A 3D printer is a great addition to any workshop. You can print tools for special projects or make replacement parts for broken items. And with a little out-of-the-box thinking, the possibilities are almost endless.
As a material, PLA is excellent for printing many different items. It’s affordable, easy to print, bio-based, and widely available. These qualities almost make it seem like PLA is the ideal 3D printing material. However, PLA does have some limitations as well.
PLA is slightly more brittle than other filaments with less tensile strength, so it’s not the perfect material for printing parts that will be subjected to high stress or extreme loads. Its low melting point is another drawback, so don’t use PLA for anything that’s going to be exposed to high (<70 °C) temperatures. This can be an advantage in some applications, such as when you need a PLA part to rest against an uneven wall surface.
However, the advantages of PLA far outweigh its limitations. As such, this list includes models that are well suited for PLA that you can easily print on any 3D printer.
If you find any (or many) of these designs useful, but you don’t have a 3D printer or you’ve got every filament except PLA, you can count on Craftcloud for expert-level quality and a great selection of materials.
Now, let’s begin printing some PLA!
Gadgets for Electronics
To start with, you’ll find an assortment of PLA-suitable models to help with your electronic devices and keep your desk or bedside table neat, tidy, and tangle-free.
Phone Stand
Smartphones give us the ability to read books, take photos, watch videos, shows or movies, surf the web, and of course, communicate. This stand will hold your phone when you have to be hands-free. It’s great for when you’re trying to follow the latest recipe while cooking or if you want to watch a video and jot down some notes.
For printing, the creator suggests rotating and laying the stand on its side, then adding supports. You can check out this YouTube video of the print settings and time-lapse of the model being printed.
- Who designed it? GoAftens
- How printable/popular is it? This model has 216 makes and 141 remixes. Seems pretty popular to us.
- Where to find it? Thingiverse
Harry Potter Headphone Stand
Are you a Harry Potter fan? This headphone stand will make a great piece to add to any collection! This design requires three different prints and some assembly. For the full effect, you can print this in multiple colors.
The completed stand is 20 cm tall and snaps together. The designer recommends using supports for the top and 15% infill.
And if you’re looking for an alternative to Harry Potter, other ideas by the designer include Star Trek, Stranger Things, Spider-Man, and lovely hearts, among many others!
- Who designed it? 3DPrintBunny
- How printable/popular is it? This model boasts 50 makes and almost 5,800 downloads across both sites.
- Where to find it? Printables, Cults
USB & SD Card Holder
If you have a 3D printer, Raspberry Pi board, or another small electronic device, you’re probably familiar with the struggle of misplacing or confusing your different storage devices, like SD cards or USB sticks. This model helps with that, offering a total of 31 slots for storage devices, including 8 slots for full-size SD cards, 8 for USB flash drives, and 15 for MicroSD cards. The organizer is ergonomic with a flat base, and the MicroSD card slots are angled toward the USB stick slots to keep the organizer low-profile.
As you might expect with this model, your printer will have to maintain a decent dimensional accuracy for the slots to fit the different storage devices. Luckily, achieving good dimensional accuracy is pretty easy with PLA, and many successful makes have PLA listed as the filament material used. The designer also lists using a 10% infill density and a 0.3-mm layer height to print the model with no supports activated.
- Who designed it? Lalo_Solo
- How printable/popular is it? This multi-storage device holder has 531 recorded makes and 82 remixes. Based on these metrics, we’re very confident that you should be able to successfully print this model.
- Where to find it? Thingiverse
Tripod
A tripod is a super useful gadget that you can use to position a camera, phone, or other tool or device. This tripod is made up of nine 3D printable components and a few screws and nuts, so it shouldn’t be too difficult to build. As for mounting something to the assembly, the designer states that the tripod has a universal camera mount screw that you can use.
Additionally, you can move a few of the tripod parts around, like the arms and the ball joint, to reposition whatever you’ve attached to it. Tightening the thumbscrews on the tripod will secure the position of the movable components.
The designer states that they printed all the model parts successfully using no supports. However, they provided no other specific settings. You should be able to print the parts in PLA, though, as it’s a filament known to work well in multi-part assemblies with moving parts.
- Who designed it? Djanba
- How printable/popular is it? This functional tripod design has a print shared in the comments as well as more than 4,100 downloads and over 28,500 views.
- Where to find it? MyMiniFactory
Cable Holder
Keeping the cables on your desk organized can be an annoying job, especially when you have so many. This cable holder does a great job of holding your different wires in the same place, so you won’t have to worry about them falling off your desk.
The model has a flat base to make for easy mounting to a surface if you have some double-sided tape or an adhesive pad. The grooved open-cut circle on the model allows you to push wires in without them falling back out. According to the designer, the cable holder works with the Apple Lightning and many USB cables, but you should be able to scale the model up or down accordingly to make it fit other sizes of wires.
This model is pretty simple, and you should definitely be able to make it with PLA filament, just as many recorded makers have successfully done. The designer didn’t list what type of filament they used but did mention that they activated supports for the print and used a 0.1-mm layer height.
- Who designed it? TJH5
- How printable/popular is it? This cable holder design has 41 recorded makes and 23 remixes. With this many successful makes, it’s a sure bet that you’ll be able to print this cable holder.
- Where to find it? Thingiverse
Tools
Next, we’ll cover a few 3D printable tools meant for woodworking and working with materials like a sanding block and drill bit sharpener, as well as a couple of projects to keep your workspace organized and clutter-free.
4-in-1 Tool
This convenient tool promises to quickly become an essential item in your everyday life. The innovative tool can cut filament at both 45- and 90-degree angles while providing a dedicated space for cutting PTFE tubes at a perfect 90-degree angle. But that’s not all! This compact tool also doubles as a filament joining jig, allowing you to efficiently utilize those short leftover lengths of filament that often accumulate.
The creator of this tool has gone the extra mile by providing detailed assembly instructions, making the printing and assembly process incredibly easy. The cutting edge is crafted from a readily available Stanley snap-off blade, ensuring durability. A few M3 and M5 screws are all you need to complete the project, and then you’ll be ready to put this versatile tool into action!
- Who designed it? My3DPrints
- How printable/popular is it? This tool has been downloaded around 1,550 times, while 36 makes have been shared so far.
- Where to find it? Printables
Cable Strap
You can use this cable strap to tie up, hold, or secure various objects. It can hold all kinds of things, including cables, belts, and even tools like wrenches. The strap comprises two main components – the clamp and the belt. The designer has uploaded belts of various lengths to tie all sorts of items.
One thing to keep in mind is that the first layer of the belt must have perfect adhesion for a good print; otherwise, the strap might easily lift off the print bed. If you want to keep your straps attached to the cables, print the bracket model as well. This way, you won’t have to look for cable straps while tidying up.
- Who designed it? Extrutim
- How printable/popular is it? This strap has over 10,000 downloads and 317 makes to show how easy it is to print and how useful it’s found by makers.
- Where to find it? Printables
Sanding Block
Print this sanding block to add to any toolbox or workshop. The block can be scaled to accommodate various sizes for your needs. It features one flat surface and a curved surface for sanding. It also has grooves on the side that act as a hand-hold.
The block does require some assembly after printing, but there’s a YouTube video that will walk you through the process. Users have printed this block in different sizes to meet their needs by simply scaling the model. The designer says it can be printed without supports.
- Who designed it? Perinski
- How printable/popular is it? This model has 4 makes and more than 2,600 likes combined from both sites!
- Where to find it? MyMiniFactory, Thingiverse
Drill Bit Sharpener
Attach this neat little fixture to your Dremel to sharpen those worn-out drill bits back to life. This fixture prints in one piece and threads onto a rotary tool, such as a Dremel. The maker of this fixture also tried it on another rotary tool with success.
There are files available in three different angles: 90°, 118°, and 135°.
