So! This month I’m going a little off piste with ten 3D prints for the home. While I LOVE making cookie cutters and embossers, it can, from time to time, get a bit same old/same old. Y’know? And when that happens the eye begins to wander around that black holed internet thingy! You know how it is I’m sure! Ergo – while I was mooching, an idea struck, of sharing my discoveries with you. Thus, in that vein, here we go with ten cool 3D prints for the home. Despite the title of this blog they’re not only for your home. But they caught my attention. Right enough, let’s get on!

1. Rainwater collector

Thinking eco and saving water (as we hit that energy crisis), this is a small print that slots into your drainpipe. A small mechanical filter removes leaves etc and it fits a standard hose adaptor.

It’s the brainchild of Alf on Thingiverse

The print isn’t too complicated but you’ll need some support with it, and we reckon it’s about five hours or so. Using a funky colour, you could brighten up your drain pipes – because that’s what the world needs right now right?

2. Plant water spike

Whilst we’re in the eco mode, this one appealed to the gardener in me, and well, the recycler! A super quick thirty-minute print, the spike fits beside your plant in the garden, fill an old water bottle (PET water bottles?) turn upside down and place in the spike. There are variations for depth and hole size, something to suit everyone. Because it doesn’t take too much filament, you could use up scrap ends to create?

Available to download from Printables and designed by Joseph Clarke.

3. Battery missile launcher

Yes – we’re serious! How else do you store your batteries?? How uber cool is this, designed by Nils Kal and available on Printables. It’s fully rotational with two versions for 20 AA batteries or 34 AAA batteries. This would look amazing on any desk.

4. Cat feeder

An automatic cat feeder for dry food. It’s super cool to create, and you could print in a colour that matches your aesthetic!! Powered via micro-usb and using a battery for back up.

Find the print here at Cults 3D

5. Headlights for glasses

Right up Mr SED’s 3D path this one, headlights attached to glasses. They contain 5mm LED and a CR2032 button battery, designed by Chris McElraft via Thingiverse. They obvs need a little bit of construction, but even I can manage these !! says she.

6. Zipper pull with paper clip

This is a lil cool, but we’re thinking kids. And then if you put this file (STL) into Tinkercad, you could add their name or initials onto the pull. Give it some life and personalisation. This file takes around fifteen minutes to print. Available in Thingiverse

7. Teabag holder

Okay, so this one is a simple print, but very stylish, and again we’re thinking again print in any colour you want. It IS lengthy, one side is sixteen hours. But at a glance you can see what teabags you have instead of rummaging.

It’s available via Thingiverse, and designed by Malick.

8. Cardboard mould

When you work with plastics all day, you’re very conscious of the environment and the effect. We’ve chatted many times about the recycling we try to do. Here’s something that goes a step further.

Designed by Agustin Flowalistik, it’s a cardboard mould, that lets you make a pencil holder, coaster, a box and tray from cardboard pulp. You can download the project instructions here.

9. Charging cable organizer

Charging cables. The bane of mine and many of your lives, so this funky device caught our eye immediately. Designed by DFV Tech and available on Printables it’s a print of four easy pieces. It then all snaps together to make a retractable case. Again using cool coloured filament, these make a handy present too!

10. The impossible table

Most likely this is of no use whatsoever, but it’s super stylish and proper perplexing! Based on the structural principle – tensegrity – tensional integrity. The table uses tension between the components to appear as if it’s floating. Well in this case, tethered with string. Created by Oak600 on Thingiverse.

Having a further read, while this is an amazing print, trying to put it together is a little more complex. Tying the string to the right tension, to enable the table to work, proves a little complicated. Good luck, it’ll test your maths abilities!

Hope you enjoyed that meander through these ten 3D prints. Now it’s back to the cookie cutters. Although it’s my belief that I now can’t live without that cable organiser. I might have to sneak that onto the printer. Don’t tell Mr SED!!

See you next month, and if you’d like other ideas to print, check out our blog 10 Useful Prints for the Home – see useful not so cool!