3D printed Christmas ornaments do not have to be flat stars and snowflakes. A flexi animal with a keychain ring hangs from an ordinary ornament hook, and a larger flexi with no ring at all can curl around a branch and stay there. When the tree comes down, the same pieces go back to being toys or keychains.
This post is for anyone trimming a tree this year who wants ornaments with a little personality: parents, grandparents, collectors and anyone doing an ornament exchange. It covers which of our flexis hang well, how to put up the ones without a ring, what a tree's worth costs, how to keep them safe from heat, and when to order.
For hanging, choose a keychain flexi, because the steel ring is already the loop; for draping, choose a Large 3 inch piece, which is long enough to wrap a branch and light enough not to bend it.
What Makes a Flexi Work as a 3D Printed Christmas Ornament
An ornament has three jobs. It has to hang or sit without falling, it has to be light enough for the branch, and it has to look good from across the room. Our flexis do all three in different ways depending on size.
Weight is the first thing to think about. Every piece is printed in premium PLA, which is light, and the Micro, Mini, Regular and Large sizes sit on an ordinary branch without pulling it down. The 6 inch X-Large is the one to keep for a sturdy branch near the trunk or the top of the tree.
Movement is what sets a flexi apart from a molded ornament. Each one is printed in place as a single articulated piece, so you can pose a dragon mid-climb or a cat stretched along a branch, and it holds the pose.
Visibility depends on size. A 1 inch Micro disappears among the needles unless you tuck it right at the front of a branch. Keychain pieces, Large 3 inch pieces and our 3 to 4 inch Mini line read clearly from the couch.
Keychain Flexis Already Have the Hanging Loop
The simplest 3D printed Christmas ornaments in our shop are the keychains. Slip an ornament hook or a loop of ribbon through the steel ring and the piece hangs straight down, ready to go. Keychains show up in our catalog in three ways.
The Keychain size on classic animals. The standard Dragon, Cat, Axolotl and Penguin all list Keychain as the last option on the Size menu, at $7. It adds a ring to the piece.
The Keychain Yes or No option on the Mini line. The Mini Cat, Mini Raccoon, Mini Bat, Mini Turtle, Mini Tiger and others are $7 as a plain figure and $8 with a ring. The Mini Platypus is $5 plain and $7 with a ring.
Designs that started as keychains. Our keychains collection holds pieces that come with a ring from the start, from the $5 Bone T-Rex Keychain to the $7 Jackalope.
A few designs are especially good on a tree. The Mini Bat can hang upside down from a branch. The Penguin and the polar animals feel wintry without trying. The Bone T-Rex looks like a fossil hidden among the lights. One thing to skip: the Tumbler Keychain and the Lip Balm Holder are in that collection but are not flexi animals, so they make odd ornaments.
Draping Larger Flexis Over Branches Without a Hook
Any flexi can be an ornament, ring or no ring. The joints are what make it work: bend the body over a branch and the piece settles into place.
Long bodies wrap. A Dragon or Axolotl in Large 3 inch can curl once around a branch, like a real animal climbing. The Opossum's long tail can be curled and hooked over a branch by itself.
Short bodies sit. A Cat or a Penguin looks best sitting where a branch meets the trunk, or on a flat spray of needles near the front.
Thread helps on the outer tips. If a branch droops, loop clear thread or thin ribbon behind the front legs and tie it to the branch. It disappears from a few feet away.
For a tree topper, try a 6 inch X-Large dragon coiled around the top stem. It is $15 on the standard Dragon, and it stays on the shelf for the rest of the year.
Colors and Names That Make an Ornament Personal
Ornaments are often the one gift people keep for decades, so it is worth making them specific to the person.
Pick the color. Every product page has a Custom color box. Type what you want, such as "red", "green and white" or "same color as last year's". A tree done entirely in red and white looks planned. A tree where every child chose their own color looks like a family tree, which is the point. If you want a shade and are not sure we have it, ask through our contact page before you order.
Pick the animal. A favorite animal makes an ornament obviously someone's. A child who loves axolotls finds the axolotl first every year.
