Holiday Gifts for Her: Using a 3D Printer to Show Your Love

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Men, it’s that time of the year again: holiday shopping, where you dodge crowds of people like a game show contestant to buy a few gifts for your family, friends, and girlfriend. In particular, the last one is kind of a sensitive subject. If you’ve been dating a girl for a while, what can you give her that really shows your undying affection? The longer you date, the more you learn about a person’s likes and dislikes, so that definitely helps with the gift-giving process. But after the spa days, bottles of her favorite wine, and photo albums of your best antics, you might need a new direction. Luckily, 3D printers have gotten affordable enough and can produce a remarkable amount of cool gifts for your significant other. Here are just a few ideas that will make her holiday special:

1. Unique Jewelry: 3D-printed jewelry is a great option for men who are new to the printing world, as it can generally be made with a desktop device. First, take a moment to think about your lover’s style and taste before deciding on a jewelry design. There are so many options to choose from, and many designers have capitalized on 3D printing’s unique properties to make intricate pieces that truly stand out. One of the most elegant collections yet comes from Freshfiber, a design brand that isn’t afraid to use strange textures and interlocking materials to make a statement. If your lady friend loves punk rock and aggressive fashion, the Bespiked Pendant and Single Drop Earrings will definitely make her happy. On the other hand, if she’s more reserved and interested in minimalist fashion, go for the Swan Pendant, which combines 3D-printed jewelry material with a gold-plated alloy ring.

2. Stylish Shoes: In the 3D printing world, shoes can be wild and uncompromising, so they might be a perfect addition to your lover’s wardrobe if she’s into bold fashion. Prices on these platforms range from “free download” to over a thousand dollars, so it’s up to you whether you want to spend a lot of money. Our personal favorite pair is the Facet, which looks like a 3D-rendered, science fiction version of a shoe. Even better, the Facet — along with a couple of other platform shoe designs by Freshfiber — can be printed for free after downloading a design file online. Before printing, you can customize the shoe size to fit her feet like Cinderella.

3. Delicious Sweets: Finally, the quickest way to anyone’s heart is through their stomach. Thankfully, 3D printers have also developed in ways that enable our food obsessions to take flight. With a food printer like the Chef Jet, you can design a custom cake or candy for your girlfriend that references an inside joke and also tastes incredible. If you’re not good with the culinary arts, you can also order some mouthwatering geometric candy from The Sugar Lab here (currently only available in Los Angeles County).