As you know… I like to make functional things and I know it is a bit of a stretch to call a tree ornament functional but I think this is it. Collapsible and nestable tree ornaments!! I mean who doesn’t need to make their Christmas ornament storage more compact? And, these balls look awesome!

Not only can you print this version of Christmas tree ball ornaments, but they are super compact when collapsed so that you can put them away in a much smaller container than typically needed. Also, because they can be nested for storage, they can also be nested for printing meaning they are faster and easier to print in multiples.

So far, I have made 3 sizes pre-nested so you can drop them on the build plate and print. The balls are printed almost entirely of 0.8mm walls (2 wall thicknesses)making them durable and extremely light. The sizes and masses are as follows:
3.0″ (76mm) = 24g
2.4″ (61mm) = 16g
1.8″ (46mm) = 8

And, also, since the balls are hollow and open/close-able, you can hide treats or surprises inside them while on the tree (or wherever you hang them). Now that is just fun!

The balls are 100% 3D printed and no hardware, fasteners, or adhesives are required. Just add ribbon, string or hooks to attach to the tree.

Printing

These are super lightweight and print with a negligible amount of infill. So basically your print settings can be set to default except for a few notes…

This product was designed for a 0.4mm nozzle, a 0.2mm layer height and the following settings:

• Material: PLA
• Line Width: 0.4mm
• Wall Count: 2 (0.8mm)
• Top and Bottom Layer Count: Minimum 3
• Detect Thin Walls: ON
• Infill: 0%
• Ironing: Not required
• Brim: No, a version of the model is included with a single brim to help print stability if needed
• Support: No
• Wall Generator: Arachne
• Detect Thin Lines: Yes
• Wall Seams: Random (to avoid a seam)
• PRINT ORIENTATION: As per the STL file

Post Print Processing and Assembly Notes

After printing the sections can be difficult to separate for the first time. Using a thin flat and flexible blade like a feeler gauge works excellently to “unstick” the parts.

Rotation of the sections of the balls may be slightly more difficult the first time you attempt it. Take your time to twist the balls open and closed until the parts move easily. There are slight detents at the full opened positions to help keep the balls opened in equal proportions.

Also, note the 3 sections of each ball can be fully separated if needed to help clean and smooth them. Just squish the inner section to pull it out and then the next one. Squish them slightly to return them.

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