I can’t believe we are 22 days away from Christmas. Here’s another Christmas Ornament for you to DIY, but this time it will be 3D Printed! This sweet little Eye Ornament was made by my Silhouette Alta 3D printer. I did it in my usual way from designing the 2D image and then 3D Printed it. You will also see how I designed the 2D eye image in Silhouette Studio, pretty much the same as we did for this DIY Bracelet. Read on for the full tutorial!
About the Silhouette Alta 3D Printer
The Silhouette Alta is a 3D printing machine that can create fun 3D models out of PLA plastic filament when connected to your computer.
When you purchase the Alta, Silhouette America offers a few free 3D designs to play with. Once you have purchased and registered your machine, these designs are automatically added to your account. Today, we will make our own design.
The Silhouette 3D software is available for download once you have registered your Alta. It allows you access to your Silhouette 3D image library or use existing shapes for you to freely design. My favorite feature is that you also have the option to design your own or purchase several 2D designs from the Silhouette Design Store and create a 3D project by automatically importing your designs.
What does the Silhouette Alta use to print 3D projects?
According to Silhouette America, the Silhouette Alta 3D printer uses a PLA plastic filament material to 3D print our projects. Once the filament is loaded, the print head heats the filament to a high temperature. The heated filament becomes very soft which allows the printer to feed it through the print head and print the project in layers.
The Silhouette Alta comes with a sample of white PLA plastic filament to get started with your 3D projects. I personally love the white color because you can leave as-is or you can paint the finished 3D object to any color you want. You may also purchase larger rolls of filament in a variety of colors on the Silhouette America website.
Silhouette America also states that their PLA plastics do not contain BPA and is biodegradable.
What You Need To Make A 3D Printed Eye Ornament:
- Silhouette Studio (there is a free version!)
- Silhouette Alta 3D Printer
- Silhouette 3D Software
- String
*This post contains affiliate links for products that I use and love!
How To Make A 3D Printed Ornament
If this is your first 3D project and you need additional help, I did a post on setting up your 3D Printer and making your first project.
1. Create Your 2D Eye Design in Silhouette Studio
- In Silhouette Studio, create your eye design using the line and circle tools (see image below)
- Thicken the lines
- Trace your eye design
- Add a small circle at the top of your traced eye design for hanging
- Save your traced design
2. Import Your 2D Eye Design into the 3D Software
- In the Silhouette 3D Software, open the eye design you created
- A pop-up will appear: Import As
- Select Extrusion – the design will appear in 3D. Adjust the height (or other dimensions)
3. Send Your Eye Design To Be 3D Printed
- Select the 3D Print Tab on the right
- Select the Quality (I used the Standard option)
- Press Print. The machine will heat up and 3D print – you will see the countdown of time as well
- Once the eye design is printed, let it cool then remove the platform from the printer
- Use the spatula to gently remove your 3D Eye Ornament and any extra filament
- Thread your string through the hole at the top of the eye ornament
I love how mine turned out! What do you think? Let me know how your 3D Printed Ornament turned out! They make awesome gifts and gift toppers too!
Looking for some more fun DIY and Crafts inspiration? Check out my other Silhouette Alta 3D Projects and craft a little longer with me!