5 Cool 3D Printing Projects You Should Try This Weekend

It's amazing how quickly an idea or file can turn into something tangible thanks to FDM and resin 3D printers. There are some brilliant community models available for free (not for commercial use), and a weekend is plenty of time to print and finish a project without headaches. They're available on some of the best websites for free 3D printing projects, such as Thingiverse and Makerworld.

The Bluey Cookie Cutter and Stamp by a Thingiverse user is a two-part design, a stamp for the details and a cutter to form a cookie, keeping design and cutting into two easy steps for a fun snack to make with the family. Users can print with standard PLA filament, which is reliable to use in light use cases such as this,  and it doesn't require any supports, making it a quick and easy project. Weekends should be about baking after all.

Whilst there are more cookie cutters, such as "Tom" from "Tom and Jerry" and a couple of Valentine's Day-themed projects available, you can also find a "Merchant License" from some Patreon users to gain access to designs that you can use professionally. A quick Thingiverse search brings up hundreds of different designs, from "Among Us" to "Batman," users are spoiled for choice. Best of all, this enables the family to get involved and pick their favorite design. The Dark Knight needs snacks while defending Gotham at the end of the day. 

Instead of heading out and buying a new side table this weekend, you can stay home and 3D print a handy side bed shelf that mounts directly to a bed frame. With the back of the brackets being sandwiched between the frame and mattress, it can be a super-stable surface for phones, glasses, books, medication, and more. The design found on Thingiverse is sturdy and features thick walls and generous contact points, making it a reliable little gadget even when printed in standard PLA. Getting a nice wood-effect filament would look great with this project. 

For those who are good with resizing, this project could be upscaled whilst keeping the gap in the brackets at the right size. While the creator doesn't state what's actually been improved, this is version two of the side bed shelf. Naturally, it's going to be sturdier and have some kinks worked out that were present in the previous version.

There are plenty of other handy gadgets to print for bedside storage and convenience that are great for beginner 3D printing projects, too. You can also find a wall-mounted bedside caddy on Thingiverse, which features a cup holder, game controller holder, and storage for smartphones and TV remotes. Or, for someone who wants something low-profile, another Thingiverse user made a bedside gadget holder with a postbox design that slots on a bed frame to hold phones, tablets, books, and more without drawing too much attention.

One of the best things about having a 3D printer is making toys, and there's a ridiculous amount of them to try. The Jointed Rhino, by a Thingiverse user, prints off in separate parts, then it just needs to be clipped together. Unlike some articulated toys that use bars, hooks, or just flop around, this has limited articulation that allows the jointed rhino to stand up and move naturally. It's a well-thought-out project.

While the Thingiverse page shows settings for an FDM Printer, it might be worth using a resin 3D printer, using ABS-like or toughened resin to get as much detail as possible with a smooth finish. The creator has a few other projects available to download for free, with some extra paid models over on Cults3D, starting at a couple of dollars.

The flexible models there look like fun additions to anyone's toy collection. The "Jointed Gorilla," for example, is a simplified design based on a real gorilla but features realistic articulation. It's composed of 20 parts, 19 joints, and takes around six hours to print. PETG is the recommended filament, and users will need supports enabled to print. Again, rather than having a floppy articulated toy, the jointed gorilla features tight joints that move realistically as a proper action figure should.

Dummy 13 won the 2024 3D model of the Year on Printables because it's a simple and effective design, looks-wise, and an incredibly well-thought-out action figure. It's a poseable figure built around expressive movement. Its simplified form is easy to print, even on older 3D printers with awkward calibration processes. Users can make Dummy 13 their own with different colored filaments, some even choose to paint or customize the shells further, making this one of the coolest modular toys anyone can 3D print.

It can be scaled up, too, so if someone fancies a doll-sized Dummy 13, they can (if they have enough filament). There are plenty of remixes and accessories to print out for Dummy 13, as well. Some users have remixed the whole Dummy 13 shell to look like Superman, for example. For those just looking for cool add-ons instead of full overhauls, there's some nice-looking samurai armor, or you can print out a Dummy 13-inspired dog.

Just want some accessories? A quick search on Thingiverse brings up everything from coffee mugs to swords, making Dummy 13 arguably the best supported 3D printing project available. Just remember that any scaling done on Dummy 13, as well as any accessories remixed shells, will need scaling to the same value.

Not everything 3D printed needs to be practical. Sometimes people need to print off a Hylian Shield and Master Sword based on "The Legend of Zelda," like one Thingiverse user designed. The accuracy here is fantastic, perfect for a display piece or hollowed out and scaled up for an incredible set of cosplay accessories. Imagine something like this wall-mounted over the fireplace in the lounge. Just make sure auto supports are on, and weight is a consideration when scaling up. Oh, and don't hit anyone.

The Hylian Shield, printed at 220%, measures 272 mm x 220 mm according to the creator, who separated each piece of the shield and split the base shield into four pieces for easier printing. Other optimizations include modifying all elements, so they print flat and making sure cutting insures a good fit, with a margin of around 0.04 mm, so nothing.

The Windwaker Master Sword has been optimized to print one piece at a time, as well, with the standard sizing at 360 mm x 150 mm. The creator notes that six copies of "Demi-bague.stl" and two copies of "Poignée.stl," "Saphir-Poignée.stl," and "Citrine-Poignée.stl" to get the full sword form.

There's plenty of Pokémon fan projects on Thingiverse, but one of the nicest is what user "Patrickart" has made. While these would be ridiculously cool to upscale and print large versions of, small, detailed prints need a resin 3D printer and can achieve unmatched detail over filament FDM printers, so that's something to consider before catching 'em all. At the time of writing, there's Charizard, Mew, Vulpix, Mudkip, Psyduck, Bulbasaur, Squirtle, Charmander, Eevee, Teddiursa, and Dragonite.

Patrickart has moved into other franchises too, such as Studio Ghibli's "My Neighbor Totoro". There's Catbus, the Totoro family, Totaro, Mei Kusakabe, and randomly Boh from another Ghibli classic "Spirited Away". Make sure to hollow out and infill any resin prints to save on materials and punch holes in the base to easily wash out any leftover resin. Resin, by nature, is hard to paint, so make sure to buy a black or white base coat spray can or use an airbrush if you have one. 

Printing out small characters from family favorites, then painting them, is a great activity for the family. There are multiple trusted brands for paints, including Games Workshop, Army Painter, and Valejo. Valejo also sells paintbrushes, airbrushes, and all the other hobby accessories you'll need.