- Who designed it? mgx
- How printable/popular is it? This fixture has 69 makes, 9 remixes, and over 18,000 likes combined from both sites.
- Where to find it? Pinshape, Thingiverse
Tool Hooks
Having to search for a tool when you need it can make projects frustrating. Tool hooks are a good way to have a place for your tools and keep everything ready for when you need it. They will also give your workspace a cool, organized look.
The designer includes a video showing how he transformed his workshop and how useful these hooks are.
- Who designed it? dukedoks
- How printable/popular is it? This simple but useful design has over 2,100 downloads and over 100 likes.
- Where to find it? MyMiniFactory
Screw Measuring Tool
This measuring tool quickly identifies metric screws and bolts along with their sizes. The model is a remix of the metric screw measuring device. Unlike the original model, this tool can also identify nuts. On the backside, there are additional slots for measuring the nuts of the respective screws and bolts.
The loop on the tool allows you to use it as a keychain, and take it anywhere with you. Finally, the maker recommends printing it with a 0.15-mm layer height and 15% infill. Pausing at height to change the filament, relying on a multicolor printer, or painting the protruding numbers and letters can add some flair and ease of use to the model.
- Who designed it? PhilippHee
- How printable/popular is it? This handy measuring tool has 49 makes with more than 2,100 downloads.
- Where to find it? Printables
Workspace & Desk Organization
With the following, we’ll take a look at some projects that will keep your workspace organized and clutter-free. Get ready to say goodbye to messy desks!
Adjustable Monitor Shelf
If you’ve ever experienced a sudden lack of space on your desk, you’ll see how useful this accessory can be. And even if there’s plenty of space available, this small shelf can be great for decoration and to hold something beautiful like a small pot or two as shown in the photo above. The model can adapt to monitors or TV screens, so it’s quite versatile for any setup.
To make this adjustable shelf, it’s important to keep in mind that the tolerances are quite tight. Because of this, the author doesn’t recommend using the print-in-place option if you’re unsure about your printer’s tolerances or if the PLA is damp; for this, they provided files with separate parts.
- Who designed it? GiskardReventlo
- How printable/popular is it? According to MakerWorld, this model has 2,300 makes.
- Where to find it? MakerWorld
Modular Drawer Organizer Grid
3D printers have lots of small pieces and parts to keep track of, and they churn out even more once you start printing. These open-source, modular Gridfinity-based drawer organizers let you print and generate endless quantities of customizable drawer storage using inexpensive PLA filament.
PLA’s low print temperatures and forgiving settings reduce the effort needed to get flawless prints with large, flat surfaces. When it comes to printing, the designer reports success with Bambu Lab and Prusa printers using 0.04-mm nozzles and the stock PLA print settings. A brim is not recommended, as it’s difficult to remove without damaging the part.
- Who designed it? ChippWalters
- How printable/popular is it? This model has 101 makes, 16 remixes, and has been downloaded over 17,000 times.
- Where to find it? Printables
Tape Measure Spool
Measuring tapes are indispensable companions for dressmakers, tailors, and needleworkers in general, but they often end up stretched across the studio or simply tangled in a box. To give the studio a professional touch, nothing beats keeping the measuring tape in its own device, and making this accessory doesn’t cost much material – it can even utilize leftover PLA from the spool.
In its standard size, this spool can store a complete 315-cm measuring tape, including the 20-mm wide and 0.4-mm thick metal ends, but if other sizes are needed, customization is possible. For this, there are instructions on how to estimate the new measurement. An important tip provided by the author is not to turn the crank too forcefully to avoid it from jamming; gentle movements should suffice. In the comments, there are also suggestions to use lithium grease to make the movement smoother.
- Who designed it? aprotim
- How printable/popular is it? This small and useful design has 4 makes combined from both sites, while the model has been downloaded over 7,000 times.
