Halloween is without doubt my favorite time of year, with the leaves turning bright red, pumpkins glowing on porch steps, and all scary and spooky things taking center stage (not to mention all the candy!). In the spirit of the season, we thought we’d once again put together a list of the very best 3D printed costumes, props, and decorations that are out there for 2016 to help make your Halloween as creative, DIY, and maker-friendly as possible.
3D printed Halloween costume & prop
Best 3D printed Halloween costume & prop #1: Chaos Space Marine Mask
This Halloween, 3D printing marketplace Gambody has raised the stakes for 3D printed costumes with a series of 3D printed video game and table-top game character inspired masks, the first of which is the undeniably creepy 3D printed Chaos Space Marine Mask. The 3D printed mask, which fans will recognize from Warhammer 40,000, exhibits scarred and terrifying facial features, which are sure to spook your friends.
Gambody is selling the 3D files for the mask for $14.99 through its website, and has optimized the mask’s features and print settings to that it should print without error. The mask features eye holes, and nose and mouth breathing holes. The beauty of the mask is that while it looks good as is, makers can paint the 3D printed costume accessory in any way they like, with different textures, colors, and styles.
If you do buy the 3D files for the Chaos Space Marine Mask, it is suggested to print it at 0.1mm layer height and with 20% infill overlap. The full-scale mask (163 x 190 x 97mm) should take about a day and a half to 3 days to print (depending on the layer height), and use 26.7m of filament to complete.
To note: the mask shown in the photos was 3D printed using an SLA/SLS 3D printer, so results may vary slightly if you are using an FDM/FFF 3D printer.
Best 3D printed Halloween costume & prop #2: DOTA 2 Pudge Mask
Next on the list is Gambody’s second 3D printed mask, this one inspired by the character Pudge from online video game DOTA 2. Also known as The Butcher, Pudge is a rough and brutal character whose grimace is sure to make onlookers shudder. The 3D printed mask, which was designed using Autodesk Maya, can be easily worn by attaching elastic strings to the two holes on either side of it.
Like the Chaos Space Marine Mask listed above, users can buy the DOTA 2 Pudge Mask 3D files for $14.99. The designers recommend printing the Halloween mask at a 0.1mm layer height and with an infill overlap rate of 20%. These settings will results in a print that takes up to 3 days to complete, so be sure to give yourself some time before the 31st!
Best 3D printed Halloween costume & prop #3: DOTA 2 DOOM Mask
If you want to take your fright level up a notch from the previous two masks, Gambody has also unveiled its nightmare-inducing 3D printed DOOM mask, also inspired by a DOTA 2 character. The elaborate mask is actually made up of two segments: a face mask and a sort of helmet piece, which the horns are attached to. These two segments are made up of a total of 11 3D printed parts, each expertly modeled using Autodesk Maya.
Despite being more complex that the two aforementioned Gambody masks, the DOTA 2 DOOM mask 3D files can still be purchased for $14.99. We have to say, however, that due to the various parts as well as the extra horns, the entire mask could take up to 10 days to print, using the same settings as the other two (0.1mm layer height, 20% infill overlap). If you don’t have time to 3D print the entire mask, you can always opt to print the simplified version of it sans-horns—a real two-in-one deal.
Best 3D printed Halloween costume & prop #4: Atlas BattleMech Mask
The final mask offered by Gambody for Halloween 2016 is this awesome Atlas BattleMech mask inspired by the popular BattleTech franchise. Gambody, which recently released a whole series of BattleMech 3D models, was motivated to create the BattleMech mask due to the models’ overwhelming popularity.
The 3D printed mask is made up of two separate parts which can be easily assembled after printing. Like the other 3D printable masks, the Atlas BattleMech mask model has been closely verified for its quality and printability.
Expect the mask parts to take about 3 days to print, and to use about 42.94m of printing material. Of course, once the printing is done, you can personalize and make your Atlas mask as detailed as you like by painting and post-processing it.
Best 3D printed Halloween costume & prop #5: Glowing Mace Prop
This 3D printed glowing mace prop could be the perfect addition to your Halloween costume this year, whether you are cosplaying DC’s Hawkgirl or dressing up as a neo-medieval knight. Designed by Adafruit’s prolific Ruiz Brothers, the 3D printed glowing mace does require some skill and assembly, but considering you can make it yourself for pretty cheap, the effort is worth it.
