Home decoration with 3D printing isn’t new. There are so many great options for printing organization tools, wall art, and getting your home office setup just right. Christmas is no exception! You can bring some holiday cheer into your home this year with your 3D printer.
In this article, we’ll take a look at household decor items, cookie cutters, Christmas trees, and ornaments that’ll get you in the holiday spirit. Your home will be looking a lot like Christmas in no time!
If you see something on the list that you want but don’t have the means or desire to print it yourself, check out Craftcloud. With a wide range of materials and finishes, your Christmas item can be on its way to you in no time!
And now, let’s get to our twice-checked list!
Accessories & Decor
Maybe the mantel is looking a bit plain or you’ll have a few guests and want to 3D print some thematic games. Here are some great ideas to check out!
Low-Poly Snowman
If you want a snowman that only melts under your filament’s glass transition temperature, here is one that fits that bill perfectly. This low polygon snowman sports a top hat and a coat and always greets with a cheerful smile on his face.
You will need to print the snowman himself plus a carrot (his nose), his eyes and buttons (which are the same model), and his top hat. All components are in separate files so that you can easily print them in different colors – with the file name specifying the hue – and they all print without supports. If you scale any of the parts, remember to scale the others!
- Who designed it? mjmedien
- How printable/popular is it? This dapper snowman has nearly 140 makes, 4 remixes, and quite a few positive comments.
- Where to find it? Thingiverse
Bearded Christmas Gnome
The pesky garden gnome has become quite a staple in our culture, but have you ever seen a Christmas gnome? This little festive and Santa-like gnome is complete with a long, pointed hat and a big, scruffy beard.
This model is printed in five pieces and doesn’t require any supports. The designer recommends using a 0.2-mm layer height with a 0.4-mm nozzle for printing the beard. Once printed, the beard should be carefully cut from the bridge-support wall and shaped by hand with a hairdryer on low heat.
- Who designed it? Thomas 3D
- How printable/popular is it? This model has 368 makes, with many opting for a variety of colors for the hats.
- Where to find it? Printables
Gift Box
These cute little gift boxes are a great addition to your Christmas decor. You can print the boxes in a variety of colors and put them under miniature trees. They can go next to other Christmas decorations or you can print a super-sized gift box to put under the family Christmas tree.
The designer even added an extra file for the gift boxes with a keychain hole, allowing you to either wear your favorite gift box around your neck or use it as an ornament. Keep in mind that these aren’t hollow, so you’ll have to modify them if you want to use them as gift containers. If you don’t have the time or skills, look further down the list and check out the Lockable Present Ornaments.
- Who designed it? YDesign
- How printable/popular is it? This design has been downloaded over 1,000 times and 13 makers have shared their prints. There are a handful of that list their print settings as references for others.
- Where to find it? Printables
Sleigh Planter
Need a gift for someone with a green thumb? You’ll definitely want to print this adorable Santa’s sleigh planter box. It’s both festive and practical for holding your houseplants or whatever your imagination decides on. (Candy, perhaps?)
The print time is relatively short, just under two hours. If you want to use the sleigh for decor (and not as a planter box), the creator includes a file without drainage holes.
- Who designed it? TangoFiveCreations
- How printable/popular is it? This planter box currently has 5 makes, around 500 downloads, and 88 likes.
- Where to find it? Printables
Articulated Toys
These adorable Christmas-themed figures are the perfect way to bring some Christmas spirit to the household. Each figure is a print-in-place model, featuring articulating joints to make the characters extra life-like.
The models shouldn’t require any supports, and multicolor printers will have a great time with these files. If you don’t have a multicolor setup, you can always print these figures in a single color and make it a family project to paint them all.
Some of the models even feature string holes, so you can also use them as ornaments and decor!
North Pole Ring Toss Game
This is a Christmas-themed variation of the classic ring toss game that utilizes a cartoonish north pole as the peg. It can be a great party game or just a decoration during the holiday season. The rings can be sized to increase or decrease the difficulty of the game. And, if you lose the rings, you can always print new ones.
The designer included a printing profile with a 0.2-mm layer height, two walls, and 15% infill. It’s meant to be printed with a multicolor setup like Bambu Lab’s AMS, but you can always opt to print it in a single color and paint it over. And the colorful effect on the pole is achieved by a glued on design, so you can really customize it to your liking.
- Who designed it? PattyWithAP
- How printable/popular is it? This model has almost 3,500 likes, 368 makes, and hundreds of positive comments.
