All I want for Christmas is ... 3D printed decorations

Many lucky people will be finding a 3D printer under their Christmas tree this year. But some creative people have gone one step further and used their 3D printer to decorate their tree, house and garden! Here are some of the best we have seen:

Grumpy cat bauble

What could be more festive than the iconic grumpy cat hanging from your Norwegian spruce? 3D artist Matt Bagshaw has created a purr-fect likeness of the feline Twitter celebrity, donned in festive garb, with a hole in the collar to thread a ribbon or hook through. Ideal for the Scrooge in your life.

Labyrinth gift box

A father has devised a cunning way of making his children work harder for their Christmas cash by printing these fantastic gift boxes. An extruded maze-like pattern holds the outer compartment together, and the child has to slide the two parts of the case apart in exactly the right configuration to free the money. As its creator says: "There’s only one correct path and I tried to make it so that it’s easy to slide past the correct exits. Time will tell if it’s effective!”

3D printed bird nest


This seasonal 3D bird feeder from PrintedNest gives birds in your garden a colourful place to refuel and repose over the winter months. Photos, instructions and STL files are available here, with personalised designs possible.

Lego Christmas jumpers

It's the Christmas jumper season, for humans, animals and LEGO minifigs - of course. With 3D printing toys and figurines also get in on the act. Michael Curry's design incorporates different sweater logos and can be upsized if necessary for supersized figures.

‘Reach the Stars Pendant’

Inspired by Grimm's fairy tale 'The Star Money', this filigree silver pendant has been created by designer Loupgarou, illustrating the heroine's endeavor to catch the stars. The beautiful design can be ordered as a 3D print in sterling silver with a high-gloss finish.

Think you can do better? Click here for Rapid's range of 3D printers, from the self-assembly Velleman K8200 for under £400, to the super cool, fast and 10.7 litre build volume of the UP BOX, the new generation in the UP range of 3D desktop printers.