If you’re like many others in your community, you’re probably practicing physical distancing as we go through this difficult time.
While you’re spending more time at home, why not dust off your 3D printer and try some of our 3D printed boredom busters? We’ve compiled a list of some great things to take your mind off current events and keep you focused on your printer. It’s missed you since you’ve been at work!
If you see something on the list that you’d like to print but don’t have either the equipment or the know-how, check out Craftcloud.
Now, let’s get to the prints!
Gaming is a great indoor activity that allows you to connect with your friends while staying home, and it can be even more enjoyable with some assistance from your 3D printer.
We’ve got a few modifications for gaming including a way to cheat, a way to hold your drink, and a way to let your adoring fans know that you’re busy live streaming.
If you’re practicing social distancing anyway, why not print this 3D printable crosshair modification? Whether you love or hate it, there’s no denying how effective this simple 3D printed crosshair is.
In terms of print material, it can be printed in pretty much any solid plastic material, including PLA, ABS, or PETG. The critical aspect is that you must be able to attach it to your screen (using invisible tape) or something similar.
Playing games can make you thirsty. Why not try this Joy-Con drink holder to quench your thirst while you’re zooming into first place against your friends? Although we don’t condone drinking games during Mario Kart races, we’ll say that this fits any standard-size soda or beer can and even accommodates a cozy to keep your drink of choice nice and frosty during the race.
In addition to the obvious usefulness of this item, it changes the angle of the controller, which gives you a better experience compared to unmodified ones. Now we just need a French fry holder for video games and we’ll be all set.
While you’re home, you have the unique opportunity to catch up on your Twitch or Facebook Live streaming. This on air sign isn’t too difficult to make, and it’ll give your streams a professional presence. There’s also a good tutorial from the site on how to print and construct this sign.
Not everything you print needs to have a functional purpose. The next few items on our list are just silly things to print for pure enjoyment. It should be noted that this doesn’t stop anyone from making fun of you for printing them, but, while you’re at home, you should at least be safe from judgment.
If you’re going to print something silly and out of this world, there’s nothing better than Rick Sanchez’s portal gun from the hilarious animated show, Rick and Morty. When you’re ready to visit universe C137, try out this fun and functional print with glowing green lights and digital display.
For creating the fully-electronic version, more in-depth instructions can be found on Thingiverse.
We mustache you a question: Do you really need to print this? Probably not, but on the other hand, sometimes you just want to inject a little fun into your day.
Thankfully, not all silly prints need to be difficult. This 3D printable mustache bottle charm will help you label your drink as well as give your friends on Zoom a laugh when you’re enjoying a drink on your time off.
Playing music is a great way to pass the time while you’re wiling away the hours at home. The Legend of Zelda was the inspiration for a fully-functional Ocarina print that even sounds good.
There are a couple of things to note when printing this instrument. First, the Ocarina needs supports, but only on the outside of the model, as inner supports will disrupt the production of sound and be difficult to remove. Second, since it doesn’t have any major flat sides, printing in the orientation shown in the image should give good results.
One of the benefits of working from home is that you get to see your fuzzy friends all the time. They may interrupt a Zoom meeting with important clients, or bark, hiss, or chew at inappropriate moments, but they’re family.
We’ve collected several prints to help you make the most of your time together.
We all get a little excited about food when we’re stuck at home, but sometimes our furry friends get so excited that they eat too fast and make themselves sick. Don’t fret – with this 3D printable slow-feeding dog bowl, your precious canine will enjoy eating while staying healthy.
It should be noted that some dogs have figured out how to outsmart the slow feeder dog dish, so it isn’t foolproof. Additionally, if you’re worried about food safety and 3D printing for your pooch, check out our article about 3D printing for food-safe applications.
The world can be dangerous, which is exactly why you should print some armor for your pets; keep them safe regardless of where they roam.
This 3D printed cat armor will make your cat even more menacing when they’re planning your ultimate demise. Conveniently, it’s printed entirely with PLA and even has an inner hook for a leash.
It should be noted that the armor may need to be resized to fit your particular feline friend.
For your smaller furry friends, we’ve got you covered with this 3D printable mouse, hamster, or rat (no judgment) wheel. Although a relatively simple print, you’ll need to use or buy a 608ZZ ball bearing to get the wheel to turn freely.
One consideration for the material of the wheel is that, although it can be printed in any standard filaments, your animal is likely to chew on this, so choosing a hard, biocompatible plastic is a good idea. If you’re unsure which plastic to choose, check out our comprehensive guide to 3D printing materials.
Have you been wanting to get a head start on that art project but haven’t had the time? Well, now’s the time. We’ve collected a few prints to help you create masterful paintings, leather prints, and even decorate eggs around Easter.
This beautiful woodblock print of The Great Wave will definitely bring out your creative side. Granted, this would be a “plastic” block print of The Great Wave, however, it still creates a beautiful image with ease. This print even comes with instructions so that you can learn about the woodblock printing technique.
You’ll need to change some minor settings in your slicing software to get the best results, but it doesn’t require any supports, so the printing itself is relatively simple.
Many people have heard of making a lithograph using 3D printing for various items, such as lampshades, business cards, and other applications. However, this print allows you to make a lithographic leather stamper to emboss your leather with a loved one’s likeness or any design you want.
In addition to the idea itself, the designer gives instructions on how to accomplish this including materials needed. Like the print of The Great Wave, it’ll require some careful adjustment of settings as well as slowing down the printing speed to get the best results.
If you want to keep Easter going, you should print this cute egg painting station. Each yoke divot has a place for a small amount of paint, so you can decorate an egg with up to eight separate colors. Amazingly, every part of this egg decorator is 3D printed and requires no extra parts.
Just because you’re in quarantine doesn’t mean you can’t do a little gardening. Here are a few gardening prints that’ll help you put more life and green into your space.
If you’re planting a garden, you’ll need to water all of your new seedlings. This can be difficult if you don’t have a dedicated sprinkler system to keep them hydrated. Luckily, this 3D printed tripod adapter allows you to mount your sprinkler system on a standard camera tripod so you can water your plants with ease.
This special make can connect your hose to a tripod of any size, in case you need to water plants on different grades. Alternatively, if you’re a parent and need some backup when your children are water gun fighting, this can also do the job nicely.
It can be printed using standard materials, however, it should be noted that your model needs to be watertight. To do this, feel free to check out our article about making 3D printed models water and airtight.
Outdoor plants aren’t the only ones that’ll require watering as summer approaches. For your indoor plants, you’ll want a smaller watering container that can easily be refilled. This watering adapter turns a normal water bottle or soda bottle into a reusable watering can.
To use the adapter, simply screw it onto a plastic bottle full of water, invert, and squeeze to water your plants. This can also be helpful for more delicate plants if you want to change the pressure or flow of water.
For those of you who like a game of strategy and have lots of seedlings to plant, this 3D printable chess set is just for you. We love the simple and functional design.
This print was so good that it won a MyMiniFactory chess and pen design competition. In addition to the pieces, the board can also be 3D printed, so you can have a fully-functional chess set in no time.
The design requires few supports since most of the pieces are pretty boxy and straightforward. You can use one of a variety of plastics, like ABS, or PLA, though we’d recommend food-safe plastics to ensure your plants do well in them.
(Lead image source: thisnamesucks via Imgur)