Skeletons are one of the most common decorations for Halloween and other spooky celebrations. Of course, depending on the model, they can also satisfy curiosities or educational purposes.
Regardless, the many joints and bones make skeleton designs pretty complex, making for a fun 3D printing challenge and a great way to show off the capabilities of your machine. In this article, we’ve compiled a list of some of the best skeleton 3D models that you can make.
If you see something you like, but you and your printer aren’t on speaking terms these days, don’t fret; try Craftcloud by All3DP. With just a few clicks, you can specify everything you want and leave the printing to the professionals (including smooth or polished finishes!).
And now, let’s see some spooky designs!
Articulated
First, we have an articulated human skeleton made up of 16 well-designed parts that snap together. You can move the head and limbs around to pose the skeleton how you want. As seen in the image above, this model is great for a desk toy or wall decoration.
According to the designer, the model was optimized to be printed in nylon, but it should work fine in PLA or ABS on an FDM printer. A maker successfully printed this model using a 0.2-mm layer height with supports activated.
- Who designed it? graphix25
- How printable/popular is it? This articulated skeleton has 33 Makes, 10 Remixes, and almost 123,000 downloads.
- Where to find it? Thingiverse
Necklace
Going to a Halloween party or simply craving a spooky vibe? Well, this design is for you! The model is a set of five skeletal finger pendants for a necklace. The fingers aren’t articulated, but they’re well-designed with each one a different size, making the necklace look like a real skeleton hand.
The maker of this necklace stated that they printed the model with a 0.2-mm layer height and 10% infill density. As there are no tricky overhangs, this model can be printed without supports.
- Who designed it? Eimile
- How printable/popular is it? This stylish design has almost 900 downloads and over 8,500 views.
- Where to find it? MyMiniFactory
T-Rex
The Tyrannosaurus rex is perhaps the most popular and most terrifying dinosaur. Although, of course, no one has been alive long enough to see a real one, many skeletons of this large creature can be found in museums.
This model is a scaled replica of a T-Rex skeleton, which was designed by MakerBot, the company behind Thingiverse and a popular manufacturer of 3D printers. The design comprises 19 different files, containing a total of 79 individual pieces that can be assembled to form a great display piece. Given the detail of the T-Rex skeleton, this design is a great way to showcase your printer’s abilities.
Although MakerBot provided no official printing tips, one maker listed that they printed the pieces in PLA with a 20% infill density and a 0.2-mm layer height. They also mentioned that they used both a raft and supports to print the pieces.
- Who designed it? MakerBot
- How printable/popular is it? This popular design has over 680 recorded Makes and 33 Remixes! So many users have successfully printed this design; you can too!
- Where to find it? Thingiverse
Minifig
This Lego-like skeleton design would make a great spooky decoration. According to the designer, this model is an update of a similar mini skeleton and includes extra 3D features like a cylindrical head and larger feet.
The design of this skeleton has a flat bottom, making it easy to 3D print because it won’t require supports. Also, its head has a small string hole at the top, so you can hang a few skeletons up with string for decoration as one maker did. Alternatively, you could scale the model down and turn the design into a skeleton keychain.
- Who designed it? terryn
- How printable/popular is it? One Make has been posted, and the design has over 300 views.
- Where to find it? PrusaPrinters
Cookie Cutter
Want to give a boney look to some tasty treats? This 3D printable cookie cutter turns bland cookies into groovy human skeletons.
With a flat base and no overhangs, you shouldn’t need any supports to print this design. One maker stated that they used a 0.1-mm layer height and a 10% infill density to print the cookie cutter.
- Who designed it? 3DWork
- How printable/popular is it? This skeleton cookie cutter has 11 recorded Makes, a Remix, and over 25,000 downloads. As 11 others have posted great prints of this model, you should be able to make one, too!
- Where to find it? Thingiverse
Coaster
This coaster design includes a scary skeletal figure that looks like it could have come right out of a horror movie. In addition to the actual coaster, the designer has also included a coaster holder model on the project page.
The skeleton design is raised off the base of the coaster a slight amount. You can differentiate the two elements of the design by lightly brushing the skeleton figure in a white (or another color) acrylic paint, as done in the image above.
- Who designed it? thatncguy
- How printable/popular is it? This skeleton coaster design has 69 downloads as well as over 1,700 views.
- Where to find it? MyMiniFactory
Fingers
If you really want to step it up a notch for a costume party, this project is just for you. These articulated fingers are extensions with extra joints that resemble a long, spooky skeleton hand.
The design contains 33 different files, some of which need to be printed multiple times. The motion of the fingers works through a series of gears that allow the finger extensions to bend. There’s also a wrist attachment with strings connected to each finger.
The designer printed the pieces for this design in PLA with a 0.15-mm layer height and 15% infill density. They also activated supports for a few of the files.
- Who designed it? JulienJeanroy
- How printable/popular is it? This set of articulated skeleton fingers has 12 posted Makes, 6 Remixes, and over 15,700 downloads. Although this project requires a bit of assembly, it’s definitely doable!
- Where to find it? Thingiverse
Grim Reaper
Probably the most well-known skeleton character out there, the Grim Reaper is a popular costume and symbol for Halloween and horror events. This miniature shows the terrifying entity as portrayed in the board game HeroQuest.
This model contains a lot of detail and, given its size, you might want to consult our guide on printing miniature models. The designer successfully printed this model with a 0.1-mm layer height and 100% infill density. The maker also stated that they used both a raft and supports to print the model, which makes sense given the small base and many overhangs on the design.
- Who designed it? Melic
- How printable/popular is it? This Grim Reaper-themed design has over 275 views and is included in 6 collections on PrusaPrinters.
- Where to find it? PrusaPrinters
Flexible
Print-in-place models have been a growing trend across 3D model repositories, and this one would make a great toy or fidget with a spooky vibe. Thanks to its flexible joints, the body of the skeleton can bend in a wave-like motion.
The designer used a 30% infill density and a 0.2-mm layer height to successfully print this skeleton. The design also contains a string hole at the top of the head, which you can use to turn the design into a keychain.
- Who designed it? BlindGuard
- How printable/popular is it? This flexible skeleton has 11 recorded Makes and over 10,700 downloads.
- Where to find it? Thingiverse
Puzzle
Lastly, this skeleton model is a set of six pieces that connect to assemble a toy skeleton with a mini jetpack. The designer didn’t provide any specific printing tips, but the model is listed as support-free and easy to print, so it should be an uncomplicated print.
- Who designed it? ChapmanSTEM
- How printable/popular is it? This design has 1 community print, 70 downloads, and over 2,000 views.
- Where to find it? MyMiniFactory
Lead image source: harrywatson177 via Thingiverse
License: The text of "3D Printed Skeleton: The Best Models to 3D Print" by All3DP is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.