Whether you’re looking to boost collaboration, or offer up a creative outlet for your students, we’ve got you covered.

These heartwarming Valentine’s Day classroom activities will have your students full attention, while teaching communication and problem solving skills all while using their 3D pens!

Add a touch of whimsy to your classroom and dive into STEM with lessons about flowers, their function, and a plant’s lifecycle. Explore the different shapes and sizes or how they attract pollinators. There’s so much to explore and a fun 3D activity to accompany the lesson!

Spring Flowers

Students can explore their artistic style and develop one-of-a-kind 3D or multimedia art projects. 3Doodler’s 3D heart-shaped balloons are easy to design. Use them as pendants, key chains, or even added onto a card for a whimsical greeting. Follow our tutorial or explore your creativity with more complex patterns, swirls, or multiple layers!

Balloon Hearts

Add a tasty and personal touch to Valentine’s Day celebrations with custom cookie cutters students can create and use at home! Explore our tutorial or encourage students to come up with their own designs. The project could involve students collaborating as they brainstorm ideas and share 3D printing techniques. Students might want to give the cookie cutters as gifts for friends and family once finished. It’s a sweet hands-on project your classroom is sure to remember!

Cookie Cutters

The post Surprise Students with 3 Sweet Valentine’s Day Classroom Activities! first appeared on 3Doodler.

Over the years, Barbie’s encouraged girls and women worldwide to express their personal style and to be anything they want to be. Barbie held careers in many different industries and represented all kinds of women while breaking fashion barriers.

Now, Barbie is about to hit the big screen in a new adaptation by Greta Gerwig that debuts on Friday, July 21.

It’s the perfect moment to dust off your Barbie dolls and create one-of-a-kind accessories with a 3D pen. Find out how Barbie got her start and explore 3Doodler’s project ideas!

Fashion Icon is Born

A trip to Europe rekindled the idea after seeing a German doll in a toy shop. Handler quickly created a prototype for an 11.5-inch (29 cm) doll with movable limbs. She named the doll Barbie after her daughter and presented it at the New York Toy Fair in 1959.

From the beginning, fashion played a big part in Barbie’s storyline. Handler envisioned girls playing with the doll to imagine a future where they could be whatever they wanted at a time when many careers were closed to women. Clothes could transform any doll into a flight attendant, doctor, astronaut, or actress. An outfit could create a new look, lifestyle, or career. Anything a teen could dream up was now possible to imagine playing with Barbie.

In the 1970s, Mattel introduced Barbie’s signature pink color to market the doll to young girls. Today the deep pink shade is part of the official Pantone Color Chart designers and artists use.

Make Accessories for Barbie

Whether you’re creating a bright pink accessory or adding to another outfit, one thing is for sure; you can design all sorts of interesting and unique items for Barbie with a 3D pen.
Try your hand at a headband, necklace, or purse with an easy-to-follow tutorial and stencil. Choose a color from a selection of PLA filament, grab your 3Doodler Create+ or 3Doodler Start+ pen, and get crafting.

If you’re feeling really creative, you could even design new clothes for Barbie and Ken. There’s no end to the possibilities.

And, if you’re looking to take the experience one step further, take a Barbie selfie and imagine yourself as part of the Barbie universe!

The post Let’s Go Barbie — Make Stylish Accessories! first appeared on 3Doodler.

Discover all that libraries have to offer during National Library Week, April 23-29, 2023! Libraries provide a space for community events, guest speakers, crafting classes, STEM activities, and book clubs. In addition, librarians are there to help you find what you need. They lend movies, musical instruments, games, and museum passes. At a library, you might be surprised to find courses that support local businesses, job seekers, or entrepreneurs.

This week, take a moment to explore how libraries support the local community with tips we rounded up. While you’re at it, use your 3Doodler tools to design a flipbook or trace your favorite storybook character. Read on!

There’s More to the Story

It’s easy to participate in National Library Week! Explore these suggestions and discover something new at a library near you.

Storybook Projects

Libraries are also an excellent resource for STEM/STEAM clubs and maker spaces. In addition, you may find tools you can borrow, like a 3Doodler 3D pen or activity clubs, that you can join for weekly project ideas.

No need to delay. We’ve got a few project ideas that will get you started as you celebrate National Library Week. So enjoy these creative projects you design to support your love of reading, storytelling, and more with 3Doodler!

3D Flipbook

Create a small book with a series of images in different positions to create the illusion of movement when the pages flip quickly.

Make It

Bookshelf Doodling

Bring storybook characters to life! Use a favorite book from home or check out new books at a local library. Once you’ve settled on your favorite, we’ll teach you how to take any picture book and create a stencil for doodling!

Try It

The post Celebrate National Library Week! first appeared on 3Doodler.

We’re sharing how creators celebrate the planet by upcycling everyday materials to create impactful art. Turn ordinary objects and things around the house into cool, one-of-a-kind creations with 3Doodler project ideas.

Working for the Environment

The celebration of Earth Day began in April 1970 to push the federal government to tackle environmental issues. The response from the public was overwhelming, and in just a few short months, Congress authorized the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The EPA serves a vital mission to protect human health and the environment. The agency does so by developing and enforcing regulations, giving grants, conducting research, creating partnerships, and educating people about the environment.

In seeking to educate the public, the EPA provides several resources for teachers and students to explore. For example, there are tips on conserving energy at home, becoming a food waste warrior, understanding our connection to groundwater, or even making a disaster readiness plan.

These resources are a fantastic way to bring environmental issues to the forefront and bring about change.

Repurpose & Reuse Everyday Items

3Doodler is committed to inspiring creativity while working with the environment, not against it. Our filaments promise outlines our work to ensure our filaments are completely safe to use. 3Doodler Start+ filaments are eco-friendly, and ALL of our filaments are certified as recyclable.

Now that you know the materials you’re using are safe for you and the environment, let’s get doodling. This round-up of projects encourages you to reuse or repurpose things around you as you create in 3D.

Give New Life To An Old Planter

Plants and greenery are a natural way to contribute to environmental efforts. Adding them to your home can add a beautiful natural element. Pick up an old pot or vase and give it new life with a 3D design. Add simple flowers along the outside or trim with polka dots, vines, or other creative symbols. It’s a wonderful opportunity to refresh an older item for a new use!

Repurpose a Pot

Turn Cardboard Scraps Into Speaker

Cardboard is an amazing material to work with to augment your 3D creations. It’s recycling in action. Find a few pieces of cardboard and make a DIY phone speaker that rocks. Use your 3D pen to add details to the speaker in colors that complement your space. It’s a unique way to reuse cardboard and amplify the music on your phone. Time to turn up the volume!

Make a Speaker

Transform Leftover Filament

Collect doodled scraps as you create and learn to make new art with a few quick tips. From coasters to bowls and other eye-catching creations, there’s no end to what you can come up with using your filament scraps. It’s a fantastic way to make the most of all your filament. Play with different color combinations for your own truly unique recycled creations!

Create Beautiful Decor

The post Upcycling for Earth Day! first appeared on 3Doodler.

All 30 teams will play in 15 games which will be the first time since 1968 that every Major League Baseball team starts the season on the same day!

Opening Day will mark the start of the 162-game regular season played over 213 days. So as you’re preparing to root for the home team, grab your 3D pen and doodle a team baseball hat!

America’s National Pastime

The National Baseball Hall of Fame explains that while Abner Doubleday – a decorated Union Army officer who fired the first shot in defense of Fort Sumter at the start of the Civil War and later served at the Battle of Gettysburg – is credited with inventing baseball in 1839 in Cooperstown, NY, there is still debate about the origins of the game.

Regardless of how baseball started, it evolved with the country and became known as America’s national pastime by the last half of the 19th century. Through the years, baseball played a role in the two world wars, civil rights, equal access and opportunity on and off the playing field, and much more, as described in the book Baseball: The National Pastime in the National Archives.

Even if you can’t travel to Cooperstown, you can explore the sport’s rich history through several online exhibits. Check them out and understand more about the players, the uniforms, and critical events in American history!

Swing, batter, batter!

Babe Ruth Batting, courtesy of New York World-Telegram.

By 1870, the cost of employing professional ballplayers became challenging. As a result, the Cincinnati club’s board elected to refrain from fielding a team for 1871. Instead, many of the players left Cincinnati for Boston. They formed the Boston Red Stockings, who went on to win four straight league championships (1872-1875) before becoming part of the National League. Today the franchise is known as the Atlanta Braves.

The New York Yankees started in 1903 as the New York Highlanders. The Yankees have won 27 World Series titles and 40 American League pennants. However, the team wasn’t always this successful. Their stroke of luck came when they acquired Babe Ruth in 1920 from the Boston Red Sox.

The history of the sport is long and storied. Explore the origins of your hometown team — you might be surprised by what you learn.

Seventh-Inning Stretch

Cheer on your favorite team and take a creativity break by making a custom baseball hat. So naturally, with 3Doodler based in New York City, we created a Yankee’s hat and a Mets’ hat using the 3Doodler Start+ and Create+ 3D pens.

With a few simple tips, a 3D pen, filament, and our free stencil, you’ll be on your way to creating baseball hats for all the MLB fans.

Use your DIY baseball hats as decor for an office or bedroom shelf or perhaps as a cake or cupcake topper. 3Doodler’s tutorial and stencil library is full of fantastic sporty designs from soccer to football or basketball. The choice is yours!

