Thanksgiving is when, across the United States, families gather to share a special meal. If you’re looking to elevate your next turkey (or tofurky) day celebration to a whole new level, the right 3D printed object can do just the trick.
In this article, we’ll look at 20 of the best decorations, practical objects, and fun prints that you can create on any desktop 3D printer. If you don’t have the means to print these objects yourself, try Craftcloud by All3DP. Simply upload a model, pick a material, and you’ll have a 3D printed object in no time!
Now, let’s take a look at some of the best 3D prints to spice up your next Thanksgiving celebration.
Decorations
No party is complete without stellar decorations. These designs, ranging from centerpieces to coasters, will be sure to give your next celebration the perfect fall-inspired touch.
Fall Leaves
No home is complete without some seasonal decorations. These 3D printable fall leaves can make a great wreath, especially when printed in multiple colors as seen in the image above. This project contains five different leaf designs, offering some variety for your decorations.
In terms of print settings, one Maker achieved successful results with a 0.2-mm layer height and a 40% infill density.
- Who designed it? Nfarrow
- How popular/printable is it? This set of leaf designs has three Makes, a Remix, and over 1,000 downloads.
- Where to find it? Thingiverse
Mr. Turkey
Mr. Turkey is an excellent Thanksgiving decoration that was designed in Tinkercad. It’s made up of nine different parts and contains multiple pegs and holes that function as joints, allowing the limbs of the turkey to move. As seen in the image above, printing Mr. Turkey in multiple colors adds a nice visual appeal.
Unfortunately, there are no print recommendations for this design. So, you’ll likely have to experiment a bit to come up with settings that work for your printer.
- Who designed it? Tim
- How popular/printable is it? The Mr. Turkey design has one successful community print as well as over 230 views.
- Where to find it? PrusaPrinters
Turkey Lightbox
This Thanksgiving-themed lightbox is a great way to decorate for the holidays. Be it in the dining room or in the bedroom, this design will add a festive flair anywhere in the house.
The designer recommends using LED candles inside of the lightbox. At the recommended layer height of 0.02 mm, it’s estimated that this lightbox will take about 10 hours to print. It might be helpful to print multiple pieces at once to speed up this process!
Voronoi Turkey
This intricate turkey design will be sure to pique the interest of any 3D printing enthusiast. It would be perfect at the center of your Thanksgiving table or as a way to add a fall-inspired touch to any empty shelf.
Due to the intricacies of the Voronoi style, the designer recommends scaling this design up at least 300% for easier printing. We would also recommend slowing down your usual printing speed by 5-10 mm/s for increased accuracy on the smaller details. Improving your 3D printer’s bridging capabilities could be helpful when printing these detailed models.
- Who designed it? miked63017
- How popular/printable is it? 11 users have shared their makes of this model, with most opting to scale the design 300-500%.
- Where to find it? Thingiverse
Glass Charms
These glass charms are a great way to decorate and personalize whatever you’re drinking on Thanksgiving. Not only do they add a festive touch, they also make it easier to keep track of whose glass is whose.
This design comes with five different types of charms. Mix and match different filament colors to have an even greater variety! In addition to printing the charms, you’ll also need a ring of some sort to attach the charm to the glass. We’ve found that simple key rings work great!
- Who designed it? cfmccormick
- How popular/printable is it? This design has been downloaded over 1,700 times and also has a Remix.
- Where to find it? Thingiverse
Autumn Leaf Cup
This decorative autumn leaf cup was modeled from a real leaf found outdoors. Its intricate details and realism will be sure to elevate any fall celebration.
This design features some steep overhangs and will likely need supports. Check out our article on 3D printing support structures for more information on how to cleanly print these types of models. The designer also recommends painting the print for an added artistic flair, or you could even go for a metal filament.
- Who designed it? 3ernhard
- How popular/printable is it? Five people have posted their Makes of this design, with most opting for yellow and red filaments for an added fall touch.
- Where to find it? Thingiverse
Maple Leaf Coasters
These maple leaf coasters will add the perfect fall touch to any dining room. The design also comes with a holder to easily store up to 10 coasters when not in use. There’s a lot of great coaster options out there!
