Merry Little Things: 3D printed Christmas ornament maker
A name, a year, a little Christmas cheer
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A lovely place to start
Decorative ornaments with a hanging loop. Inspect thin points, lettering and the loop in your slicer. Ribbon is not included. Keep away from heat and small children.
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Separate-part 3MF export is not available today.
Open the file in your slicer, check the scale and thin details, then choose settings for your printer and material.
A little record of this Christmas
Merry Little Things makes a flat ornament with a name, an optional second line and a top hanging loop. A year can turn a simple shape into a reminder of one particular holiday. Choose a bauble, star, tree, bell, snowflake-edged round or heart. Each preset is a starting point for your own words rather than a finished physical product. The workshop creates files in your browser. You supply the printer, material and ribbon, and assess the finished ornament before hanging or giving it away.
Start around seventy millimetres
The default body is about 70 mm across with a 3.5 mm thickness. The integrated loop extends above the outline, so the full export is taller than the nominal body size. A 5 mm opening sits within a broader ring joined to the body. That geometry leaves material around the hole, but it is not a tested load rating. Check the opening against your ribbon or cord and inspect the connection after printing. Scaling the entire STL changes the hole and loop along with the ornament.
Leave space for a readable name
Add the main name first, then a short year or phrase on the second line. The heart and star offer less uninterrupted central space than the bauble, so look for clipped edges after changing shape. Text can be raised or engraved with the shared controls. Raised lettering supports a possible height-based colour change; engraving gives a recessed message. Keep the words short enough that small strokes still appear in sliced layers. Moving or rotating text is useful, but the artwork is clipped to the supporting face rather than allowed to float beyond it.
Make decoration work at printing scale
Use a few dots, stars or a simple custom SVG motif before trying a dense repeat pattern. The tree tips and snowflake edge already provide visual detail, so additional decoration can be modest. A custom SVG should contain clean filled shapes, without scripts, external assets or live text. Preview it from above and from the side to inspect relief. The engine keeps named parts for raised lettering and decoration, allowing a multipart workflow when available. Today's free STL combines geometry; preview colours are illustrative and are not encoded as filament choices.
Try one small slicing experiment
For a typical 0.4 mm nozzle, begin with a 0.2 mm layer height and three walls, then inspect the flat back, loop and pointed edges. These settings are starting points to test, not a validated print profile. Check that narrow tips and letters produce continuous paths. A brim may help an awkward outline but needs room on the bed and careful removal. Plan a supported filament change only after locating the actual lettering transition in the layer preview. Print one ornament before preparing gifts with several different names.
Check the finished hanging detail
If a thin point curls, simplify the shape or review adhesion and cooling rather than trusting the smooth render. If an engraved word becomes filled, enlarge the lettering or reduce detail density. Inspect the loop for cracks, rough edges and layer separation before threading a cord. Use ornaments as decoration, keep them away from heat, and assess small-part hazards for the intended setting. Save the final settings with the year and name checked carefully. Software tests can inspect meshes, but they do not prove the strength or durability of a physical holiday keepsake.
Frequently asked questions
Which ornament shapes can I choose?
Bauble, star, tree, bell, snowflake-edged round and heart are available, each with a top hanging loop and editable text.
Can I add a year below the name?
Yes. Use the optional second line for a year or short phrase. Check that both lines remain readable on the chosen outline.
How do I make a two-colour ornament?
Use raised lettering and inspect a suitable filament-change layer in your slicer. STL does not store colours; separate-part 3MF is unavailable while billing is off.
Is the hanging loop physically tested?
No. The loop has supporting material around its opening, but you must inspect and test the printed connection. A render is not a strength test.
Keep making
01. Pick a starting point
Choose a style in Design, then explore the details. The preview updates as you create. Undo and redo let you try a different direction.
02. Make it yours
Explore Decorate for little motifs or your own SVG. Move, rotate, raise or engrave the details. Add your words and mix a colour palette. Preview colours are inspiration; STL files contain geometry only.
03. Bring it to life
Save your settings to My makes or download an STL. Check scale, supports and small details in your slicer. Read the printing guides →