The glowing mace prop combines a total of 28 3D printed parts with some simple electronics (such as an Adafruit Trinket, a 2200mAh battery, and a NeoPixel Jewel) for results that will brighten your Halloween. To make the mace look as authentic as possible, the designers used a variety of 3D printing filaments, such as wood and steel composite filaments, but if you’re on a budget this Halloween, you can use the material of your choice.
If you’re interested in making your very own 3D printed glowing mace prop—or remixing the 3D prints to make your own custom weapon—the Ruiz Brothers have provided an in depth tutorial on how to build the costume weapon here.
One final note: while the 3D printed mace might look lethal, it is just for costume purposes and should therefore be pretty harmless.
Best 3D printed Halloween costume & prop #6: Fix-It Felix Jr. Hammer with sound FX
In addition to the awesome glowing mace prop, the Ruiz Brothers have also come up with a number of other fun and tech-oriented Halloween costume props, including this impressive hammer inspired by Fix-It Felix Jr. from the 2012 Disney animation Wreck-It Ralph. The 3D printed hammer also integrates an Adafruit Audio FX Mini sound board, an ampilifer, and a speaker to turn the already cute accessory into an impressive sound FX prop.
You’ll need a few tools and parts to get the hammer looking and sounding as good as the one in the demo, but with a little patience and some resources, making the Wreck-It Ralph hammer should be a breeze. For the audio component, you’ll simply need an audio sample of the sound effect you want in WAV or OGG format (the hammer sound bite can be downloaded on the Ruiz Brothers page) which can be uploaded onto the Adafruit mini sound board.
If you’re not looking specifically for a Wreck-It Ralph hammer, the sound FX tutorial used for it can be applied to many other projects, so makers can remix the design their very own 3D printed props with sound. The full tutorial for the 3D printed Fix-It Felix Jr. Hammer can be found here.
Best 3D printed Halloween costume & prop #7: LED Unicorn Horn
If you’re looking for a very simple but still eye-grabbing costume this year, why not draw inspiration from this adorable 3D printed light-up unicorn horn, designed by Adafruit’s Ruiz Brothers.
The 3D printed unicorn horn is remarkably simple to make as it consists of a 3D printed horn-shaped housing, an LED, a JST breakout with an on/off switch, and a battery. The horn itself can be printed with either single extrusion or dual extrusion 3D printers, and the makers recommend using a flexible TPU filament to make attaching the horn easier. Evidently, a transparent filament would be best so that the light from the LED shines through.
Once printed, the unicorn horn can be easily sewn on to either a hat, hoodie, or even headband thanks to little tabs incorporated into the unicorn horn’s design. Before that, however, you’ll have to install the LED light onto the garment you are using, so be careful in choosing your spot. To install the light, simply cut a small hole in the fabric and put the LED light through it. Then, just secure the light with the 3D printed LED holder and voila! The on/off switch can be stored either in the hood, or anywhere that is convenient.
For a more advanced version of a 3D printed light-up unicorn horn (which uses NeoPixels and GEMMA microcontroller), you can also check out this tutorial.
Best 3D printed Halloween costume & prop #8: Wolverine claws
In the spirit of the new Wolverine X-Men film, Logan, which is set to be released in March 2017, we just had to include these retractable and quite terrifying 3D printed Wolverine claws. The 3D printed claws, designed by the now defunct Le Fab Shop, use a telescopic design to easily retract and expand. The 3D printed Wolverine claws were designed to print in a single go, and can be made to expand easily by simply sanding the blades down a bit. Additionally, you can print the blades in any color you want, as they can be easily spray painted silver for the most authentic look. The Wolverine claws should be printed with rafts, 0.2mm resolution, and 10% infill. The 3D file can be downloaded for free here.
Also worth mentioning are these kid-sized 3D printed Wolverine claw add-ons for prosthetic hands. Created by AxisLab, the 3D printed claws were designed to fit the open-source 3D printed Cyborg Beast prosthetic hand and can be assembled onto it easily. The simple three-pronged Wolverine inspired claws could be a great addition to turn your child’s hand prosthetic into an awesome X-Men costume.
