25+ 3D Printed Fidget Toys You Can Print Today
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Fidget spinners and fidget toys took over the world at their popularity peak, and they’re still very commonly sought and seen today. It’s easy to see why, there’s just something really enjoyable about idly doing something that requires no effort, electricity or even thought that’s somehow satisfying.
3D printed fidget toys add to this satisfaction by being toys and spinners you can make and customize yourself. Sometimes they’re recognizable fidget spinners, sometimes they’re unique spins (get it?) on little desk ornaments that you can play with when you’ve got a free hand or two.
While the classic fidget spinner is the most popular, there’s a surprising variety of original fidget toys out there. From spinners to cubes, and even small anxiety helpers and tiny mental health supports, there are a lot to choose from.
I know I’m sick of dropping pens I wasn’t even aware I was holding and wondering what that floorboard noise is before realizing it’s my own unconsciously bouncing leg. So we’re going to look at some cool 3D printable fidget toys to keep your hands occupied and your mind eased from mild anxiety or restlessness.
Table Of Contents
3D Printed Fidget Spinners
Beginning with the classic, despite their initial patent being granted in 1997, fidget spinners became an overnight global sensation back in 2017, becoming arguably more popular than the Slinky.
Suddenly everyone had or wanted one, and since they need just one hand to enjoy and didn’t need electricity or batteries to work, they’re ideal for workspace use, meaning they became a staple of school playgrounds and office buildings alike.
By following the tips and guidelines outlined by each designer, keeping things like supports, raft, and infill settings, as well as any extra parts you may need like ball bearings, coils, or nuts and bolts, anyone can make their own fidget toys.
Not to mention that by 3D printing your own fidget spinners, you can create your own rendition of these suddenly popular wonders, and here are a few of my favorite models. These can be made with PLA or ABS along with any other filament you may have on hand, so take your pick and have fun!
Customizable Caps
- Download: Thingiverse
- Designer: mightynozzle
- Price: Free
Pretty much any 3D printing project is in some way customizable, but it’s always cool when the design itself incorporates changeable shapes and parts to suit your mood or taste. While small, the changes you can make with the different caps in this design are pretty cool.
By using each file to print the caps in different colors or add different designs to each model, you’ll effectively 3D print several fidget spinners in one print in place model! You can add each model to your collection or even alter one to make a cool keyring.
Jet Engine Fan Fidget Spinner
- Download: Thingiverse
- Designer: mistertech
- Price: Free
Just like fidget spinners themselves, there’s something almost hypnotic about watching a whirring fan rotate freely. Combining the two, this design is for a 3D printed fidget spinner that looks just like a jet engine fan!
The space between the fans is replicated with indents that curve inwards, giving the illusion of a working turbine. It’s a really clever design given its simplicity, and is satisfying to use too! If you like the design but want something a little closer to seeing the smooth motion of a standard fan, then why not check out this turbofan fidget spinner?
Celtic Infinity Knot
- Download: Thingiverse
- Designer: KatTrue
- Price: Free
What is it about modern spins on old designs that give new life to traditional images? I don’t know, but I will tell you that I love it.
The Celtic Infinity Knot 3D spinner is one of my favorites. Despite it being a centuries-old depiction of the trinity, its shape lends itself very well to a fidget toy, and this design is one of the best around.
The layered design is simple but elegant, and it looks cool even as a desk ornament when not in use. Whether you recognize the Triquetra from a Celtic upbringing or just from Thor’s hammer, this is an undeniably cool spinner to 3D print.
Pokéball Fidget Spinner
- Download: Thingiverse
- Designer: corben33
- Price: Free
In 2016, around a year before the boon of fidget toy popularity, the world was introduced to a similarly explosive fad, Pokémon Go.
Given the coincidence of these two pop culture storms, it’s not surprising that some people blended them together. This designer was a teacher who realized their students were obsessed with both, and so designed this 3D printed Pokéball fidget spinner for their class!
The iconic red and white design blends together while spinning to make a satisfyingly mesmerizing spectacle that’s double the fun at half the work. All-in-all, it’s a great project for any Pokémon fan!
3D Printed Fidget Cubes
Another popular variation on fidget toys is the fidget cube. They’re significantly younger than their spinning counterparts, only becoming commonplace in 2012, but their simple designs lend themselves well to 3D printing.
Fidget cubes also rarely rely on the inner mechanisms common to fidget spinners, so they have arguably easier printing and assembly. Though you may still to take things like bearings and changed infill or support settings into account to get good results, so always be sure to follow the instructions that come along with the files.
Like their spinning siblings, fidget cubes come in a few varieties, and so you’ll want to pick your favorite model.
Original Fidget Cube
- Download: Thingiverse
- Designer: CThis
- Price: Free
Based on the fidget cube’s debut style, this original cube is an easy fidget toy to 3D print and tinker with.
It’s easy to see why this project is one of the most popular toy designs out there. It’s simple, it’s fun to put together, it’s satisfying to use, and it’s wide open for tweaks and remixes if you want to really make it your own.
The different sides all have what you’d expect, a smooth indent on which to rub your thumb, a notch-guide like a one-path maze, and a little wheel to turn. It’s basically multiple toys in one.
If, like me, you often find yourself rolling a pen between your fingers or thumbing the notches in your computer mouse, then you’ll find this simple design to be a relaxing addition to your desk.
Fidget Spinner Cube
- Download: Thingiverse
- Designer: Arctic_Wolf
- Price: Free
Fidget spinners and fidget cubes are not mutually exclusive concepts, as this design for a fidget spinner cube shows.
