Author: Lindsey

Spooktacular Doodle Ideas Using Your 3D Pen

Posted on by Lindsey

Get crafty this Halloween with costume designs, decorations, and DIY accessories using your 3Doodler 3D pen!

By customizing your costume, you can add a bit of unique flair that is either scary, funny, or sweet that will show off your style. Even better—there’s no need to rush out and splurge on expensive store-bought items when you can make something with the 3D pen you have at home. To help with this effort, we’ve gathered a few easy-to-make Halloween costumes and accessory ideas below!

And trust us, once you get started, you’ll be surprised at just how easy these projects when coupled with our step-by-step instructions, a 3Doodler Create+ 3D Pen, and a variety of Create plastics.

Black, yellow & red-winged bug on white 3d pen art.

Spooky Bat

Use this stencil to create a life-size bat! Perfect for this spooky season. We put together a tutorial for this Doodle to help walk you through it step by step. Check it out here.

Download Stencil

Steps
Black-nosed ghost depicted in 3D pen art.

Floating Ghost

If you need more spooky decorations for around the house, office, or classroom – these simple floating ghosts should do the trick! Simple to make, these little ghouls can adapt to almost any setting. See steps below!

  • 3d pen ghost halloween tutorial animated gif
  • 3d pen ghost halloween tutorial animated gif
  • 3d pen ghost halloween tutorial animated gif
  • 3d pen ghost halloween tutorial animated gif
Steps

  • Things you’ll need: 3Doodler Create+ pen and some Create+ plastic

  • Use a paper towel or tissues to create the body of the ghost.

  • Start doodling around the tissue to create the body.

  • Make sure you stretch the plastic down so that the ghost has something to rest on.

  • After the body is Doodled, make a couple of eyes and a mouth and your little guy is ready to go!

Frog 3D pen art on book.

A Sweet Treat Ring

If you don’t want to go over-the-top with your costume, but want something to kick your daily decor up a notch, this candy corn ring is the perfect accessory.

Download Stencil

  • 3d pen ring fashion halloween tutorial animated gif
  • 3d pen ring fashion halloween tutorial animated gif
  • 3d pen ring fashion halloween tutorial animated gif
  • 3d pen ring fashion halloween tutorial animated gif
Steps

  • Things you’ll need: 3Doodler Create+ or Start+ pen and plastic.

  • Print out the Candy Corn stencil here,

  • Start by using the stencil to Doodle the ring.

  • Then once the ring base is set, craft your candy corn.

  • This is where color choice comes into play and can vary the “flavor” of your ring.

  • The last step, attach the candy to the ring!

DIY Halloween headbands

Stand out from the crowd with bats flying above your head, or go for a classic horror scene look with these Halloween headbands.

3D pen art of a woman with bat headpiece

Flying Bats Headband

This headband is fun, cool, and festive – and it’s perfect for last-minute Halloween DIY projects! You could even pair this with a witch hat for your flying bats to circle.

Download Stencil

  • 3d pen arrow halloween design
  • 3d pen bats halloween design
  • 3d pen bats halloween design
Steps

Arrow Headband

Add some humor to your rustic Halloween look with this super easy and classic arrow through head prop!

Download Stencil

  • 3d pen arrow halloween design tutorial
  • 3d pen arrow halloween design tutorial
  • 3d pen arrow halloween design tutorial
  • 3d pen arrow halloween design tutorial
Steps
Close-up of person's mask - 3D pen art in green and blue

Dress up as Erica Gray’s “Swamp Thing”

Be the coolest ghoul this season with our DIY “Swamp Thing” mask. Fashion designer and artist Erica Gray dreamt up this creature from the 3Doodler lagoon and made an easy-to-follow tutorial for you to make this eerie mask. We guarantee it’s sure to turn heads!

Download Stencil

  • 3d pen swamp thing mask 3d halloween fashion by Erica Gray
  • 3d pen swamp thing mask 3d halloween fashion by Erica Gray
  • 3d pen swamp thing mask 3d halloween fashion by Erica Gray
Steps

If these costumes inspired you to create, be sure to take a photo of your creations and share it with @3Doodler #3Doodler #WhatWillYouCreate.

Celebrating Rainbows and Unicorns in 3D!

Posted on by Lindsey

Life isn’t all rainbows and unicorns. But sometimes it is.

April 9 is National Unicorn Day. And while no human being has officially seen a unicorn, that doesn’t necessarily mean that unicorns are not real. To put it into perspective, no human being had ever seen a gorilla in person until 1902!

Though the unicorn is classified as a “mythological” creature, the idea of a horse with a single horn on its forehead has been around for quite some time. In fact, the unicorn was included in early Mesopotamian artwork, ancient myths originating from China and India, and even certain passages in the Bible.

White unicorn cake with colorful 3D pen horn.

The creature also makes an appearance in modern literature. Unicorns are mentioned in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, by C.S. Lewis; in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, by J.K. Rowling; and in Peter S. Beagle’s The Last Unicorn — just to name a few familiar titles.

Over time, unicorns have become synonymous with beauty, power, magic, and mythology. And, if you’ve ever heard of someone talking about “finding a unicorn,” you know that they mean they have found someone special. So, in honor of National Unicorn Day, the 3Doodler team thought it would be fun to Doodle our own special unicorn horns — or alicorns.

Check out our tutorial here.

We’re excited to work with you on this project for two reasons:

It’s fun to create wearables with your kids.
Dressing up has always been a great opportunity for kids to learn, play, and exercise their creativity in new ways. When we combine these skills with the excitement of using a 3D pen, we’re essentially giving our kiddos the tools they need to amplify and more deeply engage in these lessons.

Not to mention, creating wearables with 3Doodler 3D pens is safe and easy. The learning curve is small, and you never have to worry about the plastics being hot to the touch. Wearable projects with 3Doodler are truly “create and play.”

We have the supplies your kids need to make their unicorns picture-perfect.
Last week we shared some exciting new plastic bundles with you that are fit for a unicorn! Colors like lilac, pistachio, lemon zest, and Spring green are sure to get your kids’ creative juices flowing — and add that special “something” to their unicorn horn projects.

So, if you have the time, please join us in creating your own unicorn headband so you can celebrate National Unicorn Day as it was meant to be celebrated — with a little bit of creativity and magic.

Share your magical unicorns with us: @3Doodler #3Doodler #WhatWillYouCreate

Color Us Excited! 3 Alternatives to Crayons

Posted on by Lindsey

We’re tickled pink to share that one of our favorite “holidays” is coming up next week – National Crayon Day! It’s only once in a blue moon that we pursue a dedicated celebration of gorgeous colors, and we can’t wait.

But, it’s 2021, and we’ve spent the past year coloring outside the lines. So, we couldn’t help but take a moment to wonder what might happen in a world without crayons. This isn’t a new idea.

3D pen art with crayons and 3D pens on table

Author Drew Daywalt wrote a book, The Day the Crayons Quit, that explores a box of crayons’ struggles based on colors — including why each crayon might think about quitting coloring for good. For example, the red crayon complains about “working” on major holidays like Valentine’s Day (so many hearts!) and Christmas (drawings of Santa Claus).

Let’s look at some of the alternative ways we might express ourselves with color. In case all of the crayons do happen to quit one day. Here are some crayon alternatives that will help take your artwork up a notch.

3D Pens: Bringing Colorful Designs to Life

Compact and easy-to-use, 3D pens allow you to draw and create with colorful plastic. With a 3D pen you can draw a raised graphic on a piece of paper or any flat surface. But what makes a 3D pen truly unique is its ability to “draw” in mid-air, allowing you to instantly form 3D structures right in front of you, which you can pick up and hold in your hand. Learn more about 3D pens here.

3D pen art: Vase with flower & blue vase with flowers

Clay: Molding the World Around You

Clay is a colorful tool that can be molded into different shapes, including sculptures, pottery, and decorative patterns and designs. It is a great starting point for young children looking to develop coordination, build strength, and express their creativity.

Close-up of red gift box with ribbon in 3D pen art.

Construction Paper: Creating Abstract Design

Tearing paper is a productive fine motor activity for children, and a fun, beautiful way to create colorful mosaic-like images that resemble watercolor paintings. In Japan, this technique is called chigiri e. Artists have been known to trace a design onto paper, then rip colorful paper gently to color in the desired shape.

What’s your favorite color, and how do you create art with that color when you don’t have any crayons on hand? Share your thoughts with us on social media: @3Doodler #3Doodler #WhatWillYouCreate

 

Going Green for St. Patrick’s Day

Posted on by Lindsey

This week, we’re celebrating St. Patrick’s Day – and all things Irish. If you’re looking for creative ways to get your students involved in the merriment, we have some ideas that will help them “go green” – both figuratively and literally.

Start by reading about shamrocks, the iconic plant associated with the holiday, to get into the proper mindset! Eve Bunting wrote a lively book called Green Shamrocks, which tells the story of Rabbit, who is growing shamrocks in a pretty yellow pot in preparation for St. Patrick’s Day. Unfortunately, Rabbit’s pot goes missing and he must search for his plants before the festivities come around.

Colorful vases with flowers and butterflies - 3D pen art

Why not work with your students to exercise their green thumbs and plant their own shamrocks? The best time to plant a shamrock is in the early spring, while keeping the following in mind:

Planting Tips

  • Put your shamrock seeds in the refrigerator for 24 hours before planting.

  • Fill a pot with damp potting soil.

  • Press the seeds gently into the soil, taking care to NOT cover them completely.

  • Place the pot in indirect sunlight and wait for your seeds to sprout — typically within two weeks of planting!

The three leaves of a shamrock are said to stand for faith, hope, and love. If any of your plants sprout a fourth leaf, that is where the shamrocks are said to get their luck.

Saint Pat's Pot Saint Pat's Pot

After you’ve planted the seeds, encourage your students to go a step further and decorate their planters with 3D Doodles using this stencil that our resident Doodlers have created to help you reimagine your pots. The stencil is best-suited for planter pots that are 2” or 4.5” in size.

Check out this tutorial for more ideas on how to decorate your planters!

Not only is planting shamrocks a festive St. Patrick’s Day activity, but it is also a natural way to encourage students’ interest in gardening and botany. Encouraging your students to decorate their planters is a great way to put an artistic spin on this special branch of biology.

What do your students’ planters look like?

Share their pretty pot designs with us on social media: @3Doodler #3Doodler #WhatWillYouCreate

16 Days of Very Merry Doodle Deals!

Posted on by Lindsey

By golly, be jolly with 16 days of holiday deals!

3Doodler’s series of seasonal bargains features bundles at a steal, huge discounts, and more, all of which will help you deck the halls with boughs of gifts whether you’re in school or at home. We will have hot ticket items every single day through December 16th, with the deals getting sweeter each day! Some deals will be flash sales for one day, with others lasting a few days. Be sure to sign up for our newsletter so you don’t miss a beat about the savings.

To kickstart the Christmas cheer, we’re announcing the first three deals today!

Three 3D pens and one on a table

 

First Three Very Merry Doodle Deals

 

12/1: 50% off Start Plastic Packs

12/2: 50% off Create+ Plastic Packs

12/3: 50% off PRO+ Plastic Packs

 

SHOP NOW

Be sure to check back frequently to the Deals page in our store – every single day we will have deals you don’t want to miss!

Are you excited for 16 days of Very Merry Doodle Deals? Give the gift of good tidings by sharing the news with your friends and family on social media!

@3Doodler #3Doodler #WhatWillYouCreate?

PRO+ Creations to Ignite Inspiration

Posted on by Lindsey

Unlock creative potential like never before with the 3Doodler PRO+.

Take inspiration from artists and architects to engineers, innovators, and fashion designers who demonstrate the precision and sleek ergonomics of this dynamic 3D printing tool. We partnered with professionals from around the world to ignite your imagination and feature designs using a range of materials, including wood, nylon, and bronze. The 3Doodler PRO+ collection is intended to celebrate creative expression by featuring events that were cancelled or postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

  • 3D pen art: Close-up of a straw building model
  • White figure poses in front of building - 3D pen art
  • Close up of detailed 3D pen art: White building with wires.
  • White wire structure with blue roof & white fence: 3D pen art
  • Vibrant plastic mesh 3D pen art up close

Architecture

The PRO+ is the perfect tool for creating precise architectural models. We teamed up with professionals Cornelia Kuglmeier and Alanna Baird to make 3D miniatures of two visually stunning buildings that were due to be displayed at Expo2020 Dubai. Cornelia made a model of the Canada Pavilion out of the Wood filament, which displays a latticework of earthy geometry. Alanna crafted a replica of the Czech Pavilion using clear FLEXY filament for the translucent pipework, and clear PLA for the structure’s base. Create quick and accurate prototypes with the PRO+ to share a new concept or design in 3D.

 

  • Man with deer head and horns, 3D pen sculpture. #3Doodler
  • 3D pen art: Bird statue with long beak
  • Blue & brown dress 3D pen doll art by Ig Heather
  • 3D pen art: Close-up of red-dressed doll with hat, by Erica Red.
  • 3D pen art: Black sculpture of woman with hat & dress by Erica Blk.
  • Yellow dress mannequin in 3D pen art
  • Doll with dress and hat - 3D pen art
  • 3D pen art: Doll in wedding dress & veil by Erica White.
  • 3D pen art of doll in black dress and hat
  • Black and white 3D pen art: Woman with hat and parasol
  • 3D pen art with hair dryer drying

Fashion

Professional designers Heather Baharally, Erica Gray, and Stéphanie Santos collaborated with us to create fashion inspired by the 2020 Met Gala theme, “About Time.” Heather’s visionary “Plague Doctor” dress provides stunning visual commentary on the global pandemic with a unique take on steampunk couture. The dress features bronze armor with a bustle created using wood filament. Using saltwater and ammonia, she created a colorful patina on the metal. Erica’s designs create an effect that is both wild and exotic, while also sophisticated and elegant. Using FLEXY filament, she creates depth through texture and lace-like patterns. Stéphanie’s chic, minimalistic prototypes draw on several time periods of vogue, with a futuristic twist. Using PLA and FLEXY to prototype, she uses the models as blueprints to transform her ideas into life-sized realities.

 

  • Man on swing 3D pen sculpture
  • 3D pen art: 3Doodler statue of a man on swing
  • 3D pen art: Man on swing, crafted in body arafed style
  • 3D pen art: Statue of bear with leash
  • 3D pen sculpture: man on pole, black background
  • Close-up of 3D pen art: bear statue with tree trunk
  • Close-up of man running in 3D pen art
  • Man running with outstretched hands in 3D pen art
  • Close-up 3D pen art statue with black background

3D Design

These BodyWorlds style models by Cornelia Kuglmeier were carefully crafted using the Bronze and Copper filaments for the PRO+. The surface textures she created with the filament depict realistic human muscle tissue and demonstrate the accuracy and perfection you can achieve using the PRO+ pen. This collaboration honors the Olympic athletes who were scheduled to participate in the 2020 event before it was postponed.

  • 3D pen art: toy car on rocks
  • 3D pen art: toy car on table
  • 3D pen art: toy car on rock

Tech and Innovation

The intersection of technology and innovation invites creative expression and designing for the future is effortless with the PRO+. Creative professional, Faraz Warsi, made this polished model of Tesla’s much-awaited Cybertruck. The model demonstrates the ease with which designers can use the PRO+ pen to make stylish 3D prototypes. Cutting edge ideas, like the modern electric car models, prototypes of aerodynamic aircraft, and much more have never been easier to design.

Are you inspired to create with the 3Doodler PRO+? Share your ideas and projects with us on social media. We can’t wait to see what you create!

@3Doodler #3Doodler #3DoodlerPRO #WhatWillYouCreate?

Doodle to Give Thanks

Posted on by Lindsey

Gather inspiration with our Thanksgiving projects for all ages, and share how grateful you are with a gift of handmade Doodles!

While 2020 has been a challenging year all around, one way to lift spirits as we enter the holiday season is by expressing how grateful we are to our loved ones. We have the perfect collection of festive fall projects to help you make perfect gifts for the autumn season. Whether you’re in the classroom, the living room, or the craft room, makers will have a ton of fun getting creative hands-on in the spirit of giving and sharing thanks!

Projects to Give the Gift of Gratitude

Colorful 3D pen clay ornaments on ground

Festive Fall 3D Stamps

Skill Level: Beginner

3D Pen: 3Doodler Start or Create+

Give the gift of fall-themed handmade items using these seasonal 3D stamps! These are perfect for making cookies to share with loved ones for Thanksgiving, or stamping clay to give the gift of festive decor. Use our template to make fall-themed 3D stamps or feel free to make your own!

View Project

3D pen art: Potpourri holder with dried leaves

Potpourri Holder

Skill Level: Intermediate

3D Pen: 3Doodler Start or Create+

Who doesn’t love the fall scent of cinnamon-spiced potpourri? This potpourri holder can be made with our easy-to-follow stencil. Get ready to create a beautiful piece of decor that’s perfect for the coming holiday, and give it to someone who you’re thankful for!

View Project

3Doodler pen creates peach blossom tree with plastic strands

Centerpiece Blossoms

Skill Level: Advanced

3D Pen: 3Doodler Create+

Flowers make beautiful Thanksgiving centerpieces and are a delight to behold by all who gather around the table. Give the gift of gratitude with colorful flowers that are always in bloom by bringing our blossom stencil to life in 3D.

View Project

What gifts are you giving to show gratitude for the holiday? Parents, teachers, and makers want to know! Give the gift of inspiration by sharing your ideas and creations with us on social media. We can’t wait to see what you create!

Tag Us: @3Doodler, #3Doodler, #3DoodlerEDU

Celebrate Origami Day in 3D

Posted on by Lindsey
Cardboard 3D pen art of a square paper crane

Celebrate Origami Day!

Origami Day is celebrated annually on November 11 in Japan and recognized by creators around the world. It’s a day to recognize the ancient Japanese art of creating intricate and beautiful shapes by folding square pieces of paper. Origami Day often features the paper crane prominently as a symbol of peace. Explore the historic significance of this art form and make an origami project to experience the design process first-hand.

Invite students to gain insights by reading a selection of books that feature the historical significance of origami and Japanese art and culture. After reflecting on these books, students have an opportunity to test their own skills with hands-on creativity by building paper cranes or using our Doodled “Paper Crane” stencil. Young learners have an opportunity to study geometric shapes and explore spatial visualization by making origami in 3D!

Origami Day Project

Colorful origami bird in 3D pen art on black surface

In this hands-on STEAM activity, students can choose one of the stories below. Once they have read the book, invite them to share observations and then create a 3D paper crane with a 3Doodler Start (ages 6-13) or a 3Doodler Create+ (ages 14+). You can find the Doodled “Paper Crane” stencil here.

Suggested Books

Grades K-5
Yoko’s Paper Cranes, Rosemary Wells
Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes, E. Coerr

Grades 5-8
Pink Paper Swans, Virginia L. Kroll

Grades 8-12
One Thousand Paper Cranes, Ishii Takayuki

We can’t wait to see what learners create! Share your Doodles with us on social media, and be sure to tag us so we can see your creations! @3Doodler #3Doodler #OrigamiDay

Stellar 3D Pen Projects for STEM Day!

Posted on by Lindsey

Foster curiosity, visual thinking, and creative design with these easy 3D printing pen projects for STEM Day!

How many planets are in our solar system? How do hydraulics work?

With young learners around, you may hear a thousand questions like this every day. Young minds have such insatiable curiosity, and one great way to encourage creative thinking is to have students explore subjects hands-on in 3D.

Hands-on learning can help spark engagement, innovation, and creativity, so we’ve put together a roundup of fun STEM-stencils to inspire fun and engaged learning in your classroom or home learning environment.

STEM Tools Alert: Be sure to check out our all-new 3Doodler Start and 3Doodler Create+ Learn From Home Pen Sets, which come with tons of materials to create with and hours of hands-on STEM projects!

  • 3d pen STEM projects solar system
  • 3d pen STEM projects solar system
  • 3d pen STEM projects solar system

Grades K-5

 

Our Solar System in 3D!

 

This DIY solar system project is not just educational, it’s also a great way to decorate your classroom or home learning environment. With the Doodled planets, you’ll find young learners marveling at the beauty of the universe, even during the daytime!

Steps

  1. Grab some round balls of varying sizes for students to use as 3D stencils (alternatively, you can use lemons, clementines, and oranges as the 3D stencils), and cover them in masking tape.

  2. Have students Doodle half of a sphere over the taped 3D stencil, then pop off the plastic. Repeat with the other half of the sphere.

  3. Doodle to join the two halves together to form the planet.

  4. Cut string to about 12 inches, then attach to the sphere with melted plastic.

  5. You can then can attach the string to the ceiling.

  6. Repeat the following steps for the rest of the planets in the solar system!

Materials:

  • 3d pen STEM classroom projects hydraulics
  • 3d pen STEM classroom projects hydraulics
  • 3d pen STEM classroom projects hydraulics
  • 3d pen STEM classroom projects hydraulics
  • 3d pen STEM classroom projects hydraulics

Grades 6-8

 

Hands-on Hydraulics!

 

This hydraulic claw is made using two syringes, a length of rubber tube, and water. The rest is created with a 3Doodler pen! With a series of hinges attached to the plunger and body of one of the syringes, we can create a claw that opens and closes to pick things up.

*Note: Can be created with the 3Doodler Start (ages 6-13) or the 3Doodler Create+ (ages 14+)

Steps

  1. Print the Hydraulic Claw stencil.

  2. Use the Start DoodlePad or Create DoodlePad to trace the pieces.

  3. Assemble pieces together and attach the proper pieces to one syringe. (Use this guide as a reference.)

  4. Fill the other syringe with water.

  5. Attach tubing to both syringe nozzles.

  6. Test out your claw!

Materials:

  • 3d pen STEM classroom Big Ben London
  • 3d pen STEM classroom Big Ben London

Grades 9-12

 

Building Big Ben

 

The Elizabeth Tower, also known as Big Ben, is the clock tower of the Palace of Westminster in London, England. In this project, learners will create a 3D model of Big Ben, one of the most iconic architectural monuments in Britain.

Steps

  1. Print the stencil.

  2. Doodle the four faces for the clock tower.

  3. Create the ornate neo-Gothic architectural designs using the stencil, then attach to the faces.

  4. Doodle the faces together at the seams to create the tower base.

  5. Doodle the roof pieces and assemble.

  6. Doodle the clock faces, and attach.

  7. Trace all of the pieces.

Materials:

We hope these projects sparked some inspiration for STEM Day activities in your learning environment!

What projects are you planning for STEM day? Please share your ideas with us on social media, as well as your students’ Doodles! We can’t wait to see what they create.

@3Doodler #3Doodler #3DoodlerEDU #WhatWillYouCreate

Meet the 3Doodler PRO+. Superior Performance. Elevated Design.

Posted on by Lindsey

The 3Doodler PRO+ is the world’s most advanced professional-grade 3D printing pen. Sleek, dynamic, and reliable, the PRO+ offers design experts and engineers freedom and flexibility with easy-to-use technology.

  • 3Doodler Pro+ 3D Pen for Professionals
  • 3Doodler Pro+ 3D Pen for Professionals
  • 3Doodler Pro+ 3D Pen for Professionals

Experience Creative Freedom

The PRO+ is the go-to 3D printing solution for creative professionals. Architects, artists, designers, and inventors achieve superior performance with ergonomic styling and advanced technology for hours of creative use. With versatile temperature and speed settings, the PRO+ ensures a precise finish to every project and offers a range of materials including wood, copper, bronze, nylon, ABS, PLA, and FLEXY.

It’s so versatile, it also acts as a repair or tactile teaching tool for other industries. From fixing floorboards and repairing junction boxes, to prototyping and augmenting 3D models, the range of use cases for the 3Doodler PRO+ is unparalleled.

The 3D printing pen features a smaller, more ergonomic design, a robust dual-drive system, precise digital controls for temperature and speed, and a completely removable magnetic panel to effortlessly access the internal workings of the pen. The PRO+ includes a user guide with sample projects and skill development tips, six packs of material, namely wood, nylon, and metal, a mini DoodlePad, a Nozzle Set, and a complete set of international adaptors so you can create PRO-level Doodles from anywhere in the world. The possibilities are endless.

  • 3Doodler Pro 3D Pen Architecture Design by Cornelia Kugelmeier
  • 3Doodler Pro 3D Pen Architecture Designs by Cornelia Kugelmeier
  • 3Doodler Pro 3D Pen Figurine Design by Heather Baharally
  • 3Doodler Pro 3D Pen Figurine Design by Heather Baharally
  • 3Doodler Pro 3D Pen Figurine Design by Erica Gray
  • 3Doodler Pro 3D Pen Figurine Design by Erica Gray
  • 3Doodler Pro 3D Pen Architecture Designs by Alanna Baird
  • 3Doodler Pro 3D Pen Architecture Designs by Alanna Baird

PRO+ Art and Design Collaboration

3Doodler collaborated with artists and designers from around the world to create a series of ambitious Doodles to showcase the outstanding design and engineering capability of the PRO+.

“We wanted to acknowledge some of the highly anticipated events that got missed this year, so we used the PRO+ to bring them to life for everyone,” said Maxwell Bogue, co-founder of 3Doodler.

The exposition reflects on 2020 events that did not occur or structures that were not built to completion due to the COVID-19 pandemic. These feature a collection honoring the athletes who were slated to compete in the 2020 Olympics, Met Gala costumes to pay homage to the annual fashion fête, and even a series dedicated to this year’s architectural wonders, including the Expo 2020 Dubai Czech Pavilion.

What PRO+ Doodles are you inspired to make? Share your ideas and creations with us on social media. We can’t wait to see you unlock your creative potential with 3Doodler PRO+.

@3Doodler #3Doodler #3DoodlerPRO #WhatWillYouCreate?

Carousel 2, Images 1 and 2, Olympic Figure by Cornelia Kugelmeier @connie__doodles
Carousel 2, Images 3 and 4, Met Gala “Plague Doctor” dress by Heather Baharally @artbybaha
Carousel 2, Images 5 and 6, Met Gala Collection by Erica Gray @erica_gray_wearables
Carousel 2, Image 7, Canada Pavilion by Cornelia Kugelmeier @connie__doodles
Carousel 2, Image 8, Czech Pavilion by Alanna Baird @alannabaird

Creepy Costume Ideas with Create+

Posted on by Lindsey

Get crafty this Halloween with costume designs and accessories you create!

By making a costume or custom accessories, you’re able to create a scary, funny, or sweet Halloween personality to match your mood. Even better—there’s no need to rush out and splurge on expensive store-bought items when you have a 3D pen at home. Check out a few easy-to-make Halloween costume ideas!

Making a costume might seem overwhelming, but you’ll be surprised to see how easy it can be with these projects, step-by-step instructions, a 3Doodler Create+ 3D Pen and a variety of Create plastics.

Close-up of person's mask - 3D pen art in green and blue

Dress up as Erica Gray’s “Swamp Thing”

Be the coolest ghoul this season with our DIY “Swamp Thing” mask. Fashion designer and artist Erica Gray dreamt up this creature from the 3Doodler lagoon and made an easy-to-follow tutorial for you to make this eerie mask. We guarantee it’s sure to turn heads!

Download Stencil

  • 3d pen halloween mask tutorial by Erica Gray
  • 3d pen halloween mask tutorial by Erica Gray
  • 3d pen halloween mask tutorial by Erica Gray
Steps

Scary Halloween jewelry:

If you don’t want to go over-the-top with your costume, but want something that achieves that spooky effect in a subtle way, this slit-throat choker necklace is the perfect accessory.

Download Stencil

  • 3d pen halloween necklace tutorial
  • 3d pen halloween necklace tutorial
  • 3d pen halloween necklace tutorial
  • 3d pen halloween necklace tutorial
  • 3d pen halloween necklace tutorial
Steps

DIY Halloween headbands

Dress up as a magical unicorn, stand out from the crowd with bats flying above your head, or go for a classic horror scene look with these Halloween headbands.

Unicorn Headband

These ears and horn make a whimsical prop to complete your Halloween Unicorn costume. They would also make a wonderful party craft, or could even be handed out as party favors!

Download Stencil

  • 3d pen halloween unicorn stencil tutorial
  • 3d pen halloween unicorn stencil tutorial
  • 3d pen halloween unicorn stencil tutorial
  • 3d pen halloween unicorn stencil tutorial
  • 3d pen halloween unicorn stencil tutorial
  • 3d pen halloween unicorn stencil tutorial
  • 3d pen halloween unicorn stencil tutorial
Steps

  • Things you’ll need: 3Doodler Create+ pen, Halloween Headbands stencil, Create PLA plastic, paper, clear tape, headband.

  • Roll paper into the shape of the unicorn horns, then cover with clear tape.

  • Make the horn while spinning the paper cone using one hand and Doodling with the other. Add final details, then remove the Doodle from the cone.

  • Print the Unicorn ears stencil here, place a Create DoodlePad over the stencil, then Doodle over it using PLA plastic.

  • Attach the horn and the ears onto a headband.

3D pen art of a woman with bat headpiece

Flying Bats Headband

This headband is fun, cool and festive – and it’s perfect for last minute Halloween DIY projects! You could even pair this with a witch hat for your flying bats to circle.

Download Stencil

  • 3d pen design halloween arrow
  • 3d pen design halloween bats figurine
  • 3d pen design halloween bats figurine
Steps

Arrow Headband

Add some humor to your rustic Halloween look with this super easy and classic arrow through head prop!

Download Stencil

  • 3d pen design halloween arrow tutorial
  • 3d pen design halloween arrow tutorial
  • 3d pen design halloween arrow tutorial
  • 3d pen design halloween arrow tutorial
Steps

Spider Web

This project is perfect for the whole family! Simply print out the stencil in different sizes to make cobwebs for both kids and adults. There’s so many things you can do with it: you can attach the cobweb to your shirt, pin it in your hair, or even decorate corners of your house!

Download Stencil

  • 3d pen design halloween spider tutorial
  • 3d pen design halloween spider tutorial
  • 3d pen design halloween spider tutorial
  • 3d pen design halloween spider tutorial
Steps

If these costumes inspired you to create, be sure to take a photo of your creations and share them with us via on social media. Tag @3Doodler so we can see your work!

@3Doodler #3Doodler #3DoodlerEDU #Halloween #Costume

All of these projects are made using the 3Doodler Create+ 3D printing pen.

Frightfully Fun K-8 3D Pen Creations

Posted on by Lindsey

Costumes can be frightful or fun and we’re all about lending a bit of 3D pen design to each and every one.

Kids enjoy developing their own ideas for spooky, scary, or silly Halloween creativity, so encourage them to explore with a few projects to spark the imagination.

There’s something special about making a Halloween costume by hand, especially with a 3D pen. Explore our creepy crafts to ensure young learners can engineer their own costumes this October with tactile tech!

  • 3d pen diy halloween costume glasses tutorial
  • 3d pen diy halloween costume glasses tutorial
  • 3d pen diy halloween costume glasses tutorial
  • 3d pen diy halloween costume glasses tutorial
  • 3d pen diy halloween costume glasses tutorial
  • 3d pen diy halloween costume glasses tutorial

DIY Halloween Glasses

Nothing says Halloween more than pumpkins and ghosts! Use our free template and cover it in spooky colors and shapes for a fun accessory to wear this Halloween. This project takes about 30 minutes to complete, and it is completely customizable!

Download Stencil

Steps
  • 3d pen diy halloween cat mask costume tutorial
  • 3d pen diy halloween cat mask costume tutorial
  • 3d pen diy halloween cat mask costume tutorial
  • 3d pen diy halloween cat mask costume tutorial

Make a Sassy Cat Mask

With this project, you can use a blank mask as a base, or you can simply Doodle the stencil for your DIY Sassy Cat Mask. If you don’t use a blank mask as a base, you can attach a piece of elastic to the mask by Doodling each end to the side edges of the mask in order to hold it in place.

Download Stencil

Steps:

  • Things you’ll need: 3Doodler Start pen, Cat stencil, Start DoodlePad, 3Doodler Start Plastic, String or Elastic, or a blank mask as a base

  • Print out the cat stencil here, or draw your own cat mask design.

  • Place a Start DoodlePad over your stencil, then Doodle over it.

  • If using a mask base, Doodle to attach the pieces onto the Mask Base.

  • If using string or elastic, attach them to the sides of the mask with extruded plastic

  • Add final details, and put on your Mask to transform into your feline Halloween character!

  • 3d pen diy halloween bugs costume tutorial
  • 3d pen diy halloween bugs costume tutorial
  • 3d pen diy halloween bugs costume tutorial
  • 3d pen diy halloween bugs costume tutorial
  • 3d pen diy halloween bugs costume tutorial
  • 3d pen diy halloween bugs costume tutorial

Creepy Crawly Pins Project

Add a hint of Halloween flair with these frightful designs. Decorate a plain t-shirt or hat with creepy spiders, cockroaches and other scary bugs.

Download Stencil

Steps:

We can’t wait to see your creepy crawly creations. Be sure to take photos of your Doodles and share them with our community on social media. Trick or tweet us, and be sure to tag us so we can see your Halloween crafts!

 

The Case for Project Based Learning in 3D

Posted on by Lindsey

What is the best way to learn the physics behind bridges? By building one.

To build a functional bridge, it’s important to have an understanding in the basics of physics, Newton’s Laws, the properties of matter, and other factors that inform us of our physical world, but it can be challenging to see how they all work together at the same time. The best way to learn about bridges is to build a model of one – a perfect project based learning (PBL) activity. That’s just what students do in Glenn Couture’s high school classes. Explore Glenn’s PBL tips and access a roundup of 3Doodler K-12 lessons to bring PBL to your learning environment.

PBL to Engage Students

Glenn Couture teaches honors and AP physics at a high school in Norwalk, Connecticut. During the school year he guides students through a wide range of topics, including kinematics, the relationship between work, power and energy, waveforms, thermodynamics, fluid dynamics, electricity, and light.

Couture guides students to make models using 3Doodler pens Couture guides students to make models using 3Doodler pens

A key part of teaching these topics is taking abstract descriptions of how physics work and letting students explore them hands-on through PBL. Couture caps off many of his curricular units with  projects that enable students to apply what they’ve learned to a real-world problem. Students demonstrate their understanding of complex topics by creating their own 3D models. This application of difficult concepts ensures students build confidence, express creativity, and offers tools for visual learners.

3D Application in Chemistry Class

Couture used 3Doodler pens in a unique chemistry project to build models of a side-face molecule placement crystal.

A Doodled visualization of molecules in a crystal lattice A Doodled visualization of molecules in a crystal lattice

“In chemistry, solids form crystals,” he explained while showing off the cube, a helpful tool for visualizing the relationship between molecules in a crystal lattice.

With 3Doodler students have the advantage of creating a 3D model by hand, which they then use to study the stability of various crystal types.

“I sometimes find that students have difficulty taking a concept from 2D to 3D and vice versa,” Couture added. He feels that 3Doodler pens are the ideal tools to bridge that gap.