Best 3D printed Halloween costume & prop #9: Demon Baby prop
If you’re looking to seriously creep some people out this Halloween, the next few costume and prop ideas might be just what you were looking for. This 3D printed Demon Baby prop was designed by Thingiverse user Taikonaught, who designed the pieces for his pregnant wife’s Halloween costume last year. The props, which can be simply 3D printed and placed under a tight fitting tshirt, eerily resemble a baby pushing out of its mother’s stomach. Obviously the costume is best fitted for pregnant women, but could be used creatively as well.
The 3D printed costume consists of three parts: the face and the hands, and can be 3D printed without supports, at a resolution of 0.3 and with an infill of 20%. Taikonaught 3D printed his own props using his Ultimaker 2.
Best 3D printed Halloween costume & prop #10: Brain Hat prop
This next 3D printed Halloween costume prop is terrifying and great in its simplicity, as it can be worn with regular clothing or, if you’re so inclined, with a ghost sheet costume, as the maker demonstrates. The 3D printed brain hat, which was designed by Thingiverse maker “romroig” is by far one of the best lazy costumes we’ve seen in a long time (just look at the little screw details!).
The print, which consists of a single STL file, can be scaled up or down depending on who you are fitting it to. In fact, the maker even suggests printing out the first few layers of the hat’s brim to do a size test on the wearer. So, whether it’s for yourself, your kids, or even your pet, you can be sure to have the right size. The 3D model also incorporates two small holes on the side so that a string or straps can be added in order to fasten the brain to the top of the wearer’s head.
If you’re stuck for time, we’d recommend printing the brain hat in a pink filament, but if you’re willing to go the extra mile, it might be worth your while to paint the 3D printed brain hat, just as romroig has. How bloody you make the brain is completely at your discretion!
The brain hat can be printed without supports and should be printed at 0.2 resolution with a hollow infill.
Best 3D printed Halloween decorations #1: Skull lantern
Somewhat less offensive than the item preceding it on this list, MakerBot’s Victorian-style 3D printed skull lantern adds the perfect touch to any period-dress Halloween costume or party. The 3D printed Halloween prop features a metallic-looking lantern frame and glowing green skull in place of a candle, and was designed in Rhino and ZBrush by MakerBot’s resident designer Ashley Marcovitz.
To 3D print this Halloween skull lantern yourself, print the five printable sections in the provided orientation at a resolution of around 0.2mm, making sure to add a raft for the handle. 2 shells and 5% infill will suffice, while a little bit of glue is required for final assembly. Alternatively, you can order a pre-printed version of the nifty prop directly through Thingiverse.
Best 3D printed Halloween decorations #2: Skulls
Sticking with the skull theme for a moment, there are plenty of other cranial Halloween delights to be found online. Just have a look at this 3D printed skull inspired by Shakespeare’s Hamlet, this incredibly detailed spook skull by SkullWorks, and this Boneheads skull box from 3DKitBash (complete with disgusting brain). Alternatively, as an entertaining Halloween party game, there’s also this multi-piece skull playset—use it to dress up your 3D printed skull as different skeletal characters!
The Boneheads skull box from 3DKitBash is particularly easy to make, with the entire openable skull printing in a single part. Makers could fill the hollow 3D printed candy with (non-printed) candy, but also have the option of printing a ghoulish 3D printed brain that fits perfectly into the bony housing. The 3D printed skull play set, another clever design, comes with 3D printable accessories such as moustaches, eye patches, and roses.
Best 3D printed Halloween decorations #3: Pumpkins & Jack-o'-Lanterns
Halloween wouldn’t be Halloween without pumpkins, but technological advances mean you no longer have to get your hands dirty when carving out a creepy smile on the orange fruit. Instead, try 3D printing your own artificial pumpkin this October 31st. 3D printed pumpkins won’t go rotten, and you can get them out again next year. And the year after that. And the year after that!
There are several options when it comes to 3D printing pumpkins. We’ve already seen a devilishly good pumpkin (as well as a flapping bat and waving skeleton) from 3D printing kit maker Kitronic, but there are also these stylized low-poly pumpkins from German maker David Hagemann, in addition to these tiny Jack O’ Lanterns from 3Dmakerspace.