Make a Baseball Hat

The post Gear Up for Major League Baseball’s Opening Day first appeared on 3Doodler.

Established in 1961 by the Art & Creative Materials Institute (ACMI), the creators sought to emphasize the value children derive from art education. Today Youth Art Month is coordinated nationally by the Council for Art Education (CFAE).

3Doodler is delighted to support the visual arts and inspire young creators to use their imagination and bring their ideas to life. Explore Youth Art Month activities and learn how to engage with 3Doodler’s community to celebrate the visual arts!

New York Youth Art Month Poster

Your Art, Your Voice

This year participants will recognize the month through the theme “Your Art, Your Voice.” In addition, participating states host various activities, from a state flag design contest, local and state Youth Art Month proclamations, and art shows at state capitals and legislative buildings.

The celebration is intended to bring attention to visual art’s value in developing critical thinking skills, raising multicultural awareness, and encouraging technical, communication, and expression skills.

The Texas Art Education Association kicks off Youth Art Month with a Big Art Day, where grades K-12 participate in art events across the state. Big Art Day will take place on March 2, 2023, featuring 1,000 art activities.

In Illinois, students participate in a statewide art show hosted by the Illinois Art Education Association. The submissions are reviewed by a panel of judges who select 45 participants to feature in a statewide slide show that travels across the state.

Visit the Council for Art Education to learn more about Youth Art Month events and activities in your state.

Inspiring Young Artists

3Doodler looks to inspire young artists in the classroom and at home through lessons, projects, stencils, tutorials, and more. All these resources are readily available in the 3Doodler resource library and the 3Doodler App.

The 3Doodler App is a great way to encourage budding artists to expand their ability to draw and create in 3D. Through the app, young artists will find stencils, tutorials, and other art prompts to jumpstart their creativity. Plus, they can share their latest doodle creations with the community via an online gallery. The photos featured are from Doodlers like you. In addition, fellow artists can comment on shared designs and offer support. It’s a fantastic way to build community and celebrate art.

Explore Your Creativity

Get started by creating one of the following projects to celebrate Youth Art Month!

Collage Display

Get Started

Action Figure

Get Started

Keepsake Box

Get Started

The post March is Youth Art Month first appeared on 3Doodler.

3Doodler took inspiration from the wintry weather and the long history of icy architecture to create a stunning 3D ice castle. See where we found our inspiration and design an ice castle with our latest stencil!

Ice-Inspired Architecture

Ice castles and palaces have popped up in all sorts of cold-weather locations around the world, from Montreal to Switzerland and even St. Paul.

Montreal has a long history of ice castle creations. Before modern technology, people cut ice blocks from the frozen St. Lawrence river. Montreal’s first ice palace was designed for the Winter Carnival of 1884. In addition to the ice palace, the Winter Carnival featured snowshoe races, toboggan slides, and sleigh rides.

Seeking to attract tourists and following Montreals’ lead, organizers in St. Paul, Minnesota, built an ice castle in 1885. In fact, the city has created 37 ice palaces of all different shapes and sizes to date. Today, the ice palaces appear less frequently. In fact, they are often organized to coincide with significant events, like the Super Bowl in 2018. The city of St. Paul features a video explaining how the project came together with a stunning result.

The Jungfraujoch Ice Palace penguin sculptures.

Designing an Ice Castle in 3D

The 3Doodler team took inspiration from traditional ice castles created with blocks of ice and more modern interpretations, like the ice palace from Disney’s Frozen. The 3Doodler ice castle stencil offers a series of easily made shapes. You can create a small or large castle by attaching the pieces together.

In the 3Doodler version, we used four large sides, two medium sides, and two small sides. Attaching these shapes together, we created alternating sides for the ice castle. If you wanted to create a larger castle, you could continue to make the side shapes to build out the castle design. Follow the process step-by-step in the ice castle tutorial.

The post A Winter Wonderland: 3D Ice Castle first appeared on 3Doodler.

Revisit the history of the moment and engage students in an important classroom discussion about the work of Dr. King and other civil rights leaders. As you explore historic events, consider creating the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, which was the site of the Selma-Montgomery March in 1965.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Rosa Parks at the 1955 bus boycott. (National Archives)

Civil Rights Movement

Slavery was abolished at the end of the Civil War, but it didn’t end discrimination against Black people in the United States. The fight for equality would begin in earnest in the mid-20th century and continue for the next two decades.

After reconstruction, the South implemented a series of “Jim Crow” laws to erase gains made after the Civil War. The laws restricted voting rights for African Americans, banned interracial relationships and allowed businesses to separate clientele based on race.

On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat to a white male passenger on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama. Police arrested Parks, and word of her situation spread quickly, igniting a series of protests. As a result of her act, Parks is known as the “mother of the modern-day civil rights movement.”

