3D Modeling Challenge: Functional Garden Tools

• Winners
• The Challenge
• Prizes
• Challenge Deadline
• How to Participate
• Judges
• Questions?
• FAQs
• Terms & Conditions

WINNERS

The votes are in! Like all of our challenges, this challenge included many incredible entries. Be sure to check them all out – download and print your favorite ones from Thangs.com!

Special thanks to everyone who participated. We look forward to seeing your creative ideas in the next one! The July 2021 challenge is now live: 3D Modeling Challenge: Summer Theme!

1. Grand Prize – 3D Printable Garden Sprinkler System

“A 3D printed sprinkler that can be attached to a garden hose(s) and customized to create a system that would work with any size garden or watering needs.”

2nd Place – Toilet Paper to Tissue Converter

“This invention turns any ordinary roll of toilet paper into a very easy-to-use tissue dispenser. You place the roll of toilet paper through the tube in the middle, pull it through the top hole which has a sharp and dull side for pulling and ripping the toilet paper, and voila, a tissue dispenser. This makes it easy and simple to dispense toilet paper, and you only have to use one hand. The dispenser stands upright with the tube being parallel to the ground. Printed with no supports.”

3rd Place – Modular Planter Assembly

“I wanted to design a planter system that was modular, durable, and sustainable. I started by designing the 5 main components as well as the retainer, which was a critical part of the silicone casting process in Solidworks. Once all parts were 3D printed I secured them to a plastic sheet from an old picture frame using a hot glue gun. From there I used MoldStar 30 to cast a reusable silicone mold. Once the silicone had cured I removed the retainer and 3D printed components. The next step was to cast concrete versions of the 3D printed parts using the reusable silicone mold. I repeated this process until I had enough components to create an arrangement that I liked.

The last step was to fill the planters with potting soil and succulents. I decided to add some small river rocks and moss to add detail.”

4th Place – Plastic Bottle Bird Feeder

“A perfect addition to your garden or backyard. Attach any plastic drink bottle filled with water, seeds, or grains and watch birds eat or quench their thirst. Simply screw it onto a wall or your fence and enjoy watching your new feathered friends.”

5th Place – Downspout Splash Boat

“Deploy your boat to guard your downspout and direct water away from the foundation to your #garden or yard. A familiar friend of 3D printers, this boat can help direct water away from the foundation of your home or building as it comes out the gutter downspouts. The boat deck is angled to expel water through the porthole openings in the bow. The model as designed is 254mm x 175mm x 119mm. This design was inspired by the 3D Benchy by CreativeTools, but this is an original design and not a remix.”

Watch the boat in action with this YouTube video. Pictured below is a print of a model that was made with PLA at 0.28mm layer height with 20% infill.

6th Place – Venturi Fertiliser

“Venturi fertilizer injector. Mount inline with the water hose/pipe for sprinklers to mix the water with the fertilizer solution.”

7th Place – Seed Drill & Dropper

“With this tool, you can plant your seed easily in the dirt; all you have to do is press the tool into the soil, and through the hole in the top of the cane, you can plant your seed with ease!”

HONORABLE MENTIONS

There were so many great submissions. Below are some of the submissions that received votes (in no particular order) – they deserve an honorable mention!

	pulp	Self-Watering Potv1	https://thangs.com/models/19310
	Klaurent	Put your plants on a windowsill with a slope	https://thangs.com/models/19592
	nemapet	decorative garden flower pot.stl	https://thangs.com/models/18457
	3dprintbunny	Aerator Base left.stl	https://thangs.com/models/18956
	aymansait4305	mini fence	https://thangs.com/models/19601
	hsydnor	Succulent Pot.stl	https://thangs.com/models/18440
	lightshowNow	Japanese beetle trap DIY	https://thangs.com/models/18467
	The Free Heathen Workshop	FHW: hand rake	https://thangs.com/models/18617
	#Gellgibb	GARDENTOOL v3.stl	https://thangs.com/models/19669
	lightshowNow	Avatar planter	https://thangs.com/models/18470
	lightshowNow	Plant book	https://thangs.com/models/18573
	johnmcconnell@yahoo.com	OLD Weber summit gril caster holder.stl	https://thangs.com/models/18576

THE CHALLENGE

Summer is right around the corner. For many of us, that means attending to our gardens. Whether you have a backyard garden, a balcