Halloween is right around the corner, do you have your scares prepared? Rather than buying disposable props from the store, why not 3D print your own? The cost of 3D printers is dropping, and there are now options for people on most budgets. If you are new to 3D printing, we have a beginner's guide which will teach you everything you need to know to make the projects in this article.
Of course, Halloween isn't just about the scary, it's also a time to show off your awesome costumes, and a 3D printer can come in handy here too! In this article we will cover projects to help you put a unique spin on your Halloween preparations, from dastardly decor to not too spooky Star Wars costumes.
1. Tasty Terrors
For some, Halloween is all about the fear factor. For others, it's all about the candy. Instead of buying candy from the shop, why not make your own creepy cookies this year to give to your local trick or treaters?
These Witch and Cat cookie cutters were brewed up by Thingiverse user OoogiMe. Given their small size and simplicity, they are the perfect project to work on with children. If you a looking for a way to interest your kids in technology and cooking at the same time -- this is it! OogiMe also provides a design for a Snarling Pumpkin cookie cutter which is a similar size as the others though a little more complex.
Stepping up in both size and difficulty, 3DWORK provides a design for a larger Skeleton Cookie cutter mould on their Thingiverse page.
2. Petrifying Pumpkins
Another crucial aspect of Halloween is setting up your home for maximum visitor scare factor. We've already covered ways you can create Arduino powered scare machines to make people think twice before heading to your door.
UK electronics and 3D printing retailer Kitronik have produced free plans for a glowing pumpkin (a great way to avoid that rotten pumpkin husk sitting in your driveway for weeks after), which uses a yellow flickering LED and a watch battery to simulate candlelight.
It is worth noting that the other things in the linked article were created using a laser cutter, and while they ramp up in complexity, the same designs could be used to hand cut decorations to go alongside your 3D printed pieces!
If you'd prefer something a little smaller and gruesome, you could print multiple versions of this mini pumpkin, hand-sculpted by ideaform3d.
3. Wiley Webs
What is a spooky house without spider webs? This year, instead of the messy fibre webs you can buy from the shop, print your own! Fuzzbot provides the design for this spiderweb based on beloved children's novel Charlotte's Web.
According to the creator, there is a hidden message in the web -- print it to see if you can decipher it!
4. Skittering Spiders
While we are talking about spider webs, why not add some spiders to give people the creeps? While there are a huge amount of spider designs to choose from, this design by thinkyhead really caught our attention.
What makes this design special is the way the legs can be easily repositioned making each build unique. Thinkyhead estimates the build time at just 15 minutes, though that will of course vary depending on your 3D printer. This simple design can be incredibly effective with little effort on the part of the builder.
5. Glowing Crow
Crows are awesome, but it's difficult and frustrating to try and train one to sit on your porch. Rather than wasting months of your time, and destroying all of your favourite shirts in the failed attempt to tame a real crow -- build your own. Trust us, it's easier.
This fantastic design by danman adds a couple of cheap red LEDs to the mix to give the crow evil eyes. An added bonus to this one is minus the evil eyes, this model would be perfect to leave in your garden to ward off other less welcome birds, or it could even be used to attract other crows. Crows are awesome.
6. The Chandelier of Fear
Looking for something a bit bigger? Want to really outdo the neighbours? If you really want to impress your guests this halloween, how about 3D printing an entire Chandelier?
This impressive by Thingiverse user MakerBot build takes multiple parts which come together into a build which looks much more polished and impressive than many other 3D printed designs. This effect can be even further improved upon with a coat of paint to give it that truly ancient and spooky feel.
7. Creepy Costumes
3D printers make costume design much easier, and there are a huge amount of designs already out there. Here are a few that caught our eye:
Bugged Out Eyes
These cartoonishly huge eyes are fantastic in their simplicity. Created by Thingiverse user Kongorilla they are a great way to achieve a big look with few steps.
Scream!
Ah, the ubiquitous Scream mask. While the films may not be as relevant these days, the mask endures. This design from Ben Martin is a faithful recreation of the well known terror bringer. Remember to wear something black over your head to complete the effect!