The designer recommends printing this design in vibrant fall colors to match your autumn décor. For an added touch, the design comes in a dual-color version to accentuate the veins on the leaf. You can also print the design all in one color and manually paint the veins for a smoother surface.
- Who designed it? KingRahl
- How popular/printable is it? Two Makes have been posted for this design. Additionally, the file has been downloaded over 2,600 times. Of these, over 500 people opted for the dual-color version.
- Where to find it? Thingiverse
Practical
Looking for more practical prints? These designs will hold everything from napkins to candles and make any Thanksgiving spread look even better.
Turkey Bowl
If you’re planning on having a Thanksgiving feast, you’re going to need some places to put the food in. This turkey-shaped bowl has a large cylindrical cavity. As the designer points out, you can use this bowl to store dipping sauce, candy, snacks, or other items. Make sure, however, to print it in a food-safe filament.
Although the creator of this model didn’t provide any printing tips, one maker posted a great print and listed some of the print settings they used. These settings include a 20% infill density, 0.1-mm layer height, and activated supports.
- Who designed it? cleverhans
- How popular/printable is it? This Thanksgiving-themed bowl has one Make and just over 1,000 downloads.
- Where to find it? Thingiverse
Napkin Holders
With a design perfect for Thanksgiving, these napkin rings are great for holding together silverware and napkins. The design has large feathers and should look great on a dinner table. There are two different versions of this design, each different in size.
One maker posted a nice print of the turkey napkin rings and mentioned that they used Cura to slice them. The models were printed with a 0.2-mm layer height and a 10% infill density.
- Who designed it? AlkeshOne
- How popular/printable is it? This turkey napkin holder has one Make and almost 750 downloads.
- Where to find it? Thingiverse
Place Card Holder
These Thanksgiving place card holders are the perfect way to seat your guests for a big Thanksgiving celebration. They can also be used to label your favorite dishes when the meal is served.
This design is easily scalable to fit any label. Depending on the size of the label, it may be best to print the design with an infill greater than 20% to ensure that the holder doesn’t fall under the weight.
- Who designed it? MakerBot
- How popular/printable is it? This design has five Makes and has been downloaded over 4,500 times! Many have opted to paint the design gold after printing for a polished look.
- Where to find it? Thingiverse
Turkey Timer Holder
Looking for a creative way to decorate your kitchen for Thanksgiving? This adorable turkey-themed timer holder will do just the trick. Although the designer doesn’t specify which timers can fit inside, the holder appears to be designed around a standard kitchen timer.
The design comes in five parts, each of which can be printed in a different color to create a more vibrant decoration. The designer also recommends gluing a small washer to the back of the print in order to keep the timer held in place.
- Who designed it? Alien3D
- How popular/printable is it? This design has been viewed over 1,700 times and downloaded over 30 times so far.
- Where to find it? MyMiniFactory
Vintage Candle Holder
These vintage candle holders are perfect for decorating any Thanksgiving table. They fit most taper-style candlesticks and are a great way to elevate your Thanksgiving decorations. Several people even opted to print the design using wood filament for an extra vintage feel.
The designer recommends printing at a layer height of 0.02 mm, at a standard speed. You can vary the infill from 20-40% depending on the size of the candle being held. Just be careful to use a heat-safe filament if you’re planning to use wax candles!
- Who designed it? LaunchLab
- How popular/printable is it? This design has been downloaded over 3,700 times, with three people opting to share the finished product on Thingiverse.
- Where to find it? Thingiverse
Napkin Stand
Looking for a way to hold your napkins more creatively? This turkey-themed napkin stand will be right in line next to the real thing!
The designer recommends printing this design using MatterHackers Pro Series PLA, but the model has been printed successfully with both PLA and ABS filaments. However, PLA might be the safer choice due to ABS’ tendency to warp on long, flat prints.
- Who designed it? MatterHackers
- How popular/printable is it? This design has been viewed over 2,500 times and downloaded 137 times so far.
- Where to find it? MyMiniFactory
Turkey Box
The fall holidays are the perfect time to celebrate with friends and family. Scale this box up or down to perfectly fit the size of the object(s) you want to hide inside!
