Nothing says holidays quite like gift-giving anxiety. Wrestling with who to get things for and what to give them can be overwhelming. To make your season of winter festivity easier, we’ve rounded up a mix of twelve projects old and new to replace your choice paralysis with last-minute-building-panic.
Puzzle boxes
First up, 3D printed puzzle boxes. I’ve given boxes like these away for a few years now, and they’re always a hit. If you don’t know what to get someone and need to class up cash or gift codes, a puzzle box makes opening a gift into a whole experience. Last year I watched this nested puzzle box make its way around the room as everyone challenged themselves to open it long after the recipient got their prize. This maze box by djedje is faster to open and looks nicely refined. If you’re really crunched for time, this vase mode-optimized puzzle box prints out quick.
Golden Caddy A-Go-Go cocktail
I like giving away food and drinks because I know they’ll become fond memories, not extra clutter. You could make the syrup for this New Year’s cocktail and deliver it as a kit, or whip up a batch to bring a festive flavor to your own party.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle ornaments
Homemade ornaments are fun because you can add your own personal touch. Plus they’ll get brought back out of slumber each year, so you get extra points annually. These TMNT ornaments may be the best effort-to-impact ratio ones I’ve seen. You can give them as a set of four. Or if your family’s more traditional than whimsical, make them a bunch of Raphael.
Christmas ball with intersecting diamonds
3D printed ornaments are a quick way to bust something out for people with trees who you’ve forgotten to shop for. If this isn’t the first time you’ve turned to your printer to cover your crimes, you’ll need an extra-stunning model to impress them. An intricate Christmas ball with intersecting diamonds might be just the thing.
Stunning gingerbread brownstone
There are sensible, achievable projects that will turn out great on the first try. Instructables user kitchentablescraps’ gingerbread brownstone is probably not one of them. But it’s so stunning that even though we’ve featured it before, it must be shown off again so that the right person sees it and has a chance to build even more imposing edible architecture.
Christmas gnome brownie bites
You aren’t required to make a dish for every party from scratch, but dressing up a premade one can help ensure you don’t bring the same plate as someone else. These Easy Christmas Gnomes use brownie bites as a time-saving base. They look both adorable and delicious, two critical food criteria.
Giant Lego wreath
Winner of “the holiday 3D print that made me smile the most,” this Lego Wreath by MagnumDanger brings me joy every time I see it. There’s something simply delightful about giant toys, and the Lego-style assembly instructions kick it over the top.
Snowflake dreidels
If you’re going to play Dreidel, it’s only fitting that you make one yourself. It’s in the song, after all. This dreidel design by Hank the Goose adds a snowflake pattern for a flair of winter festivity. I hope it isn’t long before someone prints one out of clay.
Harry Potter floating candles
Some of the best decorations span more than one holiday. Floating candles inspired by Harry Potter not only add an enchanted touch to a Christmas tree, but are appropriate to display October through December.
Twinkling branches room divider
But if three months isn’t long enough to show off all your hard work, this Twinkling Branches Room Divider works any time the days are cold and evenings are dark. Winter is filled with light festivals just for projects like these.
Oxocard tree topper
This list wouldn’t be complete without a festive animated LED tree-topper. Built with the small but slick Oxocard, this light-up star can be built in a few hours, and its simple code can be customized on a mobile device in seconds. It’s an elegant blend of high-tech LED wizardry in a traditional form.
3D Printed Toys for Tots
It’s too late to sign up for 2024, but I’m including it partially as a reminder to myself for 2025. IC3D’s fantastic Annual 3D Printed Toys for Tots Program turned makers into elves and created over 130k toys for the charity Toys For Tots in 2023. If you have extra time on a printer going into the holidays, this seems ideal. And if you want to contribute without a printer, you can also submit a toy design and have your model featured.
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