- Where to find it? MakerWorld
Minimalist Nativity Scene
This tiny Nativity scene is simple but very charming! The models are small enough to be used as stocking stuffers and can be printed multiple times to populate the scene.
The OpenSCAD model file is included as well as one STL file that has six figures. The designer printed all of the figures in clear PLA, then painted them (except the angel’s wings).
- Who designed it? nathandumont
- How printable/popular is it? There are three makes and almost 200 likes, as well as a remix with additional figures in a similar style.
- Where to find it? Thingiverse
Coasters
From watermarks to scratches and stains, there are plenty of reasons to use coasters on your coffee table and protect the surfaces from beverages. Chances are, you probably own coasters, but you don’t use them! These Christmas-themed coasters may get you into the spirit and save your tables from stains.
To create this four-piece set, use a 35% infill and wood PLA filament. If you want an even more festive look, go for red or green filament.
- Who designed it? StevenQuinn
- How printable/popular is it? This Christmas-themed print has 114 likes, one make, and over 1,100 downloads.
- Where to find it? Printables
Reindeer Stocking Holder
This reindeer stocking holder was designed to “clip” onto your mantelpiece, which makes it very easy to use.
This festive design prints in three separate pieces and should fit over a 58-mm shelf. The FreeCAD file is available and can easily be adjusted for wherever the stockings are hung.
- Who designed it? ledeev001
- How printable/popular is it? This model has been downloaded over 1,700 times, liked over 160 times, and 2 people have shared their makes of it.
- Where to find it? Thingiverse
Cookie Cutters
Yum! Whether you’re baking some for Santa for Christmas Eve or you just want to treat yourself (and your loved ones) to some delicious cookies, you’ll want to make sure they’re in the right shape.
Santa Claus
First up, this Santa-Claus-themed design is perfect for Christmas cookies. It yields cookies of Santa’s face with hat and mustache details. The maker is a popular designer for cookie cutters, and you can check out their profile page to find more impressive designs.
According to the maker, this cookie cutter takes around an hour to print and consumes approximately 20 grams of filament. Since fine detail isn’t the priority, 0.3-mm layer height is recommended. As a precaution for this and the following cookie cutters, be sure to read about food-safe filaments and 3D printing information so that proper care is taken.
- Who designed it? OogiMe
- How printable/popular is it? This Santa Claus cookie cutter model has 33 recorded makes, over 64,000 downloads, and 2,000 likes.
- Where to find it? Thingiverse
Christmas Tree
For another fun Christmas cookie design, look no further than this Christmas tree with baubles.
The creator recommends printing it with a layer height of 0.3 mm, which took them about an hour to print.
Once you’ve 3D printed and put the cookie cutters to use, wait for the baked goods to cool down. Then, you can color the cookies and add color to the baubles and a shiny star!
- Who designed it? OogiMe
- How printable/popular is it? There are 39 makes and over 5,000 likes of this popular model.
- Where to find it? Thingiverse
Grinch
This cookie cutter design is from Dr. Seuss’ famous children’s book How The Grinch Stole Christmas. If you don’t know, the Grinch is a mean green being who tries to steal Christmas. This cookie cutter of the grinning meano contains a lot of detail, but the cookies made with it look very nice.
For easy pressing, a grip design is included in the project files. The creator notes that you can superglue the grip on the back of the cookie cutter design to attach the piece.
And a final fun fact: This design apparently works great with Play-Doh, too!
- Who designed it? daveposh
- How printable/popular is it? This Grinch-themed cookie cutter design has six recorded makes as well as over 21,000 downloads shared between the two versions.
- Where to find it? Thingiverse
Reindeer
We all know that reindeer are beloved Christmas animals, and this cookie cutter design makes them even more lovable. The model has a lot of indented detail, making the reindeer cookies look spectacular.
The designer didn’t provide any printing tips, but one maker posted a great print using a 0.2-mm layer height and a 20% infill.
- Who designed it? gpson
- How printable/popular is it? This reindeer treat maker has 12 recorded makes, around 1,000 likes, and over 21,000 downloads!
- Where to find it? Thingiverse
Jingle Bells
Bells are a common Christmas ornament, and what better way to celebrate the distinctive sounds of Christmas than with bell-shaped cookies. This design is of Christmas bells with a bow, and the cookies produced with this model come out with an impressive amount of detail.
The model includes a flat piece on the back of the cutter, to allow for an even press every time. This should be a quick and easy print that will produce festive treats for years to come!
Gingerbread Man
This gingerbread man cookie cutter isn’t just for cutting sugar cookies: You can make real gingerbread people out of gingerbread, too! Gingerbread is another holiday season classic, and like the others on this list, this model uses 3D indentations to achieve fun details.
