6 gloriously useless 3D printing projects that are way more fun than bedroom organizers

Published Oct 22, 2026, 6:00 AM EDT Tim has been covering technology for almost 20 years, in that time spanning a broad range of topics from security to product reviews. He is especially focused on the Apple ecosystem, productivity, and consumer advice. Over the years Tim has written thousands of articles, reviews, and round-ups in addition to producing video content and original photography. A graduate of journalism, he found his footing as a freelancer with a laptop and loves how he is able to work from practically anywhere. Now a Senior Editor for iPhone, Mac, and Smart Home at How-To Geek, Tim still loves to write. He can also be found crafting round-ups and productivity posts for the Zapier blog. Earlier in his career Tim spent nearly a decade as a writer and eventually Apple section editor for MakeUseOf. Tim currently lives in Brisbane, Australia. Outside of work he loves to hike and work out, play video games, and spend quality time with his wonderful partner and two cats Inka and Roger. Not every 3D printing project needs to be practical. Sometimes you just want to burn through some filament in the interest of having fun. These projects might seem pointless and even verge on wasteful at times, but if they bring a bit of joy to your day, then they’ve done their job. Conduct a Launchy experiment Not your average 3D print Launchy is a model quite unlike any other. While 3D printing benchmarking models like Benchy have been around since the hobby took off, Launchy originated in February 2025 when it captured the attention of the r/3DPrinting subreddit. You don’t print Launchy as part of a greater project; printing Launchy is the project. Describing itself as “a temperamental, unreliable experiment,” Launchy is designed to (hopefully) launch a small ball as the 3D printer’s build plate cools. While warm, the build plate should hold onto the model securely, but as it cools, this grip becomes looser and looser until the ball is sent flying by the model base’s weight. To quote the model description: “Success depends on your printer, plate, filament, settings, environment, karma, and other mysterious forces.” The print only requires 36g of filament, so you can repeat it a few times and change variables to see how that affects the result. Your very own infinity cube A proper project that’s fun to look at What defines a 3D printing “project” could be debated, but something that requires you to invest a bit of time and money into additional equipment, including like a microcontroller, LED strips, a one-way mirror, and put effort into soldering and assembling is right up there. The infinity cube is one of those models that’s better seen than described. A neat optical illusion that changes depending on where you look at it from; the end result is a cube that sits there doing nothing beyond inspiring wonder. There’s also a printable stand, so that you can pose the cube on one end where it looks best. Novelty Sharpie lids for your entire collection Medieval weaponry and more Credit: Mathew Forde / Printables Few people own a single Sharpie marker. If you have one, you probably have a whole pack scattered around your house. These pens are the Kleenex or Xerox of the permanent marker world, and the fact that they’re universal in size presents a fun opportunity to make a personal mark (sorry). Sharpie lids do actually serve a purpose, especially if you end up losing one, but there are a whole load of novelty ones you can print just for fun. These include weapons like maces, war hammers, cutlasses, and light sabers; video game armaments like the Master Sword and Keyblade; tools like claw hammers, and a Dummy 13 figure and cap Not entirely useless, and also reusable. Life-size models from Alien, Predator, and more Because you have too much filament Credit: ShapeShift 3D Creations / MakerWorld Life-size models might seem heavy on materials, but 3D printing is often the cheapest way to get big models into your home. Bulk-buying the filament is a must to get the cost down, but assuming you’re happy to queue up prints and finish the model yourself, it’s surprisingly economical compared to buying something this size at retail. As a result of the surprising popularity of large 3D-printed items, searching “life size” on any model repository is quite the trip. Some starters include a life-size Xenomorph from Alien, a life-size Predator from the same author, life-sized battle droids and other Star Wars prints, and a life-size Dummy 13 action figure. While decor isn’t exactly useless, you have to really be committed to the cost, time, and effort when it comes to finishing one of these. Cat biceps, masks, and other feline accessories Seconds of fun until your cat decides enough is enough Sometimes, a brief moment of fun is enough to justify a print. This might be the case with the cat biceps, a model that serves no purpose other than making your cat look like they’re spoiling for a fight. You’ve probably seen photos and videos on social media of these models in action, and it’s no wonder, since there are many variations on the theme, including Hulk fists and a version with pistols. Of course the fun doesn’t stop there (for you, your cat will probably think otherwise) since you can also print a variety of helmets including Batman, a Spartan warrior, Darth Vader, and Wolverine. If your cat hasn’t completely disowned you by the end, you might get away with a pair of cat Crocs too. There are also models out there for dogs, and many of these will fit both. For best results, use your slicer’s scale and measure tools to adjust the model so that it forms a good fit. A blast from the past Credit: big_jerm / MakerWorld Physical media is quickly becoming a thing of the past in all but a few areas, with video game cartridges being a distant memory for many. Those that remain are often considered too valuable to use, so thankfully we have emulation to fill the gap. But there’s nothing stopping you from 3D printing your own physical media. You can print dimensionally-accurate cartridges for a range of platforms, including the Game Boy, NES, Sega Genesis, SNES, and N64. With these printed, you can have some fun by making your own labels for your favorite games, demakes of modern games that were reimagined for older systems, or funny game titles that never really existed. Bonus points if you age the cartridge a bit to make it look like it has been through the ages. You can of course do the same with other physical media including cassettes (with real moving parts) and VHS tapes, and floppy discs. If you’re really committed to the bit, you could add NFC tags to these items that open the relevant emulator, video, or album when scanned with a smartphone. To offset your pointless prints, why not make some of these tiny but useful items too?