10 Mini Gadgets to 3D Print Instead of Buying (Filament & Cost Guide)

Why pay $10–$25 for a phone stand, a cable organizer or a bag clip when your 3D printer can make one for a few cents of filament? Small, useful prints are the best way to get value from a printer. They're quick, cheap, forgiving of mistakes, and you can tweak the size to fit exactly what you own.

BGR recently rounded up 10 mini gadgets worth 3D printing instead of buying. We liked the idea so much that we built our own maker's version. For every gadget below you'll find which filament to use and why, the print settings that matter, and a realistic filament cost.

How we worked out the cost per print

Every cost below is the filament only, worked out from a 1kg spool of PLA or PETG at about $25. That's roughly 2.5 cents per gram. Gram weights are typical ranges for these models at 15–20% infill. Your slicer will show the exact weight for the model and settings you pick.

1. Foldable phone stand

A phone stand is the classic first useful print, and the folding designs are much better than the solid wedges. Many fold flat for a bag and lock at several viewing angles.

• Best filament: PLA for a desk stand; PETG if it lives in a hot car or on a sunny windowsill.
• Tip: print the hinge parts with 3–4 walls (perimeters). The hinge takes the load, not the infill.
• Filament cost: about 25–50 g, so roughly $0.60–$1.25.

2. Smartwatch and earbud charging dock

A dock that holds your watch charger puck upright turns a loose cable into a tidy nightstand station. There are designs for most popular watches and earbud cases, including Apple Watch stands where the charger presses in.

• Best filament: PLA. Matte or silk PLA looks great on a nightstand.
• Tip: charger pucks vary slightly in size. Print a quick test of just the puck pocket first, or scale it by 1–2% in your slicer for a snug press fit.
• Filament cost: about 20–40 g, so roughly $0.50–$1.00.

3. Bag clips

Chip bags, coffee, frozen vegetables, bread: you can never have too many clips. Print-in-place clips come off the bed working, with no assembly, and you can scale them up for bigger bags.

• Best filament: PETG. A clip gets opened every day, and PETG flexes where PLA tends to crack.
• Tip: print them flat, and print a batch of 8–10 in one go. It costs you almost no extra time.
• Filament cost: about 4–8 g each, so roughly $0.10–$0.20 a clip.

4. Cable winders and cable clips

Earbud cables, charging leads and USB-C cords tangle in every drawer. Small winders, desk-edge cable clips and even replacement Ethernet-plug clip tabs are some of the cheapest, most-used prints you can make.

• Best filament: PLA for winders; TPU for clips that need to grip and flex.
• Tip: TPU likes to print slowly, around 20–30 mm/s. Bambu Lab owners should feed TPU from the external spool holder, not the AMS.
• Filament cost: about 1–6 g each, so a few cents.

5. Toothpaste tube squeezer

A slotted roller that squeezes out the last of the toothpaste (or hand cream, or paint) is a small print you'll use every day.

• Best filament: PETG. It copes with a steamy bathroom and is easy to rinse.
• Tip: make the slot a little wider than the tube's flat end, or the roller will drag.
• Filament cost: about 10–20 g, so roughly $0.25–$0.50.

6. Key organizer instead of a key ring

Compact key organizers stack your keys inside a slim body like a pocket knife, so no more jangling ring. Pair one with a printed tag or a tracker holder if you use one.

• Best filament: PETG or a carbon-fiber PLA for stiffness. Keys are hard on soft prints.
• Tip: use 100% infill on the side plates. They're tiny, so it barely adds weight or time.
• Filament cost: about 10–20 g, so roughly $0.25–$0.50.

7. Print-in-place fidget toys

Articulated fidgets, spinners and clicky sliders print fully assembled, straight off the bed. They're great for kids, classrooms and anyone who taps a pen in meetings. They're also a good test of your printer's tolerances.

• Best filament: PLA. Its stiffness gives that satisfying click. Glitter or color-shifting filaments make them pop.
• Tip: if the parts are fused, your first layer is probably squished too much. Raise the Z-offset slightly, or add a little "elephant foot" compensation in your slicer.
• Filament cost: about 15–30 g, so roughly $0.40–$0.75.

8. Tabletop game accessories

Dice towers, card holders, token trays and box inserts make game nights faster to set up and pack away. Store-bought inserts can cost more than the game.

• Best filament: PLA. Use contrasting colors for player sets, or our Mystery Spool if you like surprises.
• Tip: measure your game box before printing an insert. Box sizes vary even within the same game line.
• Filament cost: card holders about 30–60 g ($0.75–$1.50); a dice tower about 80–150 g ($2–$4).

9. Tablet and e-reader stand

A wider version of the phone stand, angled for recipes in the kitchen or video calls at your desk.

• Best filament: PETG in the kitchen (heat and splashes), PLA elsewhere.
• Tip: add rubber feet or a strip of TPU on the base, so the stand doesn't slide when you tap the screen.
• Filament cost: about 40–80 g, so roughly $1–$2.

10. Car and outdoor mini mounts

Phone vent clips, garage hooks, garden hose guides and bike light brackets. Small mounts that live outside or in a car need a tougher plastic.

• Best filament: ASA. It's UV-resistant and holds up to the heat in a parked car, where PLA can soften and warp.
• Tip: ASA prints best in an enclosure or with a draft shield. Our ASA guide covers settings in detail.
• Filament cost: about 10–30 g, so roughly $0.25–$0.75.

Which filament for which gadget? Quick reference

Gadget	Best filament	Why
Desk stands, docks, fidgets, game pieces	PLA	Easy to print, crisp detail, lots of colors
Bag clips, bathroom and kitchen items	PETG	Tougher, flexes instead of snapping, handles moisture
Grippy clips, bumpers, non-slip feet	TPU	Flexible and rubbery
Car, garage and outdoor mounts	ASA	UV- and heat-resistant

New to these materials? Start with our complete guide to 3D printer filament types. It also has deep dives on PLA and PETG.

Where to find the models (and one rule to follow)

You'll find free designs for every gadget above on Printables, MakerWorld and Thingiverse. Search the gadget name plus your device model, such as "watch charger stand" or "dice tower".

The rule is to check the license. Many free models are for personal use only. Printing them for yourself is fine, but selling the prints isn't unless the designer allows it.

FAQ

Is it really cheaper to 3D print small gadgets?

For small items, almost always. At about 2.5 cents per gram, most of the gadgets above use under $1 of filament, while store-bought versions often cost $10 or more. The trade-off is print time, typically 30 minutes to a few hours each.

What's the best filament for beginners?

PLA. It prints at low temperatures, doesn't need an enclosure, and covers most desk and household gadgets. Move to PETG when a part needs to be tougher or face heat and moisture.

Can I print these on a Bambu Lab, Prusa or Creality printer?

Yes. These are small, simple prints that work on any well-tuned desktop FDM printer. For TPU, a direct-drive extruder makes life easier. On Bambu Lab printers, feed TPU from the external spool, since most AMS units don't support flexible filament.

Stock up and print a batch

Small gadgets are the perfect excuse to try new colors. Buy any 3 or more PLA, PETG or ASA spools and save 10%, applied automatically in your cart, and mix brands and colors as you like. Consumable orders of $95 or more ship free within the 48 contiguous U.S. states.

Shop PLA · Shop PETG · Shop TPU · Shop ASA

Questions about which filament suits your printer? Email bsys@consum3d.com. A real person answers, Monday to Friday, 8 AM–4 PM.