3D Printing a Smile This Christmas!

Custom Prototypes has gained recognition for their innovative approach to design and product innovation over the last 20 years. Bringing ideas into tangible objects has been a common practice at the studio with the innovation of 3D printing.

This Christmas season however, we will be putting our equipment to the test not only 3D printing plastic but in this case, 3D printing a smile for a young disabled girl.

This story starts with an email from a loving Grandmother Judy, who wanted nothing more than to do something special for her Granddaughter Makayla for Christmas.

Judy reached out to Custom Prototypes explaining how Makayla has always had a unique attachment for a cartoon image she found on the internet of a lumberjack. She then posed the question, what if I could transform this picture she loves into a 3D figurine?

Once we heard this story we felt obligated to undertake this project and see if we could help Judy out. We are putting our team of designers and our equipment to the test to try and create something truly special for young Makayla just in time for Christmas!

We started by taking the image and creating a CAD model using 3D software. After the file was prepared we began to 3D print the figurine. Once we had the plastic model the rest came down to the fine details requiring a lot of hand sanding, priming and painting.

After the figurine was painted and cured we shipped the final model out to Judy just before Christmas. Judy soon replied with ” I just received the package you sent and I have to say, never in my wildest dreams did I imagine anything so perfect, Makayla is going to love these! “.

On Christmas day Judy handed Makayla the gifts with this response to Custom Prototypes, “I just arrived home from being with Makayla for Christmas. She LOVED her Little Man! Thank you again so much for this ‘over the top’ generous and extremely kind gesture! It really made our Christmas amazing!”

In the end, seeing that smile on Makayla’s face made this project a complete honour. 3D Printing has paved a path for creative freedom leaving the only limitations to that of ones imagination. Being able to bring a young girls favourite cartoon into reality was made possible through the advancements in 3D printing. We are still far from the potential this technology has to offer, but that only makes the future more and more exciting.

Merry Christmas Makayla & Judy!

Video Process

Final Model 3D Printed and Hand Finished & Painted