Hagemann’s low-poly 3D prints come in nine subtle variations, and the pumpkins can be stacked by snapping them together. To make the 3D printed pumpkins glow, LED lights can be inserted through the bottom. 3Dmakerspace’s versions are designed to fit over LED tea lights from IKEA, so there’s no fiddly electronic assembly to take care of.
Best 3D printed Halloween decorations #4: Ghosts
If you happen to have a supply of white or translucent 3D printer filament, you really can’t go wrong with any of these 3D printed ghost designs. The only question is whether you prefer your 3D printed specters to be huggable, wobbly, or Nintendo-inspired. Brooklyn-based 3D printer manufacturer gCreate has taken time out of its busy New York life to contribute the cute “hug me” ghost design, a remix of a previous user’s ghost model combined with a free Microsoft model of a witch hat.
If gCreate’s 3D printed ghost is too twee for your Halloween tastes, Murray Clark’s wobbly 3D printed ghosts might be more up your alley. The little decorations are a one-piece print with an internal spring which makes them wobble from side to side like a drunk ghost might. One of the wobbly ghost designs has arms and the other doesn’t, but both are mostly hollow and will use relatively little 3D printing material.
The tech wizards at Adafruit contributed our other chosen ghost design, inspired by the pesky ghost villains from Super Mario Bros. The center of Adafruit’s 3D printable “Boo” ghost has been hollowed out, making the decoration ideal for stashing Halloween candy or other scary bits and bobs.
Best 3D printed Halloween decorations #5: Bats
Despite their physiological magnificence (and cuteness up close), bats have retained their villainous status through Halloween traditions and scary movies. Accordingly, having a few 3D printed bats next Monday is absolutely essential for any aspiring Count Dracula. There are a number of different 3D printed bat designs on the internet, but the pick of the bunch might be YEG 3D Printing’s vampire bat, modeled using ZBrush, also available as “night bat” and “ghost bat.”
The 3D printable vampire bat has multiple holes down its spine, so it can be hung normally, upside down, flat, and in other ways. Makers only need some fishing line and a push pin, and the 3D printed bats will soon be flying around your lounge or other designated Halloween space. The 3D printed bat itself can be printed as a single part, and is best printed with supports, at a resolution of 0.25mm with 6% infill. The night bat variation of the print is more anatomically realistic, while the ghost bat, when printed in translucent white filament, turns the 3D printable model into a spooky flying apparition.
Best 3D printed Halloween decorations #6: Spiderweb LED candle holder & bowl
The spider, another innocent creature to be tarred with the “spooky” brush, duly gets the 3D printing treatment this Halloween—in the form of a cool LED candle holder designed by British maker Mark Durbin. A perfect doorstep decoration, the 3D printed spiderweb candle holder can be 3D printed in translucent material, while itsy bitsy 3D printed spiders can be printed separately and attached to give the full arachnid effect. Note: the 3D printed candle holder can’t be used for real candles, or the plastic will melt.
Another 3D printed spiderweb design by Mark Durbin, but one quite unlike its predecessor, is the 3D printed Spiderweb bowl. Instead of embellishing a solid structure with web lines, this 3D printed container consists of the web only, making for a surprisingly elegant piece of homeware. The 3D printed bowl could be used to store (large-ish) spider toys, candy bars, or anything else that won’t slip through the gaps. The design has a hexagonal perimeter at the base to stop the smallest items falling through, and can even be repurposed as a spooky hat when turned upside down.
Best 3D printed Halloween decorations #7: ‘Ghosty’ Table
If you are hosting a Halloween party this year and are hoping to offer spooks and thrills to your guests, you should consider making this awesome 3D printed ‘Ghosty’ table that lights up and makes noise when people walk past. Created by Thingiverse user Mike Rigsby and his wife Annelle, the 3D printed table is sure to be a hit.
The table essentially consists of three light-up 3D printed ghost legs which support a small glass table top—the latter of which is obviously not 3D printed. To design the legs, Rigsby 3D scanned a ghost sculpture made by his wife and stretched it out using Tinkercad software. Each table leg will 3D print in four separate parts, and in total will take about 50 hours to print and use 1.2 kilograms of filament. Additionally, the table legs should be printed with supports at 0.3 resolution and 10% infill.
