Junior Evolving Christmas Print: Decorations

Challenge: To produce a unique and original Christmas decoration.

Background: Again this year we have challenged our students to create an original Christmas decoration - which we are printing in time for the festive season.

As an overview we have published a slideshow which shows ten years of Christmas based Tinkercad designed prints which is located on this blog here.

One of the things that we have challenged the students with this project to do is to think about how we might be able to change the print or reshape or design it and include it into something else.  In this case the design shown above was created as a tree with the intention of it being used to hang from a traditional tree.  As can be seen from the photograph the design is missing a hole.  There was an insert put into the design, however the student did not make the hole in the design big enough and as a consequence it was not successfully printed.   

The design took fifty minutes to print - and a pair was printed as the student was interested in investigating the potential to convert the design into a pair of earrings.

Previously we have students who have produced an entire range of 3D Printed unique earrings - these were initially created for various projects but have proven popular when we have our school Market Days.

The other aspect of the project that has proven to be positive is that the student concerned has completed a project, it has had a very reasonable print time and has then adapted and developed this idea, this project and this work (completely independently) further.

The final earring design is shown left.   Again while the details are clear they have been created by the main Tinkercad interface and designed by a student in a very short space of time.

Size: The first version of the tree was slightly larger being 50mm tall, 30mm wide and 5mm thick.   The finished earring shown left was slightly smaller to make it a more realistic earring size - 30mm high, 10mm with and 5mm thick.

Timeframe: The original print was forty five minutes, as this was intended as a ornament the revised version which was the earring was twenty five minutes which reflected in its reduced scale.

What we would do differently/Next Steps for the students: The student has already indicated that the design maybe refined slightly, the circles to represent the baubles in the middle of the tree are not refined enough and the student really wants to explore the use of metallic PLA so they don't have to use spray painting with the design.   Examples of how this has been used to produce finished work can be shown here.

3D Printed Junior Christmas Projects Summary

 

Two copies of a basic Snowman design, created by a Y3 student.   Features oversized and exaggerated features and large loop in the head for attaching to a tree.  

This design was completed independently by a student in their first year of TInkercad designing using the main interface, selecting a predetermined snowman and then manipulating the design to add the features.

A small thirty minute design and print which was 40mm high.  Printed in metallic (shown left) and marble PLA (shown right).

Left another snowman - this was created again from the main Tinkercad interface.  The student used the top hat to add a whimsical feature to it.   The student also wanted to include an 'M' for their name on the base of it as well (which can be seen in profile).

This design was completed independently by a student who is also Y3 however has shown an aptitude to create and design using Tinkercad.  They were able to brainstorm the idea come up with the design, complete it all and submit it for printing in under thirty minutes.  

The print was completed in forty five minutes and is 50mm high to the top of the hat.   

The print shows an example of what can be created using a rainbow or metallic PLA which created the stripes that can be seen.   As we have noted on this blog we have opted not to spray paint the design further with any of these designs.

"Elf on the Shelf" original design.   This student was inspired with and then worked in conjunction with the student who was working on the Christmas Angel.   The student has used a series of original objects and designs that are available from the main Tinkercad interface.   By manipulating and altering and adjusting the basic shapes that are available an "Elf' was developed.

While the ring was inserted to allow the design to be hung from a tree it also had a base created that allowed the design to stand and be placed in a variety of locations.  The student wants to focus on an issue of redesign, related to the face of the creation as the definition the student considered not completed.

The design was completed using the metallic PLA print took two and a half hours to print and was 70mm high with a 40mm base/wide.   Other than the facial issues as noted the student is not intending to redesign this print.

3D Printed Christmas Trees: Mini Class Project Juniors

Challenge: For every student in the classroom to create a unique Christmas tree for the classroom, where everyone in the classroom of twenty six Year Three and Year Four.

Background: While we have already completed a series of prints from this sequence - as detailed on this blog including Christmas ornaments, Christmas Angels, Snowman and large scale trees.

The next step was something that we have been asked about in the past, how can we produce a series of prints realistically for a class of students, when you are running one printer.   Essentially we are running just the one - at this school we are so lucky to have three main printers that are available for use - one of the awesome things this year has been having new staff members to school who have also got on board with 3D Printing projects and this also has meant that the printing project time has to be managed carefully.

Early this year we completed a series of prints based around the students creating earrings - this worked extremely well as the print time typically was under half an hour per project, and for a classroom of students was achievable.

We have detailed in the past some of the aspects related to Tinkercad and in particular the main interface.  In the example shown left are some of the pre-created shapes that can be imported easily into the students design screen.   Once the shape has been imported the students are able to add additional shapes, as has been shown in previous designs such as the star, and the bobbles for the tree.

