A Year of 3D Printing
If you’d asked me a few years back if I thought I’d buy a 3D printer, I would have said no. My experience of 3D printers back when I was in college was that they were very slow, expensive, frequently failed mid-print, and needed constant calibration.
At the start of 2025 I bought myself a Bambu A1 Mini printer. What changed? Most of the problems I encountered in college have now been solved, and more importantly, at a price point that feels reasonable. The A1 Mini cost £149, comes with built-in bed levelling and flow rate calibration, and it genuinely just works. The printer is compact too, which was an important given we live in a small London flat.
My general philosophy when buying this printer was that I wanted to use it to print useful and functional things. I didn’t want to fill the house with a bunch of useless plastic that would end up in landfill before long. A year on, I think I’ve largely stuck to that principle.
Here are some of the things I printed this year. I’ll leave you to judge if they are useful!
1. Hooks and Mounts
I really didn’t think that at the start of 2025 I’d be writing passionately about the utility of being able to design and print the perfect hook but here we are. They were the first thing I printed in January and the last thing I printed in December. Standard adhesive hooks are often ugly or the wrong size. Designing my own allowed me to match our needs, the decor, and the objects they hold.
Magnetic Bike Helmet Hook
By: Brooke Hatton
I embedded two magnets into the back. They snap onto a metal panel in our utility cupboard, holding our helmets securely without damaging the walls.
Wavy Hook
By: Brooke Hatton
These hold work lanyards in our hallway. A neat trick I have found is to use a wavy pattern to embrace the 3D-printed texture rather than trying to hide it. The objects end up looking more premium and intentional that way.
2. Ortlieb Pannier Buckle
By: Brooke Hatton
Having a 3D printer and basic CAD skills makes it easy to repair items that you would otherwise replace or leave broken. When I lost the buckle for my Ortlieb pannier bag, I pulled out the calipers and modelled a replacement.
3. Storage Boxes
By: Brooke Hatton
My partner Maisie needed some storage boxes for the therapy toys she uses at work. This was actually one of the things that made Maisie excited about having a 3D printer in the house.
4. Cable Wrap
By: Brooke Hatton
Our dehumidifier lacked built-in cable storage, leaving the cord trailing on the floor. I designed this custom wrap and attached it with double-sided tape. It’s a simple fix, but it makes the unit much easier to move and store.
5. Under Desk Drawer
By: Benjamin Kott - Makerworld
I’ve always got a pile of random bits and bobs on my desk, so I printed this under-desk drawer to help keep things tidy. It fits perfectly under my desk and holds things like a portable SSD, and some stationery.
6. Apple Watch Stand
7. Laptop Stand
Holds both my home and work laptop, freeing up space on my desk for more 3D printing!
8. Gridfinity
A word of warning: this one is addictive. Before you know it you’ll be measuring every drawer in your house and printing custom inserts for everything you own.
Gridfinity is a modular storage system that uses a grid of interlocking bases and containers. Really useful for taking that junk drawer of batteries, screws, and that random allen key you got from an Ikea flat-pack and bringing some order to it.
You can use tools like Gridfinity Generator to create the exact grid and containers for your drawer. I also recommend checking out Tooltrace which uses a photo of the object to create a custom Gridfinity insert.
9. Ikea Organization Inserts
By: NotSure - Printables and d4v3ig - Makerworld
Our IKEA RÅSKOG trolley is great, but the storage is basic. Luckily, NotSure and d4v3ig have designed some inserts that break up the shelves into more useful storage.
10. Bike Bottle Cage
I needed a bottle cage for my bike, but off the shelf versions clashed with my bike lock mount. I found this excellent design, tweaked it to my exact needs, and printed it in PETG for extra durability. It has survived several months of use and shows no signs of wear.
11. AirPod Case
Attached the top with a bit of double-sided tape, works great!
12. 3D Maps
These make great gifts for friends and family showing places important to them.
13. Board Game Organisation
When you get a 3D printer, find your favourite board game and search for “3D printed organiser” for that game. There are often awesome designs that make setup and storage much better. For example this UNO card box by Tridense holds all the cards in a compact box that’s perfect for travel - much better than the cardboard box they come with.
14. Tetris Balance Game
By: Liuk
FAQs
What Plastic do you use?
- PLA: For decorative or indoor items (hooks, maps).
- PETG: For items needing heat resistance or durability (bike cage, outdoor parts).
How much does the plastic cost?
I generally spend £10-15 per kilogram spool of PLA or PETG. The bike bottle cage used about 50g of filament, making the material cost roughly 50p.
What sites do you use for finding models?
I mainly use Printables and Makerworld. Both have a huge variety of free models.
What software do you use for designing models?
I use OnShape for most projects. It is free for non-commercial use, runs in the browser, and uses a parametric system which lets me easily adjust dimensions at any time. If I need to edit files that OnShape cannot import, I use Fusion 360.
Do I recommend getting a 3D printer?
Yes, if you enjoy making things. I love identifying an annoying problem around the house and designing or finding a solution. Within a few hours, I can have a custom part printed and ready to use.