As the name suggests, this is a 3D printed fidget cube designed to spin like a fidget spinner at the press of a button. If you’ve ever flicked some dice on a table just to watch them spin on their edges will tell you that it looks pretty cool as it forms an unmistakable diamond shape.
If you feel like getting creative, then why not make your own remixes of this design to include lights, brighter colors, or even pictures or patterns that can blend as it spins?
Kobayashi Fidget Cubes
- Download: Thingiverse
- Designer: mathgrrl
- Price: Free
Kobayashi fidget cubes are a set of moving parts attached by nuts or hinges that can be rotated and moved to make different shapes. They’re popular as fidget toys and make for very satisfying 3D printer projects. Think of them as plastic origami sets, that’s what I do.
A good example of these 3D printed fidget toys is this fidget star design that make different forms depending on where you bend the hinges. They’re great as a plaything that doesn’t need too much attention, though they do need to be assembled carefully to make sure the moving parts don’t split in half with constant use.
For something more traditional, there’s also this Kobayashi toy that goes from a snake to a star and everything in between with the right movements, making an excellent toy with easier assembly that won’t drive you crazy.
Puzzle Cubes
- Download: Thingiverse
- Designer: SOS1
- Price: Free
3D printed fidget toys don’t all need to be used idly, some are designed to be looked at and figured out while you fidget. The most famous example of this is the Rubik’s Cube, but not all puzzle cubes need to be so mentally taxing (or is that just me?)
It’s strange to think of puzzles as fidget toys, but the distinction is narrow enough to believe. Some 3D printed fidget cubes involve color coordination like this one.
There’s also this easy-print puzzle cube that operates like a 3D jigsaw. It’s simple but finicky enough to offer the kind of mild distraction you might be looking for. It can even be a good toy for young children if you print it big enough as the parts snap in place easily.
Identical Twins Puzzle
- Download: Thingiverse
- Designer: rawlogic
- Price: Free
Similar to it is this ‘Identical Twins’ puzzle cube that makes a great 3D printed fidget toy that’s easy to make and a little trickier to put together to make a satisfyingly neat shape.
If you want something a touch more complex, I really like this double cube design that shifts and movies similar to an old-school ‘cootie catcher’ that many of us played with as kids.
Rotating Fidget Toys
Most 3D printed fidget toys will rotate or pivot in some shape or form, but there are few sights more inherently gratifying than seeing cogs and gears work together in perfect sync.
If you’re careful with the measurements and make sure they’re assembled just right, you can make some awesome 3D printed fidget toys with moving gears.
Epicyclic Fidget Toy
- Download: Thingiverse
- Designer: Makingmike
- Price: Free
Starting with one of the coolest designs, this epicyclic fidget toy goes a little beyond the standard ‘move a lever and watch it go’ format.
The dome-like handle makes it easy to hold while you fidget away. An excellent toy for procrastinators to mess with, I recommend getting these little pieces printed and moving before you chew the end off another pencil.
Simple Gear Toy
- Download: Thingiverse
- Designer: deltamodulator
- Price: Free
While more of an educational trinket, this print in place gear toy is no less a 3D printed fidget toy to get started.
Ideal for beginners or people who want to introduce their children to the fundamentals of mechanics by following the simple instructions, it’s a great little pocket toy to 3D print and fiddle with when you find yourself idle.
Similar to this but a touch cooler is this multi-directional gear toy that’s just as easy to print. Personally, I find it stands out because it looks like Batmobile wheels if printed in black, but that might just be me.
Bevel Gear Toy Set
- Download: Cults3D
- Designer: SHOOKIDEAS
- Price: Free
Beveled gears have always looked cool to me, so I had to mention this beveled gear toy set as a 3D printed fidget toy option that’s a little bigger than most but no less worthy of a place at your workstation.
It’s only large in its standard size, but provided you keep the ratio equal; you can scale it to be any size you want. It’s a simple concept of moving a gear around a printed circle that’s notched to match the gear’s teeth.
Elliptical Gears
- Download: Thingiverse
- Designer: cohlwiler
- Price: Free
Like most 3D printed fidget toys, elliptical gears are really cool to look at. With their often-oval shape and lack of central pivots, they move and turn in hypnotic ways like how you’d imagine one of DaVinci’s flying machines would look.
There are plenty of cool examples of elliptical fidget toys you can 3D print. This easy shape is a good early project if you’re new to 3D printing, or you can opt for the standard egg shape like the one found to satisfy your procrastination needs.
If you want to get fancy, then you should check out this four-way elliptical gear set that’s just like a fidget spinner you move yourself. With enough color variation and some intricate fingerwork, it makes for an awesome 3D printed fidget toy.
Fun Fidget Gear Designs
3D printed gear fidget toys don’t need to always look like they were taken from a gutted machine. Some designers have gone out of their way to make fidget toys that resemble recognizable patterns and icons.
These heart gear fidget toys are excellent examples of this. Heart ornaments are common just about anywhere, so why not make one you can fidget with? I don’t recommend giving them as Valentine’s gifts, however, as their fractured look might give the wrong impression!
If you love this design, then there’s also this micro gear heart that works well as a keyring so you can fidget on the go. Or go the other way and get yourself printing and assembling this massive version to show just how much you love to fidget!
I also love these updated gear cube designs which combine the joy of gear mechanisms with the intricacies of a puzzle cube.
As a Whovian, I can’t talk about cool fidget gear designs without mentioning my personal favorite, this geared Tardis fidget toy to play with that resembles the good Doctor’s iconic time machine!
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