3D Printed Festive Trees First Printing

 

Challenge: For nine year old student to create an original festive (Christmas) Tree.

Background: This task was the classroom challenge from the previous week of school - as we have posted about on this blog we've created virtual versions which we've AR/VR around our school and are now at phase two - selecting some of these virtual versions for printing to move the students onto the next phase of the design.

We posted on Friday about a larger version of this tree - this is the second smaller tree that was printed at the same time.   This version was not intended to be a super glow-in-the-dark filament tree however the opportunity came up to print it with this filament and decision was made to do so.  This design having not taken this into account had some specific detail that when the filament support was removed left some obvious pitting and damage to the tree (which is visible in the photograph).

The students response to this (that is seeing the physical print) was to redesign the print - this was completed with the version of the tree shown left.  You can see the visible changes the student has already made including reducing the 'clutter' around the decorations on the tree and introducing presents at the basis of the tree.

Resources that we needed to complete this print: iPad, Tinkercad App, Bambu H2D, Bambu Super Glow-in-the-dark PLA.

Size: The printed version of the design measured 50mm across at the base of the tree and had a depth of 50mm.  The tree was 100mm high from its base to the tip of the star at the top.  The addition of the boxes for revised versions of the print would not significantly increase the size of print as each is 20mm by 20mm and a box size and shape.

Cost/Price: The print that is shown left currently uses 70g of PLA to complete the print.   This would give the print a price point of $1.50c.  The revised version which includes the introduction of the presents would increase the PLA to 92g and would increase the price point to $.172.

Timeframe: To complete the initial print as shown the print took forty five minutes to complete.   With the revisions intended and already redesigned the print would take one hour and fifteen minutes to complete.   Other than under the tree there is very little rafting on this design - although the student wants to experiment with further designs aspects (again the tree decorations0.

What we would do differently/Next steps for the students: The design needs reworking based around what the physical print would look like.   We have experienced in the past the fact that the glow-in-the-dark filament is not as robust as regular PLA. The student is going to look at options moving forward in both regards.

3D Printed Christmas Themed Ideas Step Two

 

We're continuing to develop the first run of our designs that are themed for Christmas or 'Festive Themed' designs.   We are currently looking at introducing ideas and creations and how we might modify them.

Again this year we are starting with virtual versions of our creations - such as the Christmas Tree's as shown left.   We've detailed these in the past. - as the fact that they're destined for a virtual role as opposed to be finished as a 3D Print.

This is the second stage of the process - these designs have been created and now refined by students looking at ways that they can further update their designs and create unique aspects of the tree (such as some of the unusual ornaments0.

3D Printed Christmas Tree - First Version

 

Challenge: For a nine year old student to develop and create an original festive themed Christmas Tree.

Background: We created festive tree that were originally virtual digital creations and following this we selected several trees that we thought had potential to move from the virtual format into a physical print.

This tree shown left was one of the first trees in the sequence that we made the decision to print.   The student had designed it to be placed on a mantlepiece.

Size: The tree measures 90mm across at the front and is 60mm wide.   The tree measured 120mm from the base of the trunk to the top of the star.  There was a degree of imbalance with the design with the size of the star in particular looks a bit lop sided compared to the rest of the design.

Cost/Price:   To print this design the print uses 71g of PLA.   This gave the project a price point of $1.43c.   

Timeframe: To print this design the printer was running for two hours and forty five minutes.   The print had a degree of rafting/support plastic under the base of the tree and around the trunk of the tree.

What we would do differently/next steps for the students:

The design itself is quite basic the baubles that the students has used to create the vast majority of the decorations needs refinement so there is variation and creativity.   The star as noted is currently very oversized.   The tree is a basic triangle shape.

The student was going to be further adapted and then consider the idea of decoration or spray painting.

AR/VR Christmas Themes - Ideas

 

When we started working on our Christmas Trees the students were doing work at the same time on a range of different designs and ideas.  This cow came out from this process.  The student did a really positive job of using Tinkercad AR/VR to expand the designs as big as possible using the iPad and the Tinkercad App AR/VR.  One of the keys to doing this was to ensure that in the background and the foreground of the image has a range of objects that can size the design.