This potentially is something that could be completed by the younger juniors - our classroom is going to put these designs to students from our Y1 classroom, as we would rate this as an 'easy' for them to complete with the assistance of our older students (again as noted in the past we have a classroom of seven and eight year olds).

Level of Difficulty: Easy.   This is something that we are going to work on with our classroom of juniors working with a classroom of Y1 students on a peer basis - these students have never used Tinkecad before, and we are confident given the scaffolding and work from the students in our classroom that it will be successful.   We want to very much involve our students in using the AR/VR option for iPads to check for potential printing errors and design flaws.

Size: We targeted this print with the intention of making it small, to make sure printing is feasible in the case of completing it for my classroom and also with a number of other students.   The examples shown left is 40mm high and 20mm wide at the tree portion of the print and the trunk measures 10mm across and a further 20mm high).    It has been suggested that this would also make a pair of novelty earrings.   

Timeframe: One hour for the example shown left.  This is ideal for the print and we would likely redirect students who would create something larger than this.   This creates a print that is unique and would be suitable for hanging from a tree.  Again we wanted to allow for the creation that could be realistically produced for a class set before the end of the term.

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

This option has proven already to be successful task for the classroom which a number of students have completed.   The size and timeframe were realistic, and the skills required are something that our students have proven that they have developed using Tinkercad during the year.

3D Printed Exemplar Junior: Christmas Decorations

 

Challenge: To produce a unique and creative Christmas decoration that would be suitable to hang from a tree.

Background: As per the previous descriptions of the project at the moment, the challenge for the students is to create something that could be considered festive.

Ultimately this design has been part of a range of activities that have come from the junior classroom since the start of term four.   Previously there has been an angel, a range of Christmas trees, the Christmas Angel to top the tree.

One of the aspects of the design that has worked well is it has allowed students to use the design template and by using repetition and basic shapes, combined in this case again with the 'shimmer' PLA (which does not require spray painting).

This student is a Y3 student who is a seven year old who has been designing and creating using the 3D Printer for the first time this year.   The design shown above left is deceptively simple - it consists of one main ring design which is placed on a block which then links with the chain as shown.   

Once again we opted for the shimmer PLA which meant that we would not be required to spray paint the print once that it was completed.

Level of Difficulty: Low - this is deceptively simple involving three different shapes or items with one repeatedly significantly to create the affect.   The screenshot in the bottom left hand corner shows some of the shapes that are available from the main interface.

Size: The design is 90mm high and 80mm wide at the main points of the design.   The image shown in the photograph is of course upside down as the top of the design is where it will be attached to the tree.

Timeframe: Two and a half hours.    The dimensions of the print were created to ensure that this is a significant print that would stand out when on display.  It was also considered that a version of this print could also make an interesting pair of earrings, but not with the size of this print.

What we would do differently/next steps for the students: The student could potentially look at a more organic design (although in this case it is taking pride of place at the Christmas Tree).    A earring version of this print is possible but would need to be reduced in size.

3D Priting: Christmas Decorations 2024

 

Challenge: For a junior student to design, create and print a unique Christmas decoration that could hang from a tree.

Background: This is the latest classroom challenge for my junior class of students.  The students brief was to have something that was original, had a aspect of personalisation and was able to be realistically hung from a tree.

The first example shown left was produced by a Y3 student (a seven year old) in under five minutes.   The student took a design element from the Tinkercad main interface page (the snowflake) and then applied their name on the bar linking the snowflake and the ring.  All of these three features were available from the basic design template and the student was familiar with using them to create something.   They were able to submit this to their individual student Tinkercad account.

Level of Difficulty: Medium - the student created something using three basic interface tools to create the design, then link them all together and group them.   This student while new to 3D Printing this year has now spent nearly twelve months in the classroom using Tinkercad to design this.

Size: The print was 140mm long.   The snowflake measured 60mm across, the name bridge aspect of the print was 10mm wide and the design was 10mm thick at the snowflake and the lettering for the name was 15mm high.  The student is going to look at these dimensions moving forward.

Timeframe: Two hours - this was something that would be improved (ie shortened) by refining the design to ensure that it was all consistent with the size.  Although the link bridge with this design is narrow it is something that is intended to be hung from a tree for display and not something that needs to be robust to be handled.

What we would do differently/Next steps for teh students: As noted the design is currently a little uneven in places - the design could be improved that way.   The name of the designer could potentially have each of its letters flipped so that it could be read down the spine of the linking pin.   

The design was printed using 'sheen' PLA which we are continuing to experiment with, so was not spray painted.  You can read additional Christmas designs from previous students by clicking on the link here.