Add a name. Our Name Keychain is $8 and spells out one name in chunky letters with a ring tab. Hung next to that person's animal, it turns two pieces into a named ornament set. It also settles arguments about whose ornament is whose.
Many families buy one new ornament per person every December. A flexi suits that tradition because the collection grows, and next year's animal can be a different creature or the same one in a new color.
What a Tree Full of 3D Printed Christmas Ornaments Costs
These plans use live prices as of today. Shipping is free on Economy orders over $35 and $3.99 below that.
A small start: three keychains, $24.99. Three classic animals in the Keychain size at $7 each come to $21, plus $3.99 shipping. That is enough for a small tabletop tree or a first ornament for each child.
A family set: five names and five animals, $80. Five Name Keychains at $8 and five Mini line animals with the ring at $8 each come to $80, with free shipping. Everyone gets their name and their animal.
A full tree in fossils and dragons: 12 pieces, $76. Four Bone T-Rex Keychains at $5 and eight classic animals in the Keychain size at $7 come to $76, with free shipping. It is one look, repeated around the tree.
A draped tree: ten Large animals, $60. Ten classic animals in Large 3 inch, such as the Dragon, Cat, Axolotl and Penguin at $6 each, come to $60, with free shipping. Check each product page before you add it, because some animals' Large size is $7.
Tree Lights, Pets and Storing 3D Printed Christmas Ornaments
PLA starts to soften around 130 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit. A tree is nowhere near that, with two exceptions worth knowing.
Older incandescent mini lights can get warm enough to matter if a bulb presses against a thin tail or wing for weeks. LED lights stay cool. With older strings, hang flexis so they do not rest on a bulb.
Attic storage is the bigger risk. A Texas attic in July can pass the temperature where PLA softens, and a flexi that warps in a box will not move freely again. Pack them in a closet or under a bed instead.
Pets and toddlers treat a low branch as a toy shelf. Our flexis are not intended for children under 3, and Micro and Mini pieces are small enough to be a choking risk. Keep the smallest pieces above toddler height and away from cats who bat at the tree.
When you pack them away, lay each piece flat or loosely curled, not twisted. A bag per person keeps name sets together for next year.
When to Order for Tree-Trimming Weekend
Many families put the tree up on the weekend after Thanksgiving, which falls on November 27 to 29 this year. Plan backward from that.
Printing and inspection take one to three business days. Every piece is printed after you order, so allow for that before anything ships.
Transit takes two to five business days, and the week of Thanksgiving is slower for every carrier. Ordering by mid-November gives you margin.
Booth pickup skips the postal half. We will be at Canton Trade Days, booth 4268/4269, on October 29 to November 1 and December 3 to 6. Message us before you order to arrange pickup. The December show also works for anyone who decorates later in the month. Dates are on our events page.
Common Questions About 3D Printed Christmas Ornaments
Do the ornaments come with hooks?
Plan on using your own hooks or ribbon. Keychain pieces come with a steel ring, and an ordinary ornament hook fits through it.
Will a flexi ornament break if it falls off the tree?
A fall from a branch is short for a piece this light, and a single printed piece has no glued parts to come loose. Being stepped on is the real danger, so pick up fallen pieces before someone walks past.
Can children hang them themselves?
Yes, for children over 3. The joints give when a small hand bends a piece onto a branch, which makes flexis more forgiving than glass.
Can the ornaments be used after Christmas?
Yes. A keychain piece goes on a backpack zip or set of keys in January, and a draped Large piece goes back on the shelf. Nothing about them is seasonal unless you choose red and green.
Hang the Ornament, Keep the Flexi
The best 3D printed Christmas ornaments are the ones someone looks for every year. Start with a keychain for each person, add a name if you want it labeled, and drape a few larger animals where the tree looks bare.
Order by mid-November for a tree that goes up after Thanksgiving, keep the smallest pieces up high, and store them somewhere cooler than the attic.
At Cosmic 3D Creations, every ornament is printed to order in Como, Texas, in the colors you type into the Custom color box, and checked joint by joint before it is packed. If you would like to see which sizes look right on a branch, come to our Canton Trade Days booth and hold a few up before you choose.