really shined above the rest…
First Place: Makey Eggmass
The Makey Eggmass ornament not only took on the challenge head-on by incorporating Makey into a print-in-place design, it exemplifies the kinds of things that can be done with 3D printing but are so hard to do with other mediums. When you insert a coin into the bottom of this egg shaped ornament, it opens to reveal a festively dressed Makey inside. All parts are printed together, and the first opening breaks free the supports that helped the mechanics print together. Created by Lyssens Yves, this design contains 18 internal hinges to make its movements possible. This design is beyond our wildest dreams when we put forth this challenge, the win is well deserved.
Second Place: Nut Cracker
While there were numerous other entries that we loved, the cute little Makey Nut Cracker ornament won the judges’ hearts. Another print-in-place; after the print is complete and the supports are removed, the Nut Cracker has a working mouth like a classic nut cracker. One of our favorite parts for this one is the ease of printing. This will be adorning the trees of many of the judges this year!
Other Favorites
The Lighted Christmas Ornament was a close runner-up for our second place position. We loved the simple but classic look of this piece and the instructions for adding the electronics are top notch. Print this ornament and add in an LED and batteries to light up your holiday.
Watch Out Makey doesn’t go on your tree, but this mechanical decoration will keep you entertained with its simple operation. Turn the snowman to watch Makey run from an oncoming train.
Santa had a few too many cookies this year and has paid the price in this fun ornament. Powered by an Arduino and a couple servo motors, Santa Clog will add a little humor to your tree.
C. Michael Neely created a whole village of lighted ornaments. Add an LED tea light to create a warm cheery glow. The Small House is one of my personal favorites.
Here are yet more of our other favorites. Happy holidays, Makers!
And, if the traditional yule log video just isn’t cutting it for you in your home, we made one of our very own – a continuous loop of Caleb’s fire tornado. Throw on your favorite holiday jams, put this on your tv, and have a great holiday.
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