To make the table sentient, so to speak, you’ll need a few additional parts, such as an Arduino UNO and Genuino UNO, a relay, an ultrasonic transducer, and an LED. The assembly for the electronics looks relatively straight forward, and more detailed instructions on how to make your Ghosty Table glow can be found here.
Best 3D printed Halloween decorations #8: Witch’s Cauldron
What Halloween party would be complete without a witch’s cauldron, in which nasty potions and concoctions can be made? Fortunately, if you don’t happen to have one lying around, you can always 3D print one, such as this relatively simple cauldron posted on Thingiverse by “Makies”. The original design, which is quite small, was also scaled up by 400% and remixed slightly for an easier print here. The latter option might be a more practically sized receptacle.
Whether you’re using it to give out candy, or set it up as a spooky decoration with a fog machine inside, the 3D printed cauldron will undoubtedly add a witch’s touch to your Halloween celebrations.
We also couldn’t resist including this even darker 3D printed serpent cauldron, which was remixed from an original ashtray design. The latter, which could also be used to hold candy or other treats, could be painted to look as old and worn as you want.
Best 3D printed Halloween decorations #9: Purple People Eater Doorbell
For a slightly more ambitious project this Halloween check out this awesome 3D printed Purple People Eater doorbell, designed by Adafruit’s the Ruiz Brothers in partnership with maker Phillip Burgess. The animatronic and electronic door accessory was inspired by the classic children’s song “The Purple People Eater”, and while it may be more cute than scary, it is surely a sight to see!
The 3D printed decoration is made up of several components, including an Adafruit 1.44” TFT Display, a Teensy, an Adafruit Lipoly Backpack, a lithium polymer battery, purple LEDs, a momentary push button, an acrylic cabochon, some 3D printed components, and a few other bits. As the decoration does feature some high tech parts, such as an electronically controlled eye (which also doubles as the doorbell button) some programming knowledge would be helpful in the piece’s creation.
In terms of the 3D printed components, it’s important to note that they were specifically designed to fit the other components, so any changes to the parts used will also require some remixing and rescaling for the 3D printed bits. For materials, the Ruiz Brothers suggest using a variety of filaments, such as NinjaFlex for the wings, GlowFill for the horn, and purple PLA for the rest. Of course, you can always use the materials of your choice, and print the final product.
Fortunately, Adafruit has uploaded an extensive step-by-step tutorial on how to realize the 3D printed Flying Purple People Eater doorbell, which you can follow here.
Best 3D printed Halloween decorations #10: Snap Together Skeleton
This 3D printed snap together skeleton, designed by David Hagemann, is understandably very popular on Thingiverse, with over 35 “Makes” and lots of positive feedback. The mobile, and stylized skeleton, which can be assembled without glue, rope, or screws, is a perfect mix of fun and creepy, and is without a doubt a killer Halloween decoration.
The skeleton prop is made up of several separate parts which, once 3D printed, can be relatively easily snapped together with integrated hooks. As Hagemann advises, the skeleton should be printed out of ABS and at a resolution of at least 0.2mm. In terms of printing, the STL files should be ready to go, as the maker has optimized their orientation so that the hooks print with the most stability. For the assembly, the graphic above offers an easy guide.
If you’re wondering what to do with the skeleton, the options are virtually endless, as you could make it sit, hang it from something (by the neck even!), attach strings to its extremities to turn it into a puppet, or prop it up using a stand. Like most other decorative items on this list, makers can also opt to the paint the 3D printed skeleton in the color and style of their choice.
Best 3D printed Halloween decorations #11: Tombstones
All Hallows’ Eve is, traditionally, an occasion on which to remember the dead. This remembrance can take many forms, but 3D printed novelty tombstones are surely the most dignified way in which we can acknowledge the brevity of human life.
Thingiverse user Trey Snyder has uploaded a 3D printable design inspired by his favorite headstone at Disney’s Haunted Mansion. The stone in question reads: “Here lies good old Fred, a great big rock fell on his head.” 3D printing giant MakerBot has also weighed in with a contribution to your growing 3D printed cemetery—a set of “scary-but-silly” designs which can be scaled up depending on the size of 3D printed tombstone needed.
Snyder’s 3D printed tombstone can be printed with supports at a resolution of 0.2mm, infill 15%. MakerBot’s props only require an infill of 10%, but with 2 shells. Look our for the latter’s cheeky 3D printing pun.
