In this guide, we will show you how to make your own 3D printed custom lithophane Christmas ball. The aim is clear, make it easy to design, easy to print, easy to assemble & easy to decorate.
This model comes in 2 sizes each. One model that fits garlands with spot LEDs with a diameter of a maximum of 9mm. And one model that fits Lantern LEDs with a maximum diameter of 11.2mm.
Another light that could be used is Submersible Tea LED Lights. These fit perfectly in the add-on, just glue in on the top!
First, head over to the ItsLitho Lithophane maker, preferably in a different tab to follow this guide alongside the tool. Once you’ve done that, we can begin to create our unique Christmas lithophane ball!
To start building your own Christmas balls, download the dedicated profile following.
The image preparation is being made in two stages.
You can import 2 or more images to be wrapped on the lithophane, but this ratio (H:L) should be close to 1:3 at the end.
In this step, the only settings you have to play with are your minimum and maximum thicknesses, depending of the filament you’ll use, and the lithophane resolution. The template is optimized for a 0.8-2.8mm thicknesses, but it should work if you slightly modify these by default values. When that’s done, just download your model (no attribute needed).
As you can see, the printed lithophane is bottom and top opened. Now we choose and print the remaining parts which are needed to build the Christmas ball. Several models are available, but they all work in the same way:
Print all parts flat on the building plate, support and brim could help but are not mandatory.
Filaments that work well with lithophanes can be found in the store. For example, the filament used for these prints is Tinmorry matt white PLA. When all parts are printed, you can assemble your Christmas balls lithophane as seen in the video below.
You’re now ready to create an amazing Christmas ball Lithophane with garland light using ItsLitho. Light up the Christmas ball & enjoy the magic!
Interested in more decoration? Look here for more Christmas creations!
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Enjoy these festive months & we wish you already a Merry Christmas!
Free online designing software that helps you create high-quality 3D printed lithophanes. It’s a simple yet powerful cross-platform lithophane maker.