Skull Mask
There are a few designs for skull masks out there, but aaskedall's design is a winner for us.
A benefit of this design is that it is supportless, making it easy to build. This design should fit a child, though other users found scaling it up to around 3x its original size made it perfect for adults too.
Plague Mask
Anyone who has been watching SyFy's 12 Monkeys will be familiar with this terror-inducing mask.
This variation on the classic plague doctor mask was actually added to Thingiverse by the SyFy channel themselves, and comes in two variations. One mask on a stand as a decoration, and one with straps to be used as a costume.
Faceless Mask
Fans of the beautiful Spirited Away should love this low-poly version of the Faceless mask.
This stylish mask by dogbrand is available as a design on Thingiverse, though it is worth bearing in mind this is only a design, so the finished product may take a little tweaking to get looking really good.
Wolverine Claws
Wolverine claws. Do we need to say more?
While there are lots of designs for these claws, this design by LeFabShop is well documented and has a great looking final product. The above video should show you everything you need to know to get printing!
Demon Baby
This design gets special creepy points. Whoever thought this up should perhaps be checked in on from time to time. It's... well, just look:
This immensely creepy design is the brainchild of Thingiverse user Taikonaught. While the initial design was for their partner's pregnant stomach, anyone could replicate this. There are three designs to download, which when printed are designed to fit under clothing to scare unsuspecting well wishers!
8. Cool Costumes and Props
For some folks, Halloween isn't about scaring people, it's simply about looking awesome. This year you can ditch the shop-bought uniform, and make something truly unique using designs you've printed yourself.
A Wand per Wizard
For Harry Potter fans there is little more exciting than the prospect of having your own wand. While you could make one out of wood, the benefit of 3D printing one is you can make a good looking, lightweight prop without having to break out the woodworking machinery!
This wand design by tuxedodiplomat [Broken Link Removed] also encorporates an LED into it for extra magical effect!
Unicorn Horn
Unicorns are usually more or less the opposite of creepy, and that makes them the perfect choice to stand out at Halloween. This project from Adafruit provides a design for the horn, but then goes even further, adding LEDs to it to give it the full rainbow Unicorn effect!
Glowing Mace
This design, also from Adafruit, takes the medieval mace and gives it a modern cartoonish twist. This 3D print is a lot more complex than the others we have featured here, but it is worth an honorable mention as even without the electronics inside it is an excellent design which shows what 3D printers are truly capable of in terms of costume and prop design.
9. Star Wars
Star Wars costumes are always a firm favourite for Halloween, and 3D printing your own is a fantastic way to show yourself as a true Jedi, or servant of the Dark Side depending on your preference. Let's briefly go through a few notable designs
Rebel Princess Belt
This simple design by wkarraker attaches to a belt to add detail to a simple Jedi Rebel costume.
Lightsaber!
No Jedi is complete without a lightsaber. This design by lilykill is based upon Luke Skywalker's lightsaber from Return of the Jedi.
There are several lightsaber designs around, but the level of detail of this one really caught our attention!
Kylo Ren's Lightsaber
Much has been said about the stylised lightsaber wielded by Kylo Ren in the Force Awakens, and this design by LeFabShop is a fantastic recreation of this cross guard designed weapon of the Dark Side.
Storm Trooper Helmet
Few things from Star Wars are more iconic than the Stormtrooper. This helmet design from Geoffro is incredible, and it is clear a huge amount of time went into getting it just right. This is not a simple print, there are a large amount of different parts to it, and it's perhaps not one for the beginner to 3D printing, but the results speak for themselves!
Petrifying Prints
This article has taken us through just a few things that are possible with 3D printing to make your Halloween setup unique and impressive. While most of these projects are easy to make even with a small 3D printer, some are a little more complex.
The practise of making costumes and props with 3D printers is just getting started, and we are looking forward to watching it evolve over the coming years as the technology gets cheaper and more accessible to all.
If you've been inspired or are feeling adventurous, why not design your own 3D models with OpenSCAD.
Have you designed your own costume this year? Are you decorating your house with self printed fear mongering creations? We'd love to see what you're making! Show us in the comment section below.
Image Credit: scanrail/Depositphotos