3D printing is not just figures and models
When people think of 3D printing they usually picture figures, busts and collectibles, and yes, we make plenty of those. But some of the most useful things a printer can make are the small, practical bits and pieces that quietly make everyday life easier. Here are ten genuinely handy things you can have 3D printed, all made to order right here in the UK.
1. A phone or tablet stand
A solid stand for your desk, kitchen or bedside that holds your phone at the perfect angle for video calls, recipes or watching something while you cook. Printed to the exact size and angle you want, in whatever colour matches your space.
2. Cable and desk tidies
Clips, trays and holders that keep charging cables from vanishing behind the desk and stop pens, keys and odds and ends piling up. Small, cheap to print, and weirdly satisfying once everything has a place.
3. Replacement parts and clips
That little plastic clip that snapped on your appliance, blind, or bit of furniture, the one the manufacturer will not sell you on its own. There is a good chance it can be reproduced. It saves throwing out a whole item because of one broken part.
4. Garden and greenhouse gadgets
Plant pot feet, seed markers, hose guides, tool hooks, drip trays and little brackets for the greenhouse. Printed in a tougher outdoor friendly material, these stand up to the weather and solve the small annoyances every gardener knows too well.
5. Kitchen helpers
Bag clips, bottle openers, spice rack risers, drawer dividers and holders for the gadgets that never quite fit anywhere. Made to your measurements so they actually fit your kitchen rather than nearly fitting.
6. Wall hooks and mounts
Custom hooks and mounts for headphones, keys, controllers, tools or anything you want off the surface and up on the wall. Because they are made to order, you get the exact size and strength you need.
7. Organisers for a hobby
Trays and holders for paints, dice, screws, craft bits, fishing tackle, whatever your thing is. Hobbyists love these because shop bought organisers never quite match what you actually own.
8. Sports and outdoor accessories
Holders, mounts and clips for bikes, paddleboards, kayaks and camping kit. A drink holder or a phone and wallet mount for your board is exactly the sort of thing that is hard to buy but easy to print.
9. Personalised plaques and signs
Door signs, name plaques, house numbers and little labelled markers around the home. A personal touch that also happens to be useful, and a popular gift too.
10. That one thing you cannot find anywhere
This is the big one. Everyone has a little problem in their home that a specific bracket, spacer, holder or adapter would fix, if only such a thing existed. Very often it can be designed and printed just for you. If you can describe it, it is worth asking.
Got something in mind?
If any of these got you thinking about a problem in your own home, we would love to help. Send us your idea or a file and we will let you know if it is possible and what it would cost. And if you want to see the sort of quality we turn out, have a browse of the shop. Everything is made to order and made in the UK.