This design can be printed on nearly any desktop 3D printer. The designer recommends printing it at 15% infill and at a layer height of 0.03 mm. It doesn’t require supports or a raft, but the area around the feet of the turkey may need to be filed for a looser fit.
- Who designed it? DIY3DTech
- How popular/printable is it? This design has been downloaded over 1,900 times so far.
- Where to find it? Thingiverse
Fun
Not every design has to serve a practical purpose. Here are some designs that, while not necessarily practical, will be sure to liven up any Thanksgiving celebration.
Wishbone
What’s a Thanksgiving dinner without the traditional snapping of a turkey wishbone? If you’re like most and don’t have multiple turkeys to supply enough wishbones for your whole dinner group, these 3D printable ones are a great option. There are two versions, including one with pre-made cuts to assist with breaking the part in two.
While the creator of this design didn’t provide any printing device, one maker achieved a few great prints with a 20% infill density and a “standard” layer height. They also printed the model with supports and a raft activated.
- Who designed it? cerberus333
- How popular/printable is it? This 3D printable wishbone has 15 Makes and over 2,500 downloads! Given how many others have successfully printed this model, you should definitely be able to print one too!
- Where to find it? Thingiverse
The Squash Gobbler
This adorable model transforms any squash into a hilarious Thanksgiving decoration. Simply insert the wings, head, tail, and legs into your squash and it’ll magically transform into an adorable turkey. Vegetarians will be delighted with this creative alternative to the traditional Thanksgiving dish.
The designer recommends hammering large nails into the squash in order to create holes for the 3D printed accessories. They also recommend printing the accessories with over 50% infill to ensure that they don’t break upon insertion.
- Who designed it? MrKindergarten
- How popular/printable is it? This design has two Makes and has been downloaded over 1,900 times so far, although some users have reported difficulty slicing the design in Cura.
- Where to find it? Thingiverse
Flexible Turkey
This print-in-place turkey makes both a great decoration and a fun toy. It only prints in two parts, yet it has full articulation in the head, torso, and tail.
To print this design successfully, it’s important that your printer is properly calibrated when printing the intricate joints. Specifically, make sure that your printer’s nozzle isn’t too big and that your temperature and flow rate are appropriately calibrated for the level of detail in the model. For more information on printing intricate joints, check out our article on how to improve your 3D printer’s dimensional accuracy.
- Who designed it? AndresMF
- How popular/printable is it? This design has over 2,200 views and 330 downloads so far.
- Where to find it? MyMiniFactory
Turkey Hand
This adorable turkey hand model is a sure-fire hit that you can decorate! Most people have found success printing this design in white PLA filament and then coloring the model with Sharpie pens.
The designer doesn’t specify any particular print settings for this design, so it should print fine with standard settings.
- Who designed it? MatterHackers
- How popular/printable is it? This design has nearly 2,700 views, over 75 downloads, and 5 likes.
- Where to find it? MyMiniFactory
Turkey Puzzle
This simple turkey puzzle is a great family activity, and it’ll make an amazing Thanksgiving decoration once complete! Given that the design has less than 10 parts, the assembly should be pretty straightforward for most families.
The designer doesn’t specify any print settings, although some have complained that the individual pieces are too big. As such, it may be best to scale down each part 50% to conserve time and materials.
- Who designed it? corben33
- How popular/printable is it? This popular design has over 30,000 downloads and 26 posted makes!
- Where to find it? Thingiverse
Thanksgiving Hat Collection
This charming Thanksgiving hat is part of a collection of Thanksgiving-themed hats by Lance Endres. These hats are sure to make anyone smile, and they’re a great way to give any miniature an adorable fall makeover.
However, some additional materials are required to print this design. You will need a small belt-buckle as well as a 1-mm bungee cord to fasten the hat to the animal. For more details, check out post-assembly instructions on the designer’s page.
- Who designed it? lendres
- How popular/printable is it? This design has over 400 downloads, although the assembly may be a bit challenging.
- Where to find it? Thingiverse
Lead image source: AtticStatic via PrusaPrinters
License: The text of "Thanksgiving 3D Prints: 20 Cool 3D Models & Projects" by All3DP is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.