- Where to find it? Thingiverse, Printables
Nozzle Box
Nothing is more frustrating than trying to find the right nozzle size and material in a box full of loose printer parts. This nozzle holder lets you organize and store the most common sizes in a secure box with clearly labeled sizes.
This nozzle box is specifically made for E3D v6 nozzles, like those on Prusa printers. However, a number of remixes are available, including some that hold 24 nozzles and one that holds the longer E3D Revo Six nozzles.
One advantage of printing this with PLA is that you can get a tight fit by heating the nozzle a bit, and then pressing and wiggling it to gain some clearance in the nozzle well. This can work with any plastic, but PLA is particularly easy to shape this way as it softens at lower temperatures.
- Who designed it? JuliaEbert
- How printable/popular is it? This model has 143 makes, 9 remixes, and over 3,700 downloads.
- Where to find it? Printables
Pen & Pencil Holder
Instead of throwing your pens or pencils in a drawer or spread haphazardly across your desk, print this pencil holder. The unique design makes it one-of-a-kind and useful for any workspace. The designer recommends printing from an SD card instead of a USB because the print takes over 12 hours.
No supports should be included in the print – the designer warns of the difficulty of removing them, and a 0.2-mm layer height looks good on the original make.
- Who designed it? damm301
- How printable/popular is it? This quirky design has 188 makes and 9 remixes, with the different prints showing off a variety of PLA filaments that can serve as inspiration before you slice the design!
- Where to find it? Thingiverse
Battery Dispenser
Tired of rummaging through the drawer for one more battery? This print will not only hold your batteries but dispense them as well.
After opening up a new pack, keep the batteries in place with this case. Scale it to accommodate sizes from AAA to D, and print one of each! When setting up this print, don’t worry about supports, though it will take a while to complete.
- Who designed it? vimamsa
- How printable/popular is it? This design has 20 makes and a pretty impressive 226 remixes.
- Where to find it? Thingiverse
Home Essentials
From the bathroom to the kitchen, the following items cover every room of your home. Print them for instant usefulness!
Electrical Wall Plates
One reason to buy a 3D printer is to reduce trips to the hardware store by printing your own items. Custom electrical wall plates that match your decor are a great example of practical 3D printing.
This collection of models started with standard single and double light switches, a single dimmer switch, a Decora switch, and standard duplex outlet versions, along with a replacement dimmer knob. Based on comments from makers, the collection has now expanded to 16 different one-, two-, and three-position plates for both standard and Decora-style outlets. Switches with some blank plate options are available as well. If you don’t see what you need, the designer has offered to create new parts.
PLA filament is particularly handy for this project if you don’t have perfectly flat walls. A blast from a hair dryer makes PLA easy to reshape by hand, so these plates can be adjusted to fit tight to the wall when screwed down. Printing with standard PLA settings and a 0.4-mm nozzle seems to work well based on the comments.
- Who designed it? BigB3D
- How printable/popular is it? This model has 17 makes and around 1,700 downloads so far. It looks like it’s just begging for some creative remixes!
- Where to find it? Printables
Vacuum Cleaner Nozzles
A nozzle for every cleaning job is just a 3D print away with this extensive collection of vacuum cleaner nozzles. Most vacuum cleaners come with a limited set of nozzles for cleaning crumbs trapped between sofa cushions, dust bunnies under your fridge, or whatever that grunge is in your computer keyboard. These tools are astonishingly easy to lose and frustrating to try and replace.
This collection of 503 files will fit 12 different vacuum cleaner hose sizes on either the inside or the outside for a total of 24 different size connections. For each hose size, there are 21 specific tools, including wide slot tools for sucking ground coffee off kitchen floors and long pointy wands that delve deep into the dark recesses between couch cushions.
The comments and photos indicate that the nozzles print well in PLA with a small brim. The designer recommends increasing the perimeters and only using infill for the stops.
- Who designed it? Ostat
- How printable/popular is it? This model has an impressive 82 makes, 3 remixes, and over 15,000 downloads.
