5 Clever Home Improvement Products You Can 3D Print

While there are tons of home products you can buy from Amazon, Harbor Freight, or some other big retailer, they're not always perfect for your needs. In some cases, they can be the wrong size, just not the right color, or miss out on key features that fulfill your specific requirements. On the other hand, it's also possible that no one sells what you need commercially at all, or does so at an insanely expensive price. 

In the past, this may have meant just settling for something that is just not quite right, but these days, 3D printers make custom products possible even without professional experience. With plenty of budget-friendly 3D printers, you can easily select some of the thousands of pre-made files available online, adjust them to your preferred specifications, and print the exact design you need.

Once you're done using your printer to make things that solve everyday problems, like keeping bags off the floor, food fresh, or cables under control, you can start printing things designed to improve your home. To help broaden your mind on the different ways you can make your house function more effectively for your needs (or even just to better fit the vibe you want), we've rounded up some options for products you can 3D print that parents, furparents, plant lovers, or even homeowners in general can appreciate. In the same vein, we also mention commercial alternatives, so you can gauge the difference for yourself in terms of both budget and features.

Curious babies will always try to copy what you're doing, including getting into places where they shouldn't be, such as kitchen cabinets, laundry rooms, or inside appliances. Because of this, it's important to make sure you limit access to the right household members, so you can prevent accidents of all kinds from happening by 3D printing door locks. 

For example, there's the Thingiverse door lock hook with attachments on the door and doorframe that let you keep any door firmly closed. If you prefer something that looks different, there are a ton of other options that have less risk of damaging the door, like a child lock specifically for lever door handles. Not to mention, there are also child locks specifically for keeping kids away from ovens, stoves, knives, and laundry machines.

As for pet owners who have clever pets that can open drawers and steal snacks, there are bifold door child locks, latch-based child locks for lockers, and even hidden drawer latches. That said, if you still want a way to strategically let some of your pets out (and even set window times wherein this is possible), a smart pet door is one of the many cool pet tech gadgets that you can own. Not to mention, if you do have pets that are allowed to go outside, it's also a good idea to invest in a highly-rated smart collar for some added peace of mind.

Among all the rooms in our homes, the bathroom often gets the most action. With this, it's no wonder that it's one part of your house that you can benefit the most from optimizing with a few 3D printed accessories. On Thingiverse, you can download entire sets, like a T-rex bathroom set that spans towel hooks, toilet paper holders, soap dishes, and toothbrush holders. You can even add in a T-rex shower head or even print a Lego man to help dispense your toilet paper. 

Apart from this, there's an almost endless list of bathroom organizers, which include those with Roman columns or made for hair tools. There are also more low-key options that simply add more functionality or retain more floor space, like holders for toothbrushes, spray bottles, scales, and even your wine glass.

If you don't want to waste your toothpaste, there are also 3D print files for all kinds of toothpaste squeeze designs, from ultra minimalist models, ones you can hang, or even designs with keys that can help do the squeezing more effectively. In fact, if you want to make bath time more fun for your kids (or you), you can get character toothpaste squeezers that look like Totoro, Grogu, or Mickey Mouse. Apart from making your teeth sparkle, the last bits of toothpaste can even be used to clean your headlights, especially if you're just dealing with mild yellowing.

While most of us would love to have a ton of plants, it can be challenging to find the right pots that fit your home's aesthetic. Thankfully, you can easily 3D print quirky pots like ones that look like an army boot, which can also function as desk organizers. Not to mention, you can get pots that remind you of your favorite characters, like Totoro, Baby Groot, SpongeBob's Pineapple, Mario's Block, or Poké Balls. 

If you have a naughty sense of humor, there's even a happy planter which shows the pot giving you either a rock n' roll hand or the middle finger. For more specific plant needs, such as succulents, there are plant pots specifically designed to water just the roots. However, if you want something more interactive (and even assistive), the PLANTSIO Smart Pet Planter is one of the coolest robots you can buy on Amazon — though you can't 3D print it.

Apart from plant pots, you can 3D print other things for your home's plant care needs, like a moss support pole for monstera plants, a soil drainage puck, or circular drainage mesh. In fact, if you're thinking of taking your indoor gardening to the next level, you can print a mini greenhouse or zen garden, plus small rakes or modern watering cans to use on them. If you're the type to forget important care requirements, there's also the unique option to 3D print a write-on care tag that more than 300 people loved.

Door stops are practical tools that you can use to keep the door open for extended periods, whether for ventilation reasons or moving around furniture. For people who live with a boho chic kind of vibe, you can get door stoppers that are shaped like generic flowers or even a bunny tugging on a carrot. On the other hand, cat lovers can enjoy having a realistic-looking feline looking up at you every time you want the door ajar. Not to mention, if you want to use your door stop to remind you of anything, there's a popular Thingiverse model that lets you customize text on your 3D-printed door wedge.

Unsurprisingly, there are also a lot of silly models on Printables, which range from squashed mice, cheese slices, to mice on wedges of cheese. There are also door stops that look like people pushing doors or not-so-scary ghosts. For "Game of Thrones" fans, you can even 3D print one of Hodor literally holding the door, which more than 3,000 people liked on Thingiverse. 

There are also door stop models that have improved features that you don't usually see in standard products. For example, this door stop multitool has a slew of added features to avoid slamming the door, buckling it upside down, allowing it for use with windows, and is safe to be used around children. If you want to be extra careful and want a safety gadget for solo traveling, you can buy door stops with built-in alarms, too.

There are plenty of reasons why you want to keep some things within reach, but still out of sight. For example, you could have a home that you share with a lot of people, or tend to have a lot of foot traffic come and go through your space. While things like expensive jewelry or firearms may need more advanced biometric safes, you can keep a few wads of cash or spare keys in 3D-printed hidden compartments instead.

These days, you can find so many options for 3D-printed hidden compartments. On Thingiverse, one of the most popular hidden storage products is a secret shelf that more than 36,000 people have hearted. If you want something that you can slot into your shelf without anyone noticing, there are also faux books that can blend with the rest of the hardbacks in your living room. If you're feeling like hiding things in something more decorative, try something like a rocket gnome. Plus, there are puzzle combination boxes that require more brain cells to open.

Alternatively, if you want something that feels more natural, you can print a rock to hide your keys in as well. Although if you can't paint realistically, you can buy a pre-made one, like the $6.95 RocKey Safe, which more than 2,500 have rated 4.4 stars on Amazon. And of course, it's important to remember that small hidden compartments don't truly take the place of proper disaster-proof methods to keep your documents and other important items.