Things to 3D print: useful, personal and worth giving.
Ideas by room and occasion, with a generator or a model library to start from.
The best things to 3D print are the ones you use every day or give to someone: a keychain with a name, a switch plate in your colours, a planter sized for your pot, table numbers for a wedding. This list sorts ideas by where they go, from the home to events, pets and small business, and says where to start for each one: a customisable generator when the piece needs your sizes or names, or a free model library for everything else.
Ideas made in Morcano Studio
Steps: from an idea to a print
Pick the idea
Start from the lists below: something for your home, a gift, an event or a pet.
Find or build the file
For a piece with your sizes or names, open its generator in Morcano Studio. For a gadget or a toy, search a free model library and read its licence.
Set it up
In a generator, type the text and the measurements and pick colours. The studio checks the file before it downloads.
Slice and print
Open the STL or 3MF in your slicer. Most of these pieces print flat on the plate, without supports.
Useful things to 3D print for the home
- Switch plates and outlet covers in a shape and pattern of your choice, sized to your switch.
- Planters and plant markers with the names of what you sow.
- Trays and dishes for keys, rings and desk clutter, and coasters with a pattern.
- Hangers and hooks and pocket boxes for small things that get lost.
- Door hangers: Do not disturb, Nap time, On air, or any line you type.
- Gadgets from free libraries: cable clips, phone and tablet stands, drawer organisers, wall-mounted tool boards.
Personalised gifts to 3D print
- Name keychains in a choice of fonts and shapes, raised or inlaid in a second colour.
- Rings with a name or a pattern, sized to the finger.
- Lip balm holders with a name up the side, sized to the stick.
- Bubble letters for a name on a shelf or a door.
- Lithophanes from a photo, made with a lithophane tool or model, are another popular gift.
Things to 3D print for weddings and events
- Table numbers that stand on their own base.
- Glass name tags that clip on a wine glass, one per guest.
- Name keychains as favours, a whole guest list in one batch.
- Door hangers for hotel rooms or a venue, numbered or named.
For an event, a list of names becomes one batch of files in the same style. See Personalised 3D prints in batches.
Things to 3D print for pets
- Pet bowl stands with the pet's name, sized to the bowl.
- Pouch dispensers with cat ears for wet food pouches.
- Dog bag holders that clip on the lead.
- Cat helmets for a photo: a hard hat or a Spartan, Roman or Ottoman helmet, sized to the head, with the name on it.
Things to 3D print for a small business
- Ink stamps with a logo or a word, on a face that slides onto one handle.
- Emboss stamps that press a logo into paper.
- Table numbers and door hangers for cafes, hotels and venues.
Personalised pieces are also what sells. See What 3D prints sell on Etsy and 3D printing business ideas.
Good first prints
- A calibration print, such as the well-known boat model 3DBenchy, shows how your printer handles overhangs, bridges and small detail.
- A flat name keychain: one short print that tests the first layer, text and a second colour.
- A coaster or a tray: a large flat face that shows how even the first layer is.
- Fidget toys and print-in-place models from free libraries, for moving parts without assembly.
Questions
What are cool things to 3D print?
Things you will use or give: a name keychain, a switch plate in your colours, a planter sized to your pot, table numbers for an event, a stamp with your logo. Fidget toys, lithophanes and print-in-place models are popular from free libraries.
What are useful things to 3D print?
Switch plates, hooks, trays, boxes, plant markers, cable clips, stands and organisers. Pieces sized to your own home are the most useful, which is where a generator helps.
What should I 3D print first?
A calibration print such as 3DBenchy, then a small flat piece like a name keychain or a coaster.
Where can I get files for things to 3D print?
Free model libraries such as Printables, Thingiverse and MakerWorld, or a generator such as Morcano Studio for pieces with your own sizes, names and colours. Its free plan gives 3 designs a month on each generator.
What 3D prints can I sell?
Personalised pieces sell well: names, events, pets and small business items. Check the licence of any model you did not design; Morcano's Seller and Studio plans include the commercial licence for printed pieces.
Sources
Checked on 12 October 2026. Rules and fees change: check the source before you rely on a number.