- Where to find it? Printables
Toothbrush Travel Case
Keeping toothbrushes in bags and pouches while traveling may not be the healthiest option for your teeth. This 3D printed toothbrush travel case allows you to keep your toothbrushes clean and hygienic while on the go.
Even though there are some food-safe PLA filaments available, it’s best to clean both the brush and the case regularly. For a sturdy case, the maker recommends printing both cases with three perimeters and no infill. Within an hour, you can have a travel case printed and ready for your journeys.
- Who designed it? JamesThePrinter
- How printable/popular is it? This case has 400 recorded makes as well as over 18,000 downloads!
- Where to find it? Printables
Watering Bottle Cap
You can easily water your indoor and outdoor plants with this handy watering bottle cap. All you have to do is screw it onto any PET bottle. This way, you can repurpose some of the PET bottles lying around the house, which is a great way to be eco-friendly!
To avoid leaking from the cap, the maker recommends using a smooth printing sheet. Once you have that covered, there are a few other ways to ensure that your cap is completely waterproof. With these steps, there’ll be no water waste.
- Who designed it? agners
- How printable/popular is it? 363 makers have shared their successful prints. Many have stated that it is an easy print that’s ready to use in no time.
- Where to find it? Printables
Universal Bottle Opener
The Universal Bottle Opener is a multi-functional tool that you can use to remove the lid off of basically any type of bottle, including soda cans, Gatorade caps, beer bottles, and even two-liter bottles. According to the designer, the model was created in 123D Design and was made to help the designer’s mother open drinks more easily.
Although the model needs to be somewhat strong so that it doesn’t break during use, the creator of the UBO stated that they successfully printed the model in PLA. Other recorded makers confirm this, too. As for the other printing tips, the designer recommends a 60-100% infill density (likely for strength) and supports.
- Who designed it? In3Designs
- How printable/popular is it? The Universal Bottle Opener has 105 recorded makes and 9 remixes. This much popularity for a project is a good indicator that the model can be printed by many people, including you!
- Where to find it? Thingiverse
Can Protector
Nothing beats savoring a good drink at an outdoor barbecue or party, but what do you do when insects and even other “helpers” decide to attack that eye-catching and freely available can for a taste? Well, this simple little cap can be a great friend in those moments! Of course, PLA is very welcome as a material for making this, as there are plenty of filaments that are confirmed to be food safe (and you can never be too careful).
You can choose between a completely smooth cap or one with friendly and lively icons. That said, if you want something completely personalized with your own icon, the author is willing to create a custom one with a small donation. The file is sized for cans ranging from 0.5 to 0.33 liters, but if you want to adapt it to a 0.25-liter can, simply scale the parts down to 96%.
- Who designed it? BENOengineering
- How printable/popular is it? MakerWorld reports that there are over 4,600 makes of these useful models!
- Where to find it? MakerWorld
Leaf Coasters Holder
At first glance, this model might appear to be a 3D printed plant, but that’s not all there is to it. This is a decorative plant designed to hold leaf-shaped coasters. You can set your drink down on the leaf, and any water dripping from the sides will collect on the coaster.
There are at least three different variations of leaves, trees, and pots to choose from. Use any combination you like and personalize the decorative plant. After printing, keep something heavy at the base to make it easier to remove the leaves. This way, you don’t have to hold the base every time.
It’s not advisable to place any hot cups on the leaf coasters, as PLA may begin to deform at temperatures of about 60-70 °C.
- Who designed it? Trilobyte3D
- How printable/popular is it? 282 people have printed this decorative plant. Some makers have printed it in green and others have used vibrant-colored filament.
- Where to find it? Printables
Bag Clip
Leaving a bag open is the easiest way to make food like chips or bread go stale and taste bad. You can prevent this problem with this 3D printable bag clip. It has a hinge and latch mechanism meant to go around a bag and seal it shut securely.
The best part about the model is that it’s print-in-place, so it’ll be ready before you know it. Print-in-place mechanisms are usually pretty easy to print in PLA, so you should be able to easily print this bag clip with a PLA filament.