Jumpstart PBL with 3Doodler K-12 Lessons.

3D pen art: Two toy people riding a car with a toy man.

Doodle Wheelers (Force and Motion)

Recommended grades: K-2
Learn about: Simple machines, force and motion
Overview: In this activity, students explore the size of wheels and their effects on force and motion. Students will design and create one small-wheeled racer and one large-wheeled racer using clothespins and a 3Doodler pen.

View Lesson

Clay and yarn Earth ornaments, 3D pen art

STEM: Earth’s Structure and Beyond!

Recommended grades: 3-5
Learn about: Structure of Earth and other planets
Overview: Students will create 3D models of cross-sections of planets and compare and contrast the structures and layers of them. Students will record their observations of the differences of cross-sections of Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.

View Lesson

Plastic pipe bridge - 3D pen art

STEM: Bridging the Gap

Recommended grades: 6-8
Learn about: Physics, STEM
Overview: In this activity, students will work to design a bridge and test its ability to bear weight when spanning a gap of 20 cm using a 3Doodler and no other materials.

View Lesson

3D pen art: Small white object with blue and purple flowers.

3D Atoms

Recommended grades: 9-12
Learn about: Rutherford atom model
Overview: In this activity, students will work to create a Rutherford model of an atom in 3D with the 3Doodler pen. Students will study their models and identify the part of an atom. They will share their work and to demonstrate their comprehension of atom structure.

View Lesson

See our full collection of 3Doodler Lesson Plans

Click here

Are you inspired by Glenn Couture’s use of PBL to enhance learning and comprehension? How do you incorporate PBL in your lesson plans? Our community of parents and teachers want to know. Share your thoughts with us on social media, and be sure to tag us!

@3Doodler #3Doodler #3DoodlerEDU #WhatWillYouCreate #ProjectBasedLearning #PBL

Real-World Application with STEM Lessons in 3D!

Posted on by Lindsey

Boost STEM learning outcomes by using 3D pens to design prototypes and engage students in real-world thinking.

With 3D printed models, students are able to observe characteristics of objects that can be more challenging to comprehend through 2D worksheets or textbooks. For example, students can create models of cells, atoms or historical buildings that would otherwise be inaccessible in a classroom. By creating and examining models hands-on, non-visual learners gain accessibility to educational concepts that would otherwise be out of reach. With 3D printing pens, students gain confidence in STEM subjects by exploring real-world topics in 3D with direct application, engaging in creative thinking and open ended problem-solving.

3Doodler offers an extensive library of resources to educators and we’re sharing our top STEM lesson plans for the in-person, remote, or hybrid learning settings for the 2020-21 school year.

Colorful kite 3D drawing

Geometric Collage Maker

Recommended grades: K-2
Learn about: Geometric shapes, how to calculate area and perimeter
Overview:  In this lesson, students create a Doodled collage of geometric shapes, resulting in crayon rubbings used to calculate the area and perimeter of combined shapes.

View Lesson

Geometry & Tessellations

Recommended grades: 3-5
Learn about: Geometric shapes and problem solving through design
Overview: Students will design a simple tessellation for a 3D shape such as a cube, a cylinder, or a cone using 2D templates. Students will enjoy seeing their designs come together in 3D, and will even be able to use it as a functional item, such as a pen holder!

View Lesson

Construct a 3Doodler City

Recommended grades: 6-8
Learn about: City planning, geometry, area and perimeter calculations
Overview: Students will identify the structures that make up a city (e.g. roads, buildings, bridges), and then analyze the way in which these structures are composed of lines and geometric shapes. Students will design 2D shapes and then Doodle over them to construct their own 3D structures. This real-world, hands-on project combines math, problem solving, and technology.

View Lesson

3D pen art: Close-up of cell and phone on table

Prokaryotic & Eukaryotic Cells

Recommended grades: 9-12
Learn about: Biology, cell structure, prokaryotic cells and eukaryotic cells
Overview: In this activity, students will Doodle two cell models, one of a prokaryotic cell, and one of a eukaryotic cell. The students will build all parts in each model such as the nucleus, plasma, cytoplasm, mitochondrion, etc. The students will analyze and record the differences and similarities between the two cells.

View Lesson

See our full collection of 3Doodler Lesson Plans

Click here

How do you incorporate hands-on STEM learning in your classroom or home learning environment? Our community of parents and teachers want to know. Share your thoughts with us on social media, and be sure to tag us!

@3Doodler #3Doodler #3DoodlerEDU #WhatWillYouCreate

Hybrid Learning in 3D!

Posted on by Lindsey

3Doodler Learning Packs and Learn From Home Sets offer hours of educational Doodling fun for any learning environment!

3Doodler’s Learning Packs and Learn From Home Sets will now include Challenge Cards featuring educational projects of varying difficulties, to build creative confidence and hands-on learning. To aid the transition back to school and prep for new hybrid learning environments, 3Doodler will also include easy-to-clean carrying cases that are perfect for storing a 3Doodler pen, Challenge Cards, as well as cables and plastic strands.

Child cutting paper with blue 3D pen

Learning Packs

With new and improved features, 3Doodler Learning Packs are an ideal solution for in-person, remote, or hybrid learning environments. Teachers and learners have access to free online resources including getting started guides, hundreds of stencils, lessons, video tutorials, and the 3Doodler app. Our 6-pen Learning Packs for Start and Create+ include 6 sets of 9 Challenge Cards and 6 storage pouches, while our 12-pen Learning Packs for Start and Create+ offer 12 sets of cards and storage pouches.

Creating 3D art with a 3D pen on paper

Learn From Home Sets

Our Learn From Home Sets enable kids from grades K-12 to explore difficult concepts hands-on in 3D for individualized learning. The Start Learn From Home Sets  (grades K-8) and the Create+ Learn From Home Sets (grades 8-12) each include a 3D pen, a DoodlePad, approximately 200 extra strands of plastic, storage pouch, a PDF of our What Will You Create Project Book, and a set of 9 Challenge Cards with educational projects that provide hours of fun.

What educational topics do you want learners to explore in 3D this school year? Our community of parents and educators want to know! Share your ideas on social media to spread the inspiration, and be sure to tag us.

@3Doodler #3Doodler #HybridLearning #LearnFromHome #LearnAtHome #WhatWillYouCreate?

Give the Gift of Reading in 3D

Posted on by Lindsey

What is 3Doodler’s 3D Giving Day program?

3Doodler launched 3D Giving Day to celebrate International 3D Printing Day and Giving Tuesday, which both happen to fall in the same week. Leading up to 3D Giving Day, we invite students, teachers, and 3D artists to join us in creating handmade tactile picture books to share with people who can’t experience them through visual means. On December 1st of 2020, 3D Giving Day participants will share their creations with visually impaired communities around the world so they can experience iconic characters from cherished picture books like never before.

Build a Better Book and 3Doodler have teamed up to provide the resources and planning materials to make 3D Giving Day a reality in communities around the globe. We’re inviting you to join us in making cherished illustrations accessible and give the gift of tactile picture books to communities in need.

Sign Up & Participate in 3D Giving Day 2020

For classrooms, this is a unique opportunity to build empathy and awareness among students with a fun and easy activity that will engage their creativity as they gear up for the holidays. For artists and individuals, it can be as simple or as intricate as you would like. Ideally, participants will choose a storybook, create tactile books in October and November, then donate their books on 3D Giving Day to local blind and visually impaired communities.

To join 3D Giving Day, simply fill out this form to confirm your participation. Check out our new participant guide with clear steps on how to create tactile books, as well as information about donating them to local charities and institutions for blind and visually impaired people. Next up, follow our quick and easy steps to get involved and give back to your local community.

  • STEP 1: Choose a picture book.
  • STEP 2: Doodle images and create your tactile book in 3D.
  • STEP 3: Donate and share your experience!
  • Using a 3D pen to trace and sketch in a book
  • Using a 3D pen to trace and sketch in a book
  • Using a 3D pen to trace and sketch in a book

Suggested Picture Books For 3D Giving Day

3D Giving Data Logo 3D Pen

How The Grinch Stole Christmas!
Don’t Let The Pigeon Drive the Bus
Where The Wild Things Are
The Giving Tree
How Do Dinosaurs Say Happy Chanukah?
The Very Hungry Caterpillar
The Snowy Day
The Cat in the Hat
Make Way For Ducklings
The Polar Express
Llama Llama Red Pajama
Elephant and Piggie

Suggested Authors and Illustrators for 3D Giving Day

Mo Willems
Dr. Seuss
Anna Dewdney
Tad Hills
Stan Berenstain and Jan Berenstain
Felicia Bond
Karen Katz
Sandra Boynton

We are delighted to offer 3D Giving Day 2020 and can’t wait to see the 3D pen creations you gift to your community. Share your creations with us on social media!

@3Doodler @BuildBetterBook #3DGivingDay #3Doodler #BuildaBetterBook

Images Courtesy of Tricia Fuglestad

Reading and Reflection on Display in 3D

Posted on by Lindsey

Foster a love of reading and celebrate literacy with 3Doodler to mark National Read a Book Day and International Literacy Day! Create in 3D and build comprehension with activities that inspire reflection.

Free Book Worm Bookmark Stencil Free Book Worm Bookmark Stencil

At 3Doodler, we’re working with our community of educators to inspire young readers and help them showcase comprehension and reflect on stories they’ve read with hands-on fun. Explore two of our ELA lesson plans, encourage students to bring stories to life, and check out our fun bookmark stencil to boost classroom creativity.

"A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. The man who never reads lives only one."-George R. R. Martin Share

Elementary School

Puppets and Props Lesson Plan Puppets and Props Lesson Plan

In this English Language Arts activity, students participate in a read aloud, shared or guided classroom experience and then work together to create a scene from the story using Doodled finger puppets. Story retells are a great way to build language, speaking, and listening skills. The students’ puppets and shows will reflect their understanding of story structure, sequence, and reading comprehension.

Suggested Books

Pie is for Sharing by Stephanie Parsley Ledyard
Saffron Ice Cream by Rashin Kheiriyeh

Middle and High School

3Doodler Stop-Motion Lesson Plan 3Doodler Stop-Motion Lesson Plan

Invite critical thinking and design to your next ELA class. Encourage students to demonstrate their understanding of theme and character development with a creative project. In this lesson, students choose a scene that best reflects the theme and create a 3Doodler stop-motion animation film to illustrate the selected scene. This hands-on project will help assess comprehension and presentation skills.

Suggested Books

Aru Shah and the End of Time by Roshani Chokshi
Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

Be sure to share your ELA projects with the 3Doodler EDU community on social media. We can’t wait to see what you create! @3Doodler #3Doodler #InternationalLiteracyDay #NationalReadABookDay

Be sure to check out our library of FREE K-12 Lesson Plans!

View Lesson Plans

3Doodler Bridges Gender Gap in STEM

Posted on by Lindsey

“The lessons girls learn in our classroom will develop them into critical thinkers, innovators, risk-takers, collaborators, and leaders.” — Julie Dweck, K-5 Educator.

A recent Microsoft study indicated that a girl’s level of interest in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) rises steadily until age 11, and then declines, most markedly by age 15. I refer to these as the “wonder” years, because I wonder why more people haven’t noticed it or done something about it!

Girl's interest in STEM diagram by Ellen Gallagher - 3D pen art

One of the best tools in my teaching arsenal is the 3Doodler Start. I’d like to “draw” upon my own success with the 3Doodler and share why it’s an important tool for all of your students, but especially your young girls. The 3Doodler is a way to inspire and engage our girls in STEM at an early age, while cultivating a platform that will sustain their interest throughout higher education and life. Learning with a 3Doodler nurtures creative thinking, as students design original works or repurpose information and ideas into new creations. It is an artistic form of expression that appeals to girls, while developing their voice not only within the design community, but in our world at large. Being a flexible, fluent thinker is a valuable commodity in any field or endeavor they may pursue.