Best 3D printed Halloween decorations #12: ‘Trick or treat’ sign and cookie cutters
Didn’t get enough trick-or-treaters last Halloween? End up eating all the candy yourself? Let the kids know yours is a Halloween-friendly house with this 3D printed “trick or treat” sign. Designer Dan Porter crafted the sign for a 3D Systems Cube 2, but the object can be scaled up or down depending on window/door size and other factors.
Once you’ve got the trick-or-treaters’ attention, you’ll need to deliver the goods, and what better way to do that than with homemade Halloween cookies? These 3D printed Halloween cookie cutters, shaped like candy wrappers, are around 8.5cm long, and require only 11g of filament. Designer OogiMe recommends printing at 0.2mm resolution with 10% infill.
Best 3D printed Halloween decorations #13: Hand trap
If you’ve baked your Halloween cookies but don’t feel like handing them over without a bit of mischief, then have a go at making this 3D printed hand trap. The coffin-shaped sweet bowl is guarded with a bloody severed hand, which you can print using flexible 3D printer filament and operate by pulling the tendons at the rear of the coffin. Go on, give those trick-or-treaters a fright!
Designer Gyrobot opted to print the 3D printed coffin in MakerBot Translucent Purple, the blood in MakerBot Translucent Red, and the hand in Filaflex. Any similar materials will do. The trap consists of six individual STL tiles and ten parts in total. The coffin, the largest part of the 3D printed Halloween decoration, will fit on a build plate of 195 x 160 x 50mm. To create working “tendons” for the hand, some fishing line, blind cord, or similar is required.
Best 3D printed Halloween decorations #14: Glowing brain
You need brains to operate a 3D printer, but you also need a 3D printer to create this spooky glowing brain. This fully anatomically correct brain model was not intended to be a Halloween decoration, but would surely work well as one, either in a dark room or out on the porch. Each hemisphere of the brain needs to be 3D printed in a clear filament, while three LED lights of any color can be used to light the organ from within. Other parts required include solid-conductor wire, a battery holder and batteries, heat-shrink tubing, and an on/off switch.
For a slightly easier (and more Halloween-y) 3D printed brain, you could also try making this 3D printable head of Frankenstein’s monster, complete with removable brain. When the brain is out of the monster’s head, the empty skull can be used to hold Halloween candies, mini toys, or maybe just your car keys. Designer Yeg 3D recommends printing at 0.25mm resolution with an infill of 7-8%.
Best 3D printed Halloween decorations #15: ‘Chandelier of Fear’
Another entry from the design experts at MakerBot is the 3D printed Chandelier of Fear, a spooky yet ornate faux light fixture that you can hang from your ceiling with a 3D printed chain. The intricately designed Halloween decoration features details like tiny pumpkins and dripping candle wax, and can be printed (or painted) in a variety of colors. Best of all, you can even detach the pumpkins and use the chandelier as a permanent fixture once Halloween is over.
The giant 3D printed chandelier consists of 13 pieces, none of which require supports. Only the chain section requires rafts. All pieces can be printed at 0.2mm resolution with 2 shells (3 for the flames). The design has proved popular with the Thingiverse community, racking up over 5,000 downloads. Will you be next?
Best 3D printed Halloween decorations #16: Toothy ‘Venus Box’
While the 3D printable Venus Box—so called for its resemblance to a Venus fly trap—could be used for any occasion, this set of 3D printable teeth makes the container a good deal scarier. To get the teeth sharp, tooth designer Marcin Jedynak recommends printing at 0.2mm resolution with 33% infill. For the 3D printable container itself, a 20% infill will suffice; some sections require 2 shells, others 3. The whole Venus Box can be assembled without glue, and its four-door open/close mechanism really is a thing of beauty.
Bonus 3D printed Halloween treat: 3D printed cat armor!
Technically neither a decoration nor an outfit you yourself can dress up in, this 3D printed pet armor is nonetheless a great way to get the whole family involved with the Halloween celebrations. We first saw Print That Thing’s incredible 3D printed cat armor one year ago, when designer Jwall decided that his cat Bobo should enjoy Halloween as much as the next person. The pet dress-up should be 3D printed with rafts and supports, at a resolution of 0.1mm-0.4mm with 5-15% infill.