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at the March on Washington.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

In response to Parks’ arrest, Black community leaders in Alabama formed the Montgomery Improvement Association (MIA). Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. led the MIA, a role that put him front and center in the fight for civil rights.

Through King’s leadership, the African American community experienced more progress toward racial equality in 13 years than in the past 350 years. Dr. King took inspiration from his faith and the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi to lead a nonviolent resistance that included protests, grassroots organizing, and civil unrest.

King was elected president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) in 1957 to provide organizational leadership to the civil rights movement. In 1963, he led a coalition of groups in nonviolent protest in Birmingham, Alabama. The brutality that ensued by the city’s police force led to national outrage. Later that same year, King led the March on Washington, where he gave his famous “I Have a Dream” speech to an audience of a quarter-million people.

King became the youngest recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964 at 35. Also, in 1964, due in part to the March on Washington, Congress passed a landmark Civil Rights Act ending legal racial segregation in the U.S. Congress passed the Voting Rights Act a year later, in 1965, a result of the Selma to Montgomery, AL March for Voting Rights.

The Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama.

Relive a Moment in History: Selma to Montgomery

In January 1965, Dr. King led a coalition of activist groups to call for voting rights in Selma, Alabama, where despite repeated attempts, only two percent of Black voters were registered. The campaign saw mass arrests but little violence until February. Then, in Marion, Alabama, state troopers joined local police to break up a march. A state trooper shot a protester who later died from his wounds.

In response to the death, activists set out to march from Selma to Montgomery. While Dr. King was in Atlanta, Hosea Willams and John Lewis led the march. The marchers made their way through Selma across the Edmund Pettus Bridge. A blockade of state troopers and law enforcement officers ordered the marchers to disperse. When they refused, the troopers attacked the crowd with clubs and tear gas. Television coverage of the event, “Bloody Sunday,” as it became known, sparked national outrage.

On March 21-25, 1965, Dr. King participated in a federally sanctioned march from Selma to the steps of the capitol in Montgomery, Alabama. President Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act of 1965 with Dr. King and other civil rights leaders on August 6, 1965.

Make a bridge through history by recreating the Edmund Pettus Bridge in 3D. It’s an opportunity to learn from events of the past and understand the legacy of Dr. King and other civil rights leaders. The 3Doodler tutorial and stencil provides a straight-forward way to recreate this historic bridge.

The post Honoring the Life and Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. first appeared on 3Doodler.

Gather a group of family or friends to reflect on the year and gear up to make new memories in 2023. It’s always an excellent way to close out one year and start another. Depending on the size of the group, you can make a few fun props to share or customize one for each guest. Ring in the new year in style with 3D creations. Let’s go!

Party Hat

Make a Party Hat

Photo Booth Props

Create Photo Props

Goofy Glasses

Create Glasses

Cupcake Toppers

Create Glasses

Gnomes have been around for ages and feature prominently in many cultures in Northern Europe. So naturally, once we learned more, we had to take a turn at crafting one in 3D!

Scandinavian Folklore

Gnomes trace back to the Nordic regions of Scandinavia, Finland, Iceland, and the Faroe Islands. Folklore suggests that gnomes, elves, and fairies have been part of mythology since the 1400s. Legends about gnomes were shared from the mountains of Switzerland and forests of Germany to the fjords in Norway.

Gnomes were described as mythical creatures who lived underground or as part of the earth. Many tales explained the nature of their magical powers. Given their connection to the land, gnomes positively impacted the natural world and made farms more productive. They worked their magic at night and turned to stone during the day, which explains how they quickly became garden gnomes.

It’s not clear how gnomes have so quickly become part of the winter holiday season, but many believe it’s their resemblance to Santa Claus. Their pointy hats, beards, bellies, and friendly nature encouraged the idea. Plus, gnomes, like elves, have been known to bestow gifts. Whatever the reason, holiday gnomes are here to stay.

The Myth Meets Pop Culture

Following the trend, 3Doodler offered a garden gnome kit that included a canvas gnome shape that creators could doodle on and customize with their choice of colors and textures. The recent popularity of these whimsical winter characters inspired our latest Doodle — a holiday gnome.

All you need to get started is a 3Doodler Start+ 3D printing pen, eco-friendly filament, a DoodlePad, and the 3Doodler stencil. Follow our tutorial for step-by-step instructions to make this fun holiday gnome. We were tempted to change up the colors, but kept it classic for the holidays. Go ahead and change it up, using different colors for the hat, beard, and legs.

We can’t wait to see what you design. Share your creations with us @3Doodler or use tags #3Doodler #WhatWillYouCreate.

The post Gnome for the Holidays first appeared on 3Doodler.