Through using 3Doodler pens in the classroom, students practice “design thinking,” a process of iteration that entails asking questions, brainstorming, planning, testing and retesting. This logical thought process is effective and visually concrete with 3Doodler pens. A larger design problem is broken down into smaller, more manageable sub-problems.

3D pen creates intricate 3D drawing

In our classroom, you will see girls designing plans, sketching models, drawing flowcharts, building, and playing with ideas not only in their minds, but with their hands. They make predictions. They make inferences. They make repairs. They cultivate strong visual-spatial abilities because their thought processes are being enacted right before their eyes. And all of this happens as they are “playing.” As girls enter adolescence with its rapid changes and choices, the dramatic effects of a strong thought process are witnessed by an improved ability to make important decisions, ones that may alter life outcomes.

With 3Doodler pens, girls get practice in solving problems, making mathematic calculations and taking risks within open-ended challenges that allow for more than one solution. They cultivate a tolerance for ambiguity and build perseverance. They develop what my grandfather used to refer to as “true grit,” a kind of spunk and resilient nature best cultivated through experience with failure. Psychologist, Carol Dweck, coined the term “growth-mindset” as the ability to reframe failure as an opportunity for learning. With the constant barrage of perfection displayed by the media, our girls are in danger of becoming complacent rather than risk making mistakes. 3Doodler pens draw new pathways that embolden girls to dare, to try again, to go out on a ledge, knowing that the only true risk they face are the lessons lost by quitting.

Artful creation, such as with 3Doodler pens, does not demand perfection. It celebrates inspiration born through determination. It makes us smile, even as we’re trying again and again.

Beautiful 3D pen art: Person with a mouse.

And somewhere along the line, they begin to realize that they can solve most of life’s problems if they can see the “shapes” and “patterns” within it, which take the form of problems, ideas and choices. 3Doodler pens nurture the ability to problem-solve through analyzing, synthesizing and transferring knowledge to abstract learning. 3Doodler pens are a valuable tool for all students, but for our girls, it is the shape of things to come.

See our archive of FREE k-12 Lessons on our site!

Get Started

Julia Dweck is a public school teacher who works with students in grades K-5, focusing on the importance of creative and open-ended thinking. Julia is the 2016 winner of the Da Vinci Science Award for her innovative integration of technology in the classroom.

She serves as a school resource and exemplar for inventive implementation of the arts and sciences. Julia encourages her students, friends, and peers to take risks, whenever possible, in order to grow. Follow her on Twitter @GiftedTawk

Hack Life with Everyday 3Doodler Projects

Posted on by Lindsey

With a 3D pen, you can create anything you can think of at home or in a classroom. Why not craft Doodles and create some genius solutions along the way?

Whether you’d like to organize your cables, create decorative storage for your jewelry, or keep those pesky flies off of your snacks, our collection of popular, practical stencils will help you hack everyday life with a touch of creativity. Take a look at a round up of innovative 3D pen ideas for the 3Doodler Start and 3Doodler Create+!

Practical 3D Pen Projects to Hack Life


3D pen art: Dog with baseball bat on its back

Puppy Earphones Wrap

For 3Doodler Start and 3Doodler Create+

Organize your earbud cables with your very own handmade puppy headphones holder. Use our stencil and never get those cables in a twist again!

3D pen art showcases a tree with various jewelry hanging.

Joy for Jewelry Trees

For 3Doodler Start and 3Doodler Create+

It’s easy to lose jewelry pieces without a place to store them. This jewelry tree project allows you to display your jewelry and keep everything organized. Follow our stencil to make this perfectly practical project!

Colorful 3D pens and pen cup on desk

Delightful Desk Organizer

For 3Doodler Start and 3Doodler Create+

Time to declutter that desk! This pragmatic desk organizer stencil is here to help. Pick your favorite colors of 3D pen plastics, turn that 3D printing pen on, and start Doodling your way to orderliness!

3D pen art: Fruit on table with cord

Coolest Cord Holder

For 3Doodler Create+

Use our practical cord holder stencil and some FLEXY 3D pen plastic refills to organize your cables in style.

3Doodler craft: Cake on plate with plastic cover.

Shoo-Fly-Fabulous Food Cover

For 3Doodler Create+

This adorable food cover will help those pesky flies bugger off! Use the best 3D pen and our easy-to-follow stencil to bring it to life, then take it on your next picnic.

3D pen art: Wineholder with wrapped string around bottle.

Whimsical Bottle Holder

For 3Doodler Create+

Next time you need to BYOB, bring your favorite glass bottle in a DIY FLEXY bottle holder, which you can make from our groovy stencil. Guaranteed to wow fellow beverage fans – they’ll be whining for their own!

We want to see your life hack Doodles. Please share your hack-tastic creations with us on social media!

@3Doodler #3Doodler #3DoodlerEDU #LifeHacks#WhatWillYouCreate

Extend Learning With Free Resources

Posted on by Lindsey

We know how valuable ready-to-go learning activities are. That’s why we have so many available for free, just for you.

We’re here to help by sharing free classroom resources, which include lessons written by teachers for teachers, webinars, tutorials, hundreds of stencils, and more. We’ve got just what you need to plan your curriculum and enhance learning with 3D printing pens throughout the entire school year. We’ve put together a list of our resources to help you set up your learning environment for success for many years to come!

3Doodler’s Free Learning Resources


Colorful 3D pen art on blue background

K-12 Lesson Plans Bring Learning to Life

Our lessons are made by teachers and include step-by-step instructions, vocabulary words and activities, and they also include educational standards such as Common Core, NGST, CSTA, and ISTE. Get ready for your students to be engaged in project based learning and having fun exploring concepts in STEM.

Browse Lesson Plans

Various 3D pen art on table

STEM Stencils

We have over 300 stencils available for free on our website. From cranking V-8 engines and hydraulic claws to the Eiffel Tower and the Golden Gate Bridge, our versatile stencil library will bring hands-on learning projects to a variety of subjects in your curriculum.

Browse Stencils

Person 3D doodling on computer screen.

Webinars and Tutorials for Whizz Kids

We have an archive of educational webinars and tutorials that link with lesson plans and projects! From language arts activities that bring characters to life to diving into chemistry and creating 3D atoms, our webinars are great ways to enhance learning in your classroom.

Webinars / Video Tutorials / Web Tutorials

Phone with 3D pen & app introducing 3Doodler

There’s an App for that!

With tutorials, stencils, webinars and more, the free 3Doodler App has tons of educational projects that can be Doodled directly off of a tablet screen safely with the 3Doodler Start! If using the Create+, just be sure to place a Create DoodlePad on top of the tablet before Doodling.

Get the Free 3Doodler App

Be sure to follow us on social media for weekly teacher tips, classroom inspiration, teacher spotlights, giveaways and more! We’re on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Linkedin. Follow us so you don’t miss out on the fun!

We want to see how you use 3Doodler EDU in your learning environment! Share your 3D classroom projects with us on social media, and be sure to tag us so we can share what you’re doing with our community.

@3Doodler #3Doodler #3DoodlerEDU #WhatWillYouCreate

Wearable Fashion with Stéphanie Santos

Posted on by Lindsey

“The 3D pen is a perfect tool for artists wanting to explore unconventional and new techniques for their work and designs.” -Stéphanie Santos

 

  • wearable 3d pen art fashion by Stéphanie Santos
  • wearable 3d pen art fashion by Stéphanie Santos
  • wearable 3d pen art fashion by Stéphanie Santos
  • wearable 3d pen art fashion by Stéphanie Santos

Stéphanie Santos is a European fashion designer who uses 3Doodler pens to create clothing and jewelry inspired by nature. Using her background in art, fashion, and biofabrication, she has created a visionary collection of clothing and jewelry with the 3Doodler Start and Create+ pens. The series was inspired by her passion for sustainability. All of the 3Doodler filaments are either compostable or recyclable, which makes them perfect materials for her work.

We had a chance to speak with her about her creative process and the inspiration behind this series. She also created a beautiful stencil that can be used with your 3Doodler Create+ pen so you can design your very own piece of her collection!

3Doodler: Stéphanie, could you tell us about yourself, your background in fashion design, and an overview of this wearable collection you’ve made with 3D pens?

I was born in Luxembourg to Portuguese parents, and graduated with a variety of art and design disciplines. I studied Art and Graphic Design in my hometown, and went to Northern France to specialize in Fashion Design and Haute Couture techniques at ESMOD Roubaix. For my final exam, I created a collection called “HYBRID.” where I designed and created garments made entirely with the 3Doodler pen.

  • wearable 3doodler 3d pen art fashion by Stéphanie Santos
  • wearable 3doodler 3d pen art fashion by Stéphanie Santos
  • wearable 3doodler 3d pen art fashion by Stéphanie Santos

I did my internship at Iris van Herpen Atelier in Amsterdam, where I later specialized in an interdisciplinary course of Computational Design, Biofabrication, and Digital Fabrication in Textile and Fashion at Fabricademy. For my final project there called “FUNGI COUTURE”, I researched biofabrication methods to decode the aesthetics and properties of mushrooms, and how to translate them into garments.

Next, I would like to combine my knowledge of tech, fashion, and sustainability to continue creating elegant clothing pieces that can be a part of everyday attire.

I love using 3D pen technology and want to continue integrating it into my work. I’m currently researching some small accessory designs I plan to create with the 3Doodler pens that should look contemporary, chic and organic in design, with minimalistic aesthetics.

What is your inspiration for this collection of wearables? Can you speak on the aesthetics of the collection and what they represent to you?

For this project I continued my research in designing with straight lines and curves. I took inspiration from waves and corals. For the Create+ designs it’s a game of rhythm and lines. For the Start pen designs the texture and 3D effect are quite interesting. The straight lines, curves, and unique textures are seen a lot in my designs and can be found anywhere you look. All these elements together create harmony and reflect the beautiful aesthetics of nature, in my opinion.

  • wearable 3doodler 3d pen art necklace by Stéphanie Santos
  • wearable 3doodler 3d pen art necklace by Stéphanie Santos
  • wearable 3doodler 3d pen art dress by Stéphanie Santos

Can you explain some of the benefits of working with 3D pens as a medium for wearables, as opposed to textiles?

Working with a 3D pen offers so many more possibilities that haven’t been explored yet. Making drawings come to life and creating unique textiles with the 3D pen is amazing. The 3D pen is a perfect tool for artists wanting to explore unconventional and new techniques for their work and designs.

Can you describe your process with making this collection, and the differences between working with the Create+ and the Start?

The process differs depending on the model of pen. The Start pen was very new to me. With the Start pen, in order to create my desired shape, I had to Doodle something that would stay three dimensional and solid, as the material is non-flexible and hardens quickly. For the necklaces made with the Start pen, I Doodled on a mannequin’s neck to design the 3D base shape. That way, it took on the shape of a female human neck. Once I had the base of the shape created, I continued free-hand to fill out the design.

As for the pieces I did with the Create+ I started by drawing digitally on a female body in Photoshop to plan the design. Afterwards I created the printable files on illustrator once I had designed them on a 3D body in Rhino3D to make a template. I then printed out the template and brought it to life with the 3Doodler pen.

Can you speak about the tutorial you have made for our readers?

The video tutorial below shows how I worked with the Create+ pen. I created a design inspired by ocean waves to be  worn around the wrist. The design is minimalistic and not hard to make. I designed it with a built-in clasp so there is no need for jewelry closures.

The steps are as follows:

          1. Print out this stencil.
          2. Start by outlining the design with a back and forth movement that takes on the width of the outer edge.
          3. Once the outlining is done you can Doodle the inner part with a similar back and forth movement, but with the lines farther apart to create parallels.
          4. You can finish by Doodling the two ‘hooks’ to close the piece.