A maker who posted a great print recommends a 0.25-mm layer height and a 30% infill. Get creative with the decorating to give your gingerbread people different outfits and personalities!
- Who designed it? terabrain
- How printable/popular is it? Along with over 14,000 downloads, this gingerbread man cookie cutter design has 7 recorded makes and 2 remixes.
- Where to find it? Thingiverse
Trees
Maybe you don’t have a lot of room for a tree like the one from Miracle on 34th St. Maybe you want to show off what your 3D printer and filament can do. Here are some practical and striking Christmas trees!
Christmas Village
As the name suggests, this tree is circled by a small village on each layer of its boughs. An optional train track runs along the perimeter of the base of the tree that a little train runs on.
The tree is a one-piece print that is hollow on the inside for the optional addition of LED lights. The designer recommends using a 0.2-mm layer height with two perimeters at 8% infill – this latter setting helping to make it easier for the light to flow.
- Who designed it? Rewilo
- How printable/popular is it? The village tree currently only has 1,000 downloads, and over half of the makers who downloaded it have reported successful makes!
- Where to find it? MakerWorld
Light Up
If you enjoy DIY projects, this light-up Christmas scene is a great print that you can customize in many different ways. All of the files print flat with no supports. While the link to the white lights needed to finish the print is included, other makers have experimented with multicolor lights for some amazing results!
The designer has left detailed instructions for the assembly. You can choose which colors to use when printing your trees or base, and for some extra flair, add some ribbons or tinsel!
- Who designed it? Pieter
- How printable/popular is it? With 72 shared makes and over 4,500 downloads, these trees are lighting up plenty of people’s homes.
- Where to find it? Printables
Simple
Need a quick and easy print to help you decorate your house for the winter season? This may be the perfect model. Quick, simple, beautiful… you can’t go wrong!
Don’t worry about special settings or colors. Just download, print, and enjoy the little extra holiday spirit this model brings to your home.
- Who designed it? upperpeninsulaplastics
- How printable/popular is it? To date, this simple tree has over 1,000 likes, 15 makes, and two remixes.
- Where to find it? Thingiverse
Snowflake Bauble & Stand
Family members of all ages will enjoy this stylish snowflake Christmas bauble. There’s also a beautiful display tree for the ornaments that are just too special to be mixed in on your regular tree.
For this print, no glue is required for assembly, as the included slats allow it to be assembled without it. The ornament is 6 cm tall when assembled, although it would be easy to scale if you wanted a different size. And the same designer has plenty of other ornament designs if snowflakes aren’t your thing!
- Who designed it? 3DPrintBunny
- How printable/popular is it? It stands at 66 makes and over 3,800 downloads so far.
- Where to find it? Printables
Droop-Loop
If you’re looking for a unique yule-tide hall-decker, this may be the model you’ve been waiting for all year. It is a Christmas tree that uses a special “droop-loop” printing technique to achieve a unique result.
The “droop-loop” method intentionally removes structure from bridging print paths, and to make it work, cooling and retraction are turned off. The resulting print is extraordinary, but make sure you print according to the designer’s in-depth instructions and recommendations.
- Who designed it? SynJa
- How printable/popular is it? Don’t get scared off by the many slicing instructions. Over 65 Thingiverse users have posted at least one successful make of this design.
- Where to find it? Thingiverse
Hollow Geometric
This geometric tree is a big, bold, beautiful model that is sure to fill your shop with a cheery glow. Because it’s hollow, you don’t even have to worry about excessive filament or time usage. Printed in vase mode with 0% infill, it only took the designer about four hours to print.
Another perk of this holiday model is that it can be scaled easily in all axes to make it fit on your printer or to simply customize it into a fatter or thinner tree. Just keep in mind that drastic scaling could result in difficult overhangs for your printer.
- Who designed it? idig3d
- How printable/popular is it? Seven prints have been shared on Pinshape, and around 400 have been posted on Thingiverse. Needless to say, this is a very popular Christmas print.
- Where to find it? Pinshape, Thingiverse
Spinning Tree
Talented MyMiniFactory maker kijai designed this wild gadget in the wake of the fidget spinner boom. Even now, this is a fun design to print and assemble with standard bearings and nuts you’re bound to find lying around in your shop.
After printing seven parts, you’ll be spinning into the holidays. Print with enough infill to render the tree structurally stable, but any more than 20% infill and 3 walls would be excessive. If you want to give it a shot, gold for the star, green for the branches, and brown for the trunk are clearly appropriate.