Other Models
Finally, you’ll find a few more useful models that you can print in PLA. They defy categorization, with everything from a super-loud whistle to a turntable, so you can admire your prints from all angles.
Zipper Bookmark
For some, reading might seem tedious, but in reality, all it takes is a bit of imagination for it to transform into a powerful tool or even a source of inspiration. Virtual books are becoming increasingly common, yes, but there are some that are worth having in print in your library, and for those favorites, perhaps a new and creative bookmark like this one would be nice.
The model is divided into two parts to facilitate printing and looks beautiful in any color and material, making it a great gift option. For those who prefer to print everything in a single solid piece to avoid assembly, there’s also a ready-made file; however, supports are required, and this could be problematic during post-processing if not handled carefully.
- Who designed it? modelicious
- How printable/popular is it? While the different files have been downloaded over 900 times, MakerWorld reports that around 880 bookmarks have been printed.
- Where to find it? MakerWorld
PLA Glue Stick
This revolutionary “glue stick” bonds parts together using the power of PLA instead of traditional glue. This ingenious creation combines out-of-the-box thinking with practicality, providing you with a simple yet innovative print. Specially designed to fit standard craft glue guns, this PLA stick takes your hot glue gun to the next level.
Once printed, simply put the PLA stick into your hot glue gun. You’ll then have an oversized 3D printing pen at your disposal, ready to connect PLA parts, fill voids, weld seams, or bring your imaginative 3D creations to life. Say goodbye to messy glues and hello to using PLA for all your bonding needs.
The creator recommends printing with 100% infill and giving your hot glue gun some extra time to melt the PLA. They also recommend using at least a 40-watt glue gun.
- Who designed it? Brodie
- How printable/popular is it? This “glue stick” has nearly 1,700 downloads and over 170 likes.
- Where to find it? MyMiniFactory
Survival Whistle
This design is a good addition to a hiking backpack. It’s rated at 118 decibels and has been tested for ruggedness. It was dropped repeatedly, placed in water, and even run over by a car. After all that, it still whistled, which means that it could make it through a long hike and rough conditions.
This is a one-piece print that doesn’t require supports.
- Who designed it? jzisa
- How printable/popular is it? The designer should be proud of the over 1,400 makes!
- Where to find it? Thingiverse
Vault with Combination Lock
PLA is arguably the easiest material to use in 3D printing, which means it can be the best choice for more complex projects: the printing can be a breeze while the assembly can be the challenge.
This beautiful safe is perfect for protecting valuable items, however, it’s also a huge challenge even for experienced 3D printing users. As the author mentions, tolerance issues can multiply among many interconnected parts and ultimately prevent this lock from being assembled, so be prepared to have to tackle a few problems.
The challenge is rewarding as demonstrated by the model made with PLA Prusament filaments, providing you with a shiny style for your “maximum security” model. Besides patience and attention to detail while following the step-by-step video to avoid errors, you’ll need a few other materials such as 5-mm metal dowels, a bearing, and acrylic covers. Although the acrylic covers are optional, they are highly recommended by the project’s author and add to the overall aesthetics.
- Who designed it? RoccosStuff
- How printable/popular is it? MakerWorld reports that this design has been downloaded over 1,700 times and that 1,300 makes have been shared so far.
- Where to find it? MakerWorld
Turntable
Create this turntable to take cool photos or scan objects – or just to admire your 3D prints from all angles! This design features a handle to turn the gears, which in turn, turn the table. Some assembly is required, with most parts snap-fitting into place. After the assembly, it’s recommended to apply some lubricant to get the gears moving.
There’s another design by the same maker, which uses an Arduino Uno for an automated approach.
- Who designed it? Bribro12
- How printable/popular is it? This turntable has 46 makes and over 12,100 likes.
- Where to find it? Thingiverse
License: The text of "The 30 Most Useful Things to 3D Print in PLA" by All3DP is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.