5 Cool TV Accessories You Can 3D Print

If you have a 3D printer at home, you're well aware of the potential it has for creating bespoke accessories, but you may not know just how useful it can be for your TV. The coolest part about the whole setup is that you can make your own versions of items you come across that you would otherwise not be willing to spend money on. And it's so much more rewarding to reproduce a similar experience by yourself, using a bit of filament and waiting a few hours for the printer to do its job.

Some projects can be surprisingly useful because they solve problems that we had simply learned to live with over time. 3D-printed TV accessories can help with losing your remote between the couch cushions or the tangled mess of cables that always seems to snowball when you have more than one device connected to the TV. In fact, annoyances like these are the perfect problems to solve with a 3D printer, since the solutions are usually small and simple to print.

The other good news is that there's a large community of people interested in these projects, so there are several STL models made specifically for TVs. Some are even completely free and you don't need to spend anything beyond the material and time to print them. And since these are small objects, the vast majority don't need supports when you print them, making them great 3D printing projects for beginners as well.

If you have an Apple TV 4K in your home, you know that the small box can be a great hub for accessing your favorite movies and streaming services. At the same time, depending on how your setup looks, it not only takes up space on your shelf but also leaves the HDMI and power cables exposed. A 3D-printed VESA mount can solve this problem, taking the device out of sight and placing it behind the TV.

You can find mount projects online that are perfect for placing the Apple TV 4K, such as one from Zkaza on Printables, and still have universal compatibility with most TVs. That's because the mount has a grid pattern of holes that follow the VESA standard, so regardless of how the manufacturer of your panel built that back part, it should be possible to attach there. Once printed, you can remove the Apple TV from the shelf while keeping its cables from being spread around.

Besides making the whole visual around it cleaner, the Apple TV remains functional in this setup since the fact that it's positioned behind your display doesn't prevent Bluetooth and Wi-Fi from working. Also, if you have another streaming box in your home and not necessarily Apple's, there are also similar projects available to be downloaded online.

3D-printed projects are some of the best options for organizing the cables behind a TV, and anyone who connects more than one device to the display knows how messy it can get. So if you own a 3D printer and want to avoid all that clutter, it's just a matter of looking around on sites like Thingiverse, Printables, or MyMiniFactory for cable organization projects that fit your setup.

You'll quickly notice that TV cable organizers are some of the most abundant and varied projects when you search STL file sites, so it's likely that if one doesn't appeal to you, another option will work to solve your exact cable problem. Some are even modular, allowing you to adjust the position of the devices without worrying about how the others end up, while other projects help you hide the cables completely.

The cool part about these projects is that you can also scale the model up or down so that it supports a cable with a specific diameter, like some thicker HDMIs. However, the vast majority already come standardized to organize the common sizes of most of these cables, making the whole process easy to just print and start using. If you want more ideas in this vein beyond TV accessories, there are many other must-try 3D printing projects worth exploring.

If you watch a lot of TV, you've surely missed the beginning of a show you like or taken too long to start a movie because you forgot where the remote was. Considering that many displays don't have buttons for you to control them freely, losing the remote means missing out on those underrated smart TV features you'd normally have. That's why 3D-printing a handy place to store your TV remote is a smart move.

For example, St3rn Design's project on Printables is a simple tabletop option for anyone who needs to use more than one remote with their TV. There are other STL files that serve the same purpose but feature a different installation, like one from barrooze on Thingiverse that lets you attach the holder to the wall. With a print like that, you can place the holder a bit above the couch and have an easy spot to store the remote after turning on your favorite show.

As useful as they are, these TV remote holder projects are only functional if you remember to put the remote back in them after using it instead of leaving it on the couch. No amount of filament can change that habit, but having a handy spot where you can store the remotes within arm's reach will go a long way.

Modern flat-screen TVs don't have space for powerful speakers, so many users turn to the best soundbars on the market to improve their sound setup. However, to install one properly, it's usually necessary to have a separate space on your TV stand for it, or potentially even drill holes in the wall to install the mount that comes with the soundbar. Luckily, there are some great alternatives for anyone who has a 3D printer available at home.

There are several soundbar mount projects that you can find online, like the one from PapalPotato on Printables, which was designed to be installed on the TV itself using its standard VESA holes. Other options, like one offered by xaevi on Printables, let you attach the device to the top of the TV. Ultimately, it's just a matter of finding a project that fits what you need in your home.

Most of these soundbar mounts can be 3D printed without supports, and many use very little filament, making them cheaper options than the ones you would normally find in stores. At the same time, it's important to pay attention to the material you use, since PLA is not recommended to support the weight of these items for a long time. Rather, PETG or ABS would be more reliable options to withstand the stress.

If you've ever removed the original feet from your TV to mount it on the wall and then regretted it, you know that finding replacement parts can be surprisingly difficult. Many manufacturers don't offer replacements, and even when they do, the price tends to be disproportionate to the product itself. This makes 3D printing a great alternative for anyone who needs these accessories but can't find the originals anywhere.

You can find hundreds of feet and riser models designed for TVs online, especially for the best smart TV brands like LG and Samsung. But even if you can't find a project for your specific display model, it's possible to adapt the fitting measurements of an existing one, so you're not limited to what you find online. Again, since these mounts need to withstand greater stresses, it's recommended to use PETG rather than PLA for your print.

You can also use these risers to raise the height of your TV a bit more in relation to the surface — for example, to install a soundbar underneath. Several models you'll find online were designed specifically for this, with varying heights depending on the size of the speaker, creating the necessary space to fit your exact setup.