        Are you inspired by Stéphanie’s 3D pen fashion? Share your thoughts with us on social media, give Stéphanie a follow, and be sure to post pictures of your 3D creations and tag us! @3Doodler #3Doodler #Fashion #WhatWillYouCreate?

        Are you looking for 3D pen ideas? Perhaps you’re trying to find the best 3D pen for you? Check out our library of free projects to start creating, and be sure to view our collection of 3D pens and 3D pen plastics.

Teacher Tips: Preparing for the New School Year

Posted on by Lindsey

Planning for back to school can seem daunting, especially given the current uncertainty regarding whether to teach students in the classroom or remotely.

Our back to school tips and resources will help you prep with ideas to keep remote learning hands-on, and our list of engaging lessons for all grade levels will help you launch your school year with success.

Tips for Hands-On Remote Learning

The 2020-2021 school year will likely be fully or partially remote for many teachers, so we’re sharing resources that can help you integrate hands-on projects into your virtual learning environment.

  • If your class is partially remote, plan a hands-on project that students can do remotely. Send students home with 3D pens and plastics for an activity, then have them share their projects with the class in a virtual classroom meeting. Sanitize the 3D pens once they are returned to your classroom to keep your tools clean and safe.
  • Use our 3Doodler EDU Webinar archive and our free lessons to extend your hands-on learning projects. Great for the the classroom or the living room!
  • Add the free 3Doodler app to your classroom app tool belt. It is filled with tons of educational, tactile projects to make Doodling as easy as 1, 2, 3D!
      • Students can Doodle with the Start pen directly on the tablet screen safely. If using a Create+ pen, tape a DoodlePad on the screen to protect the tablet.

Plan Lessons Ahead

We’ve picked some great lessons for each grade level to help you plan for back to school. Crafted by teachers, each lesson has step-by-step instructions to make it easy for you to implement. Common Core, CSTA, NGST and ISTE standards are included in our lessons to help you fit them into your curriculum requirements.

Lessons for Grades K-2

Doodle-Sole-Charms (Sense of Touch & Sight)
Time: One 45-minute session
Skill: Beginner
Grades: K to 2nd

In this lesson, students will work with a partner to investigate two of their five senses, touch and sight, and then identify various patterns using these senses. Students will doodle "sole-charms" for their sneakers using the soles of their shoes to create the texture. Students can then attach to the charms to the laces of their sneakers.

MATH: Comparing Numbers with Doodle Gator
Time: Two 45-minute sessions
Skill: Beginner
Grades: K to 2nd

In this activity, students will work in pairs to doodle models which will be used to identify sets of numbers as greater than, less than or equal to. Students will hear the story of Doodle-Gator, a hungry, number-chomping gator who always likes eating the largest number, and Equal Eagle, who loves balancing numbers of equal value on her wings. This will help students remember the meaning and proper usage of these math symbols used to compare numbers.

Lessons for Grades 3-5

Dial up the Sun! Patterns on Earth and in Space
Time: One 45 minute session, which must be followed up over 6 consecutive hours. *Conduct this activity on a sunny day!
Skill: Beginner
Grades: 3rd to 5th

In this activity, students will work in pairs to design an innovative gnomon for a functional sundial. Students will record data regarding their observations about the length and position of shadows cast by the sun over a series of 4 hours. Based on this data, students will make inferences regarding patterns to predict the length of the shadow and its position over the next 2 hours.

Pentomino Puzzler (Geometry)
Time: One-two 45 minute sessions
Skill: Intermediate
Grades: 3rd to 5th

In this activity, students will work in pairs to create a set of 3Doodled pentominoes and then assemble them to solve the 6x10 rectangle. Pentominoes are tetris-like shapes that your students will enjoy designing and working with, as they're problem solving. The focus of this lesson is on the "Standards for Mathematical Practice," which compose the critical components of thinking and reasoning.

Lessons for Grades 6-8

ELA: 3Doodler Stop-Motion
Time: One 45-minute session
Skill: Intermediate
Grades: 6th to 8th

In this activity, students will work in pairs or small groups to identify the theme of a fictional text, summarize a scene that best reflects the theme, and create a 3Doodler stop-motion animation to enact the scene. Creative thinking skills will be integrated into this hands-on project that will help you assess your students' level of comprehension.

MATH: Doodler Dice Rollers
Time: Two 30-40- minute sessions
Skill: Intermediate
Grades: 6th to 8th

In this activity, students work in pairs to doodle dodecahedrons (12-sided) and icosahedrons (20-sided) to use in a math game that practices order of operations. Students will then create their own Doodle Dice Roller games to practice math skills.

Lessons for Grades 9-12

The Basic Unit of Life: Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Cells (STEM)
Time: Two 60-minute sessions
Skill: Advanced
Grades: 9th to 12th

In this activity, students will work in pairs to doodle two cell models, one of a prokaryotic cell, and one of a eukaryotic cell. The students will build all parts in each model such as the nucleus, plasma, cytoplasm, mitochondrion, etc. The student pairs will analyze and record the differences and similarities between the cells.

Doodle-Atoms
Time: Two 45-minute sessions
Skill: Intermediate
Grades: 9th to 12th

In this activity, students will work individually to create a Rutherford model of an atom. Students will also work with a partner who will be responsible for double-checking their work for accuracy as the project is worked on. Their work will be shared with the rest of the class and displayed for other classes to see.

Want more free K-12 lessons? Browse our 3D Pen lesson library.

Do you have back to school tips to share with our community of teachers? Please post them on social media, and be sure to tag us!

@3Doodler #3Doodler #3DoodlerEDU

Featured image courtesy of Meredith Beed.

Lessons require a 3Doodler Start pen (ages 6-13) or Create+ pen (ages 14+) and 3Doodler Start 3D pen plastics or Create+ 3D pen plastics. We have 3Doodler classroom sets and Learn From Home Sets for differing learning environments. Our 3D pens and 3D pen plastic refills can be purchased on our website or on Amazon. 

Note: 3D pen plastics are not cross-compatible between the Start and the Create+.

Doodling Fine Art with Carina Shoshtary

Posted on by Lindsey

“Fine art is knowledge made visible.” -Gustave Courbet

Carina Shoshtary describes herself as a modern hunter-gather who takes artistic inspiration from her immediate surroundings. Carina’s innovative approach to art through 3D design delights the senses and stirs the imagination.

  • 3D Pen Fine Art by Carina Shoshtary using the 3Doodler Create+
  • 3D Pen Fine Art by Carina Shoshtary using the 3Doodler Create+
  • 3D Pen Fine Art by Carina Shoshtary using the 3Doodler Create+
  • 3D Pen Fine Art by Carina Shoshtary using the 3Doodler Create+
  • 3D Pen Fine Art by Carina Shoshtary using the 3Doodler Create+
  • 3D Pen Fine Art by Carina Shoshtary using the 3Doodler Create+
  • 3D Pen Fine Art by Carina Shoshtary using the 3Doodler Create+
  • 3D Pen Fine Art by Carina Shoshtary using the 3Doodler Create+

The 3Doodler Create+ has been integral to Carina’s artwork, especially when designing jewelry and fine art sculptures. We had a chance to connect with Carina to learn about her creative background, her new “Hunter” collection, and the unique techniques she employs with the 3Doodler Create+ 3D printing pen.

Can you tell us about yourself and your history with fine art?

I’m an artist who works on jewelry and wearable art. I was first trained as a traditional goldsmith, then studied at the Academy of Fine Arts Munich, focusing on jewelry and objects. I describe myself as a modern hunter-gatherer as the materials I use are often found or recycled. My early works were wearable mini-sculptures but I didn’t care about how they interacted with the body. Now most of my pieces are molded to the human form, so they only really come to life when they are worn.

  • 3D Pen Fine Art by Carina Shoshtary using the 3Doodler Create+
  • 3D Pen Fine Art by Carina Shoshtary using the 3Doodler Create+
  • 3D Pen Fine Art by Carina Shoshtary using the 3Doodler Create+

What do you love about using the 3Doodler pen, and how has it been helpful as opposed to other artistic mediums?

During my training as a goldsmith, I quickly realized that metal wasn’t my favorite material. I am an intuitive maker and usually don’t plan pieces in detail beforehand, but rather, I respond impulsively to an emotional idea in the moment. Because of this, I prefer softer materials, which give in more willingly. The Create+ 3D pen has been perfect for my way of designing. It enables a very spontaneous and natural workflow.

Can you comment on the inspiration behind your “Hunter” series?

For several years I worked with Graffiti from a wall in Munich, which is a very distinct material. In the contemporary jewelry world, my name was to this material and it was hard to develop anything new. I took some time off from all obligations to make more artistic works and the “Hunter” project was the end result. I allowed myself time to sit in the studio and experiment with new materials. It’s been very liberating. I feel like I am doing the pieces I always wanted to create.

 

How has the 3D printing pen been an important tool for this series?

The “Hunter” series has served as a liberation project for my fine art, and the 3Doodler pen has been an incredibly useful tool for this collection. I find it very easy to use. Not only can I draw ornaments with it, which I later connect to more complex shapes, but I also use it to set pebbles, shells, or other materials. I use it to connect diverse materials to each other. The process is quick and effortless. Most of what I’ve created for this series has flowing aesthetics reminiscent of art nouveau, which I can easily develop with the 3D pen plastics.

Can you share some of the techniques you use when making your Doodles?

The most useful thing for my work that I’ve learned so far is that I can reheat the already hardened PLA material as many times as I need to in order to reshape it. For slight alterations I use a blow-dryer. If I want to reshape a form in a more extreme way though, I slightly heat the PLA with my jeweler torch. It doesn’t burn or smoke if you are careful, but gets extremely soft and pliable. For all aspiring Doodlers out there, my best advice is to experiment!

Are you inspired by Carina’s 3D pen art? Share your thoughts with us on social media, give Carina a follow, and be sure to post pictures of your 3D creations and tag us! @3Doodler #3Doodler #FineArt #WhatWillYouCreate?

Are you looking for 3D pen ideas? Perhaps you’re trying to find the best 3D pen for you? Check out our library of free projects to start creating, and be sure to view our collection of 3D pens and 3D pen plastics.

Doodle Camp: Free 6-Week Program

Posted on by Lindsey

Introducing Doodle Camp, 3Doodler’s FREE summer program for K-8 students! Get ready to kick summer slide with our 6-week Doodle Camp guide.

With Doodle Camp, kids have fun with weekly 3D pen activities that encourage problem solving, three-dimensional thinking, and STEM learning.

From robots and dinosaurs to insects, birds and sea creatures, learners will use the guide’s 3D pen templates to make cool projects that ignite creativity and critical thinking. No matter if kids are at home or in a classroom setting, Doodle Camp will provide hours of meaningful engagement all while having a ton of fun.

"“The 3Doodler pens have been such a blessing to spark creativity in students that were otherwise stuck in a box. Off task behaviors are down and engagement is up!”"-Mrs. Smith, George Washington Carver Elementary Share
  • Young girl creatively using a 3D pen on paper.
  • Boy in blue sweatshirt, 3D drawing with green pen
  • 3Doodler pen art: Woman holding blue pen with scarf.
  • Little girl enjoying toy 3D pen art.
  • Young girl creating cell phone 3D pen art.
  • Male in grey sweatshirt creating 3D pen art.
  • Creative woman uses 3D pen to draw glasses on paper

Kids can print a certificate of completion here once all projects have been created. Download the free program below to get started.

Others in our community want to see students’ Doodles! Please share pictures of camper creations with us on social media, and be sure to tag us.

@3Doodler #3Doodler #3DoodlerEDU #WhatWillYouCreate #DoodleCamp

Doodle Camp: Free 6 Week Summer Program

Download

Projects require a 3Doodler Start pen (ages 6-13) or Create+ pen (ages 14+) and 3Doodler Start 3D pen plastics or Create+ 3D pen plastics. Each 3D pen and their 3D pen plastic refills can be purchased on our website or on Amazon. 

Note: 3D pen plastics strands are not cross-compatible for the Start and the Create+.

Creative Projects to Bust Summer Boredom

Posted on by Lindsey

How can you prevent a summer slump this time of year? Despite the lovely weather and freedom that summer break brings, often the familiar words “I’m bored” fill the air. Bring in the boredom busters!

These easy projects provide fun and creative ways to bust summer boredom, no matter which 3D printing pen you have. Spark imagination and build excitement. Have your 3D pen plastics handy and get ready for a craft-tastic time with your 3D Build & Play, 3Doodler Start, or 3Doodler Create+!

Projects for 3D Build & Play


3D pen art: Toy giraffe and horse on toy blow dryer

Spectacular Story Settings

Tell new and exciting tales with our free downloadable story backgrounds! Find your favorite new backdrops here, print them out, and let your imagination run wild.

3D pen art with toys on table.

Extend Your Play Full STEAM Ahead

Go full STEAM ahead by extending your storytime play with tech! See this amazing example of a stop-motion animation film made with the 3D Build & Play characters. Take your adventures to the next level with stop-motion animation.

Projects for 3Doodler Start


Golf ball shadow captured in small handheld 3D pen art!

Flashlight Projectors for Spooky Summer Stories

Tell spooky summer camp stories with custom flashlight projectors. Make them with our free stencils or create your own!

Plastic animals standing on wooden table - 3D pen art

Ping Pong Safari

Create a collection of your favorite safari animals with our safari animals tutorial. Simply use a ping pong for the base of your animal, add their features, then it’s safari time!

Projects for 3Doodler Create+


3D art: Purple bird feeder hanging from tree with green background

Beautiful Bird Feeder

Build a bird feeder in any color you like with our easy-to-follow stencil. Pick your favorite 3D pen plastic refills and start Doodling!

3D pen art of a small chocolate hedgehog.

Hedgehog Hider

Create your own hedgehog hider by following our fun tutorial. A perfect storage spot for your tiny bits and bobs.

What are your favorite 3D pen ideas that bust summer boredom? Let us know on social media, and be sure to share pictures of your projects!

@3Doodler #3Doodler #3DoodlerEDU #BoredomBusters #WhatWillYouCreate

Creativity Shines With Fun Summer Projects

Posted on by Lindsey

Who’s ready to get creative this summer?

We’ve put together a list of our favorite summer themed projects from styling sandals to sand molds and more. Artistic projects with a 3D printing element engage kids and adults alike in design, collaboration, and critical thinking. Wherever you’re creating this summer get ready to pull out your 3Doodler Start and 3Doodler Create+ pens for a day of Doodling!

Projects for the 3Doodler Start (Ages 6-13)

Colorful beach hat on a giraffe with sunglasses - 3D pen art

Summer Vibe Pins

With these fun and easy DIY pins, you can add a splash of summer to hats, bags, jackets, or virtually any piece of fabric. See our free stencils and start creating!

Small 3D pen art sand with crab sculpture

Summer Sand Molds

Add a fun activity to your next beach trip with these DIY sand molds! Play in the sand and decorate the beach with sea creatures from your molds. They can also be used with clay! See our free stencil here.

Projects for the 3Doodler Create+ (Ages 14+)

3D pineapple in jar with green leaf

Upcycled Pineapple Jar

Are you pining for a fun way to store summer snacks? Our festive upcycled pineapple jar will add the perfect touch to your summer decor. All you need is a mason jar, a 3Doodler pen and our easy tutorial.

3D pen art: Pineapple design on flipflop sandals.

Festive FLEXY Flip Flops

Create a custom tropical touch to any pair of flip flops with this stellar summer stencil! Use our FLEXY filament to allow your sandals to bend and move with your feet on your serene summer strolls. Check out the stencil here.

Do you have amazing summer Doodles to share? Our community wants to be inspired by your unique creations! Please share them on social media and be sure to tag us.

@3Doodler #3Doodler #3DoodlerEDU #WhatWillYouCreate

Fairytale 3D Doodles with Cornelia Kuglemeier

Posted on by Lindsey

It’s Midsummer’s Day and the reading’s easy, especially if you’re reading fairy tales!

And if you have a fun, creative activity to pair with the fantastic book you’re reading, your imagination and creativity will run wild.

  • magical 3d pen figurines by Cornelia Kuglemeier
  • magical 3d pen figurines by Cornelia Kuglemeier
  • magical 3d pen figurines by Cornelia Kuglemeier
  • magical 3d pen figurines by Cornelia Kuglemeier
  • magical 3d pen figurines by Cornelia Kuglemeier

We know just the expert Doodler to ask about bringing fairy tales to life in 3D. Cornelia Kuglemeier, also known as Connie Doodles, has created many fairy tale characters with 3D printing pens, some from popular tales, and some from her very own imagination. She met with us to share her love of fairy tales, the benefits of students Doodling characters, and tips on how you can create your own fairy tale Doodles.

 

How do fairy tales inspire you to create with 3Doodler pens? Do you feel more connected to the story and characters once you bring them to life in 3D?

Fairy tales have accompanied me since childhood. I was introduced to them when I was a very young girl through storybooks and recordings. Later on I loved to read them myself! Being German, I was greatly influenced by European and Western fairy tales, especially the Brothers Grimm and Hans Christian Andersen. My favorite classic fairy tale as a child was Sleeping Beauty. It had everything a good story needed, including a beautiful princess, a curse, fairies, a villain, and a brave prince. Also Astrid Lindgren, the Swedish author who invented Pippi Longstockings, wrote beautiful fairy tales. I love any stories that feature dragons!

Initially, I would paint and draw fairy tale characters. Once I had a 3Doodler pen in my hands, creating the characters in 3D came naturally to me. It was unbelievably fun to work with a medium where I could literally create anything I could imagine. I do think that if you immerse yourself in a story and artistically create one of the characters from the tale, you feel more engaged with their persona and the story as well.

  • magical 3d pen figurines by Cornelia Kuglemeier
  • magical 3d pen figurines by Cornelia Kuglemeier
  • magical 3d pen figurines by Cornelia Kuglemeier
  • magical 3d pen figurines by Cornelia Kuglemeier
  • magical 3d pen figurines by Cornelia Kuglemeier

How do you think bringing fairy tales to life with 3D printing pens is helpful for K-12 students?

First of all, creating something is one of the most satisfying things you can do. Making art, letting the mind wander, and setting yourself to the task of breathing life into your creation is a very exciting thing! You‘ll always be surprised by the outcome. It‘s great to learn about characters in a book, sit down, draft them on paper, and bring the picture you formed to life in 3D. I think this is a valuable practice for students of all ages. It allows students to really empathize more with the characters and contemplate the lessons woven throughout the story.

Doodling original fairy tale characters can also be beneficial for creative writing. Students can create their own unique fairy tale character in 3D, then develop a short story to accompany the character they’ve created. Students are natural storytellers, and the depth of their imagination is limitless.

Do you have any tips you can share with people who want to create fairy tale characters with 3Doodler pens?

The best place to begin is simply starting the project. Don‘t be afraid of the 3D pen – it won‘t bite! If you want to start with a bit more structure for your Doodle, draw your character with a pencil, trace it with the 3Doodler pen in 2D, pull it off the page, then make it stand! You can also use the 2D Doodle as a bookmark, put it on your wall, or make a badge by filling in the lines with filament. Once you‘ve got the hang of how your 3D pen works, try building your 2D Doodle up into a 3D shape. A picture reference will help you keep track of the proportions of your character. For advanced projects, I’d recommend building the body parts separately, then assembling them. There are multiple ways to Doodle in 3D. The easiest way is to start flat and then build up like a 3D printer. You can even paint your Doodles with acrylic paint. If you aim for something bigger, hollow figures will use less plastic. I would suggest watching some tutorials on building hollow frames for your Doodles.

Are you inspired to bring fairy tale characters to life in 3D? Explore Connie’s Doodles and share your own Doodled fairy tale and storybook characters with us on social media!

@3Doodler #3Doodler #SummerReading #WhatWillYouCreate?

Cool Projects for Summer Break

Posted on by Lindsey

Summer is nearly here!

Now that school is coming to a close, we’ve got some fun projects to help keep your creative spirit high this season. No matter if you’re Doodling from home, a makerspace, or summer school, you’ll enjoy the creative process of making these projects, as well as the cool Doodles you’ll have when you’re finished! All of these activities can be made with the 3Doodler Start or the 3Doodler Create+ pens.

Who’s ready to start creating in 3D?

Stellar Doodles to Celebrate Nasa’s SpaceX


Plastic rocket on table - 3D pen art

Rockin’ Rocket Doodle

Build your own rocket model with our out of this world stencil. It will be out of this world. Lift your Doodles off of the page and celebrate SpaceX’s lift off! Make it with our free stencil here.

Chocolate donut created with 3D pen

Doodle to the Moon and Back

Create your own moon with this stencil, or even an entire mobile of the planets in our solar system. Follow our stencil here to explore outer space hands on.

Fun Fashion for Warm Weather Vibes


Woman wearing 3D pen art earrings in close-up

Fancy Floral Earrings

Want to have one of a kind earrings that are sure to wow your friends? You can create your very own flower-themed earrings with our easy stencils. Compliments guaranteed! Make it with our free stencil here.

Flower-adorned S Hippie Glasses created with a 3D pen.

70s Hippie Glasses

Embrace your favorite 70s music with these fun, groovy glasses. Perfect for selfies and festival vibes.
Follow our stencil here to tune into your inner flower child.

Custom Tools to Document Your Summer

3D pen art on small green & grey notebook cover.

DIY Book Cover

Make a custom journal to log your summer experiences! Use FLEXY with the Create+ for a flexible journal cover, or use any other plastics with the Start or the Create+ pens for a hardback. See the project here.

3D pens in blue box on white surface

Perfect Pencil Box

Add a custom pencil box to your creative space to store your pens, pencils, and markers. Decorate it based on your favorite colors and themes. Use our stencil here to bring the pencil box to life!

Projects to Salute Summer Snacks


3D pen art: Cookie dough, cutter and table.

Coolest Cookie Stamps

Everybody loves cookies! Make your own custom cookie stamps with this neat stencil. You can even get creative and make your own cookie stamp designs. Dress up your cookies with our free stencil here.

3D pen art: Backpack, phone, and wallet on table

Fun Food Badges

Dress up hats, shirts, bags, and more with DIY pins of your favorite food! I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream badges as cool as these. Follow our stencil here to start creating.

There are so many projects to help you launch into summer. What will you create?

Please share your amazing creations with us on social media!

@3Doodler #3Doodler #3DoodlerEDU #WhatWillYouCreate

Bring Summer Reading to Life in 3D

Posted on by Lindsey

Did you know that summer reading often promotes academic achievement more effectively than summer school does?

Books provide a great summer escape, and reading develops students’ comprehension and their ability to retain information. Research suggests that learners who read over summer break show a significantly higher level of literacy and academic gains. This same study shows that the progress made by summer readers is equal to, and sometimes even greater than, the achievements made in summer school!

As school comes to a close and summer weather heats up, students might be reluctant to pick up a book. So, how can parents and teachers get learners excited about their summer reading list?

Dioramas are impactful projects that support student creativity and imagination, as well as enhance learning. The process of creating a diorama supports three dimensional thinking, hands on learning, creative problem solving, and artistic expression. Learners must use critical thinking skills to pick a scene from a book, plan their project, then bring their ideas to life in 3D.

In short, dioramas are a surefire way to bring fun, creativity, and enhanced learning to the summer reading list. Just share these easy steps below so learners can bring their favorite summer read to the third dimension.

3Doodler Summer Reading Design ChallengeA diorama activity for all grades!

Materials:

Now it’s time to make your diorama

The featured diorama is based on Animal Farm
  • Farm and animal 3D pen art on card.
  • Tabletop 3D pen art: cute fake animal creations.
  • 3D pen art featuring farm animals on grass
  • 3D cake with cow atop - 3D pen art
  • 3D pen pigs in plastic house
  1. Read a book from your summer reading list.
  2. Choose a scene from the story that you want to bring to life.
  3. Integrate at least five aspects of the scene you selected into the design.
  4. Next, plan your design. Brainstorm how your figures and scene props will look, and how you will include them. Sketch a draft to help you visualize the outcome.
  5. Use the 3Doodler pen along with upcycled materials to create a scene based on the sketches you came up with.
  6. Once your diorama is complete, share it on social media!

You can browse our free stencils for figurines, chairs, trees, cars, and other items you may want to include in your project.

We can’t wait to see reading come to life in 3D! Share your projects on twitter, instagram, or facebook, and be sure to tag @3Doodler.

#3Doodler #3DoodlerEDU #SummerReading #WhatWillYouCreate

The featured diorama is based on one of our favorite summer reads, Animal Farm, by George Orwell.

Raise the Doodled Flag for Flag Day!

Posted on by Lindsey

What is Flag Day?

  • 3d pen doodled flag
  • 3d pen doodled flag
  • 3d pen doodled flag

Flag Day celebrates the day that the United States adopted its flag, and that historic event took place on June 14th of 1777. President Woodrow Wilson officially recognized June 14 as Flag Day in 1916. Later on in 1949, National Flag Day was further established via an Act of Congress. This year, in celebration of Flag Day, learners can create their very own flags, explore their symbolic significance, and even create a unique flag to represent their identity.

Use our free flag stencil to create a model of your country’s flag, as well as flags of other countries. To take the learning further, dive into our critical thinking questions below.

3Doodler Start Tip: When using the 3Doodler Start pen, you can shape and mold the plastic as it extrudes to create waves in the shape of the flag.
3Doodler Create+ Tip: If you’re using the Create+ pen, you can Doodle your flag flat, then use a heat gun or hair dryer to create waves in the flag after it has hardened.

Critical Thinking Questions for Flag Day

  • Can you explain how symbols relate to objects and actions, and how depictions on flags can represent deeper meaning? Provide examples.
  • Why do countries have flags?
  • Why are flags important to countries?
  • What do you think the different colors and symbols of your country’s flag represent? Research the flag’s meaning to see if you were correct in your hypothesis.
  • If you were to create a flag to represent your identity, what would it look like? What colors and symbols would you include, and why? Design a flag to represent yourself and your own identity, then bring it to life with the 3Doodler pen.

Have Fun with our Flag Day Bubble Wand Webinar!

  • 3d pen doodled Japan flag
  • 3d pen doodled Japan flag

If you’re looking for a fun, educational way to celebrate Flag Day, be sure to tune into our webinar today at 1pm EST on YouTube! In the webinar, you will learn about Flag Day, engineer your very own flag-shaped bubble wand, then test it out! You can learn more about the rest of our webinar series here.

Are you Doodling a flag for Flag Day? We want to see! Be sure to share your creations with us on social media.

@3Doodler #3Doodler #3DoodlerEDU #FlagDay

Posted in EDU

Summer Learning Inspiration from Workshop Leaders

Posted on by Lindsey

Who’s ready to learn and play this summer?

Change is in the air! As summer camps and enrichment opportunities go virtual, let hands-on learning come to you. Gain inspiration and insights from our summer workshop leaders to engage young learners anywhere in the world. No matter where you are this summer, get ready to create!

Morse Institute Library MakerLABRobin Fosdick, Natick, MA

Courtesy of Morse Library Makerlab
  • Floral hair clip with 3D pen art
  • 3D pen art: Person holding plant in a string ball.
  • 3D pen art of

At the Morse Institute Library, we use 3Doodler Pens in three recurring MakerLAB workshops. 3Doodler Start and Create+ pens are an important part of our MakerLAB programs for Teens (ages 11-18) and Tweens (grades 5-7). The 3Doodler pens merge art and technology, are easy to use, and encourage creative expression. It’s so exciting to watch a teen pick up a 3Doodler pen for the first time ever, then leave the workshop with a fabulous model they created themselves!

3D pens are super popular with our Teen MakerLAB & Tween MakerLAB. Some like to trace a design from a stencil, while some prefer to freehand their own creations. Awesome teen creations include a working barrette and an orb with a tree on it (inspired by iconography from The Little Prince).

MakerLAB Advanced Creative is offered to teenagers who’ve attended at least five 3D pen workshops. This program gives older teens a chance to create more complex projects. In just six hours, Mike A. created a large deer head by with a 3Doodler pen using a stencil kit.

Summer Camp Tips

  • Teach 3Doodler pen basics starting with tracing stencils, then work on freehand projects.

  • Challenge experienced Doodlers to create a larger, more complex project of their choice.

  • For advanced Doodling techniques with the Create+ pen, check out these tips.

Two Rivers Gallery MakerLab 2RGBriana Sadler, Prince George, BC

Courtesy of Two Rivers Gallery
  • Woman & child at table with 3D pen art
  • Children creating blue and orange 3D pen art at Bc Makerlab.
  • Airport travelers showcasing 3D pen luggage art
  • Boys creating cell phone 3D pen art at Bc Makerlab

3Doodler pens have proven to be popular educational tools that we use for many of our Two Rivers Gallery MakerLab programs, including school programs, day camps, adult programs, and even staff team building! The following are just a few of the ways that we have incorporated this tool into our STEAM programs.

Maker Experience is a full day STEAM event where we host 75 students from School District 57 at Two Rivers Gallery for a full day of classes covering 3D printing, 3D pens, robotics and more! 3Doodler pens are a great way to embrace technology, engineering, and art. Students use creative thinking and problem solving by using  3Doodler pens to create things like houses, spaceships, and sea creatures.

Day Camps routinely have a 3Doodler element. During a dragon and knights focused day camp, we encouraged learners to create a hand-drawn stencil of their dragon. Using 3Doodler pens, students then Doodled over their drawings, then “welded” all the pieces together with the extruded filament to make their 3D dragons!

Outreach Events with 3Doodler pens are always a hit! The Exploration Place, a local museum, held a celebration of ecosystems and we brought our 3Doodler pens. Students used the pens to build models of their own environmental ecosystems.

Summer Camp Tips

  • Invite students to pick a house, spaceship, or creature of their choice, and challenge them to create a model of it with the 3Doodler pen.

  • Offer themed days and have learners make a custom stencil to celebrate the theme. Themes could range from dragons and knights to superheroes, animals or favorite book characters. Encourage students to draw their design, Doodle the pieces, then assemble their 3D model with extruded plastic.

  • Challenge students to pick an ecosystem of their choice, then make a model of it using 3Doodler pens.

Do you have great ideas for summer learning activities? Our community wants to know what you’re planning. Share your projects with us on Twitter!

@3Doodler #3Doodler #3DoodlerEDU #SummerCamp #SummerSTEM #SummerSTEAM #WhatWillYouCreate

Images in slideshow 1 courtesy of Morse Library Makerlab, which is generously sponsored by MathWorks. Images in slideshow 2 and the primary featured image in the blog and newsletter courtesy of Two Rivers Gallery MakerLab 2RG, which is charitably supported by the Prince George Yellowhead Rotary Club.

Posted in EDU

Quick, Creative Gift Ideas to Thank Your Teacher

Posted on by Lindsey

Let creativity shine this Teacher Appreciation Week!

It’s been a challenging time for both students and teachers these past few months. As remote learning took center stage, teachers everywhere revisited lesson plans and identified unique ways to reach their students and keep them learning. Teachers are preparing the learners of today to be the leaders of tomorrow, and we are all so grateful for this gift they share with the world!

Take time this week and think about what your own teacher has meant to you. Consider a creative way to show your gratitude with a thoughtful gift that you can make. Thank a teacher in your life with these fun projects and create the perfect gift!

K-8th Grade

Two small stuffed animals: 3D pen art on table.

Desktop Goblins to Hold Office Bits and Bobs

3Doodler Start Project

Help your teacher organize their paperclips, rubber bands, and more with these adorable desktop goblins! Follow our easy tutorial for them here.

3D pen art: Bookworm toy with glasses on book

Bookworm Bookmark for your Teacher’s Current Read

3Doodler Start Project

Does your teacher love reading? Of course they do! Enhance their reading experiences by making the best bookmark they will ever have. Use our stencil to get started.

3Doodler: Romantic gift with heart-shaped box and pen

A Geometric Heartfelt Note of Gratitude

3Doodler Start or Create+ Project

Write a note of gratitude and gift it to your teacher in a handmade geometric heart. Simply the perfect gift for STEM teachers! Follow our tutorial here.

High School

3D pen art decorates white coffee mug with red apple

Coffee Cup Decor for the World’s Best Teacher

3Doodler Create+ Project

Who’s got the best teacher? You do! Create this heartwarming coffee mug decoration just for them. Use our free stencil to make it here.

3D pen art: Close-up of three glass candles with flower design. #Tiffanycandle

Custom Tiffany Candle Holders are the Perfect Gift!

3Doodler Create+ Project

Gift your teacher a handmade tiffany candle holder. Use our free stencils with Clear PLA plastics, or create your own custom designs to personalize it for your teacher! Use our free stencil to get started.

Do you have projects that you’ve made for your favorite teachers? Share them with us on social media!

@3Doodler #3Doodler #3DoodlerEDU #WhatWillYouCreate

Posted in EDU

Notable Doodlers: J.R.R. Tolkien

Posted on by Lindsey

Did you know that the author of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogy was not only a master storyteller, but also a prolific Doodler?

  • 3Doodler art: River with trees and person on bike
  • 3D room drawing: circular window with dog
  • Mountain river and bridge 3D pen art
  • 3D pen drawing on paper

J.R.R. Tolkien was an avid illustrator who took care to bring his storytelling to life with vivid drawings. In fact, for Tolkien, storytelling and illustration were artforms that were deeply interwoven. The characters, world maps, and scenery in his stories were largely influenced by his drawings, which he created as he drafted his famous tales. In addition to his drawings of The Lord of the Rings scenes, he also created pictures to accompany the tales that he told his young children.

Tolkien began painting and drawing very early in his youth, and he continued to make art throughout his life until he passed away at the age of 81. His preferred mediums were watercolor, pencil, ink drawings, and of course, calligraphy pens. His awe-inspiring calligraphy work is central to The Lord of the Rings universe, and is seen in the elegant Elvish language that he created before he even began writing his epic tales.

"“Many children make up, or begin to make up, imaginary languages. I have been at it since I could write.”"-J.R.R. Tolkien Share

J.R.R. Tolkien was also diligent with archiving his work. He kept nearly every doodle he made in a catalog of envelopes, no matter if they were well-thought out drawings or spontaneous scribbles on scrap paper. He would revisit his catalogue of drawings and doodles to gather inspiration as he wrote his stories.

"“Myth and fairy-story must, as all art, reflect and contain in solution elements of moral and religious truth (or error), but not explicit, not in the known form of the primary ‘real’ world.”"-J.R.R. Tolkien Share

In the year 2000, a collection of Tolkien’s artwork spanning about 6 decades of his life was published into a work known as J.R.R. Tolkien: Artist and Illustrator. The book is filled with many of Tolkien’s illustrations that were kept in his personal archive, including depictions of Middle Earth, elvish script, and imagery from the scenes of his tales.

Tolkien lives on as one of the greatest authors of all time, and his books were adapted into some of the most critically acclaimed films to date.

Are you inspired by the works of J.R.R. Tolkien? Share your thoughts with our community on social media!

@3Doodler #3Doodler #NotableDoodler #JRRTolkien #LordOfTheRings