- Who designed it? kijai
- How printable/popular is it? The Spinning Tree currently has 760 downloads, 144 likes, and one shared print.
- Where to find it? MyMiniFactory
Ornaments
Last but definitely not least, if you’ve already got a tree and you’re looking to spruce it up or add a touch of your personality, these designs will do the trick!
Lockable Present
This lockable present box keeps any sneaky little hands from tearing into your gift before Christmas morning. Not only is it a present box, but it also doubles as a Christmas tree ornament. The maker suggests putting the key in the recipient’s stocking.
The ornament is printed in seven pieces and assembled post-print. The assembly requires no hardware. Many makers in the comments recommend slicing the key in halves before printing and gluing them together to get the best results.
- Who designed it? jijimath
- How printable/popular is it? This model has nearly 100 makes, 12 remixes, and a great many positive comments.
- Where to find it? Thingiverse
Themed
Whether you plan to have a movie-themed tree this Christmas or you’re looking for a particular logo or symbol from your favorite film to hang on the tree, this set of ornaments is for you. Ranging from Star Trek to The Legend of Zelda, these models cover many of the most popular video games, movies, and TV shows.
These ornaments are all designed as single-piece prints and are printable without supports. Keep in mind that you will need ornament hooks or pipe cleaners to hang these. The designer often takes suggestions from the comments, so if you don’t see the ornament you want, you may be able to convince them to design something for you. And you can always paint the print, as seen above.
- Who designed it? nojjynb
- How printable/popular is it? To date, these ornaments have 18 makes, 8 remixes, and over 5,000 likes.
- Where to find it? Thingiverse
Cookies
If you need to fill in some empty spots on your Christmas tree, these cookie ornaments are a great choice. These ornaments are simple prints that any printer should be able to replicate with no issues.
The layered design makes it easy for users to swap filament colors and achieve their favorite icing color combinations. If you need help with filament swapping, the creator left some helpful notes in the model description.
The Grinch
You’re a mean one, Mr. Grinch… but you can definitely have a beloved spot on our Christmas tree! This highly realistic Grinch ornament is complete with a Santa hat.
The file is designed for printing on a resin printer, but you can still try it on an FDM printer or go with the remix designed for non-resin printing with Prusa’s MMU. If you’re a fan of this ornament design, the creator has many more sculptures and designs to explore!
- Who designed it? VladoTurek
- How printable/popular is it? There are 62 makes, 7 remixes, and over 5,500 downloads.
- Where to find it? Printables
S'More Snowman
This adorable marshmallow “snowman” in a s’more might just melt your heart!
It prints in five parts that you can glue together. The designer painted it to get the final look. If you’re interested, they also provide a detailed video of how it was designed in Autodesk Fusion.
- Who designed it? Desktop_Makes
- How printable/popular is it? This snowman marshmallow has over 4,000 downloads and eight makes, as well as one remix.
- Where to find it? Thingiverse
Swirling
These “swirling” ornaments are a great choice for traditional Christmas tree ornaments. They’re not the most unique, but you’ll be able to print a lot with vase mode and get fancy with the colors you choose!
The creator recommends printing the model upright without infill or supports. All you need is a 10-mm brim, and you’ll be ready to print!
- Who designed it? Slimprint
- How printable/popular is it? This ornament has 47 likes, over 500 downloads, and almost 3,800 views.
- Where to find it? MyMiniFactory
Star Wars Thermal Detonator
We’ve found the perfect Christmas ornament for Star Wars fans: a small detonator ornament that will add a bit of “spark” to your tree. Reviewers find it a solid model and report that it prints nicely. It takes a bit of post-processing to get it looking really authentic, though.
This model is designed to have LEDs inserted if desired (it prints hollow), and one maker has even included a tutorial about how they added the lights. It’s small, compact, and relatively simple to print, so time to get crafty!
- Who designed it? AprilStorm
- How printable/popular is it? The detonator ornament has 75 makes and 2 remixes thus far.
- Where to find it? Thingiverse
Star Tree Topper
If you’re looking to deck your tree out with something other than a hanging ornament, you may want to check out this tree topper. You can print this compact but classic star-shaped model in a variety of colors.
It’s a relatively short print at under two hours and only requires glue for assembly. It’s a simple, straightforward print project for those short on time.
- Who designed it? LewisManuel
- How printable/popular is it? This classy topper has over 2,000 downloads and 146 likes. So far, three community prints have been shared.
- Where to find it? MyMiniFactory
License: The text of "Christmas 3D Prints for You & Your Loved Ones" by All3DP is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.