In the instance shown left you can see the bus and the classrooms as these background items that show clearly the height and size of a students creation.  

The student spent time looking at the profile of the design and then looked at different locations around the school where they could create an impact and make a design that would 'stand out'.

Again in the example left the projection has been made as large as possible showing again the courts and various buildings around our school as a point of scale for the design.

There are a very significant number of designs with this theme, you can use the search bar on this blog and use the keyword 'tinkercad AR/Vr'

Its beginning to feel a lot like Christmas 2026

 

Its not too far away, we have eight weeks of school remaining and as such we are starting to plan our activities as we look forward to the end of the year.

Each year we complete a range of activities and in this case we are looking at reworking our Christmas themed 3D Prints for this year.

If you use the search bar on the right hand side and use the 'Christmas' tag you can see projects with this theme dating back to 2018.

We've posted about this on a semi-regular basis.   This year we've started the process in a similar way to last year - we've spent a short amount of time looking at basic decorations.  The first task for the students is to create a festive tree.  This is being completed by the entire class and some students ideas, concepts and creations will make the process from virtual design to an AR/VR design into a physical print.

The designs started with an ideas session with students with the criteria being 'festive tree'.    The students were given a twenty minute timeframe to complete this task which included the design, creation and basic AR/VR projection.   The only resources required by the students was the TInkercad App for the design and an iPad for the projection.

Once this had been completed the students took their technology outside and completed some basic projection.   The locations was at the students discretion around the school - we wanted the students to be able to rotate their creations so we could see them from different sides, experiment with the dimensions and the size.

As we have mentioned when we produced this type of activity before it allows an entire class of students (twenty five students) to engage in 3D Design and creation (this can be related directly to the digital technology objects for the New Zealand School Curriculum).    The students all have an output from this activity which can be assessed and judged.

We are then going to allow the students to share their creations and designs and refine their ideas.   This will allow students to add more details and features.   One of the considerations needs to be potential for the prints to be 3D Printed.  Some of the creations particularly with the decorations need to be considered for printing - at times even a machine like the H2D can find some issues with the decorations on sloped levels and the printing of some of the fine details,   The best way to complete this is to take some selected trees and print the designs show students can see the physical version of their designs.

3D Printed Adapted Fidget Toy

 

Challenge: Student have been present at a local craft market and had seen a stall where one of the products was a 3D Printed Octopus.   The student felt that they recognised the form and the shape from our school Market Day in 2026 and they wanted to produce their own version, with some additional personalisation.  The design was priced at $10.00 for the market.

Background: The student was indeed correct as observant and regular visitors to the site will recognise one of the Market Day Business from 2025 which was Ollie the Octopus.

When the student discussed it with the teacher while the file itself was easily able to be located as a publicly available .stl file the teacher spoke to the student about providing some individual change to the figure or the design to personalise it.

That came in the form of the student using the main Tinkercad interface to introduce both a crown and also their name in large lettering on the back of the design.

Size: Each of the legs are 50mm long.  The main body of the octopus was 60mm high and 50mm across.  The crown was an additional 10mm high at the top of the design.

Cost/Price: The print used 46g of regular PLA to complete the print.  There was a small amount of rafting between each of the joins of the linking on the legs of the design, which allows it to shimmer.

This gave the unit a price point of $0.93c to complete.  As noted in the introduction the price point for this item at the market was $10.00.

Timeframe: To complete this print the design took two hours and forty five minutes.   

What we would do differently/Next steps for the students: The name of the student in the form of the lettering came out from the design (as shown left).  Normally we encourage students to sink the lettering into the design so there is no chance, particularly on rounded sides of the design for any of the lettering to break off.

The student was extremely happy with the outcome so there is no further adaptions required or intended for this project.

Official School Lamb and Calf Day Video 2026

 

A special thank you to the amazing Mr Bloor for this epic piece of work detailing our Pet Day at Auroa School for 2026.  You can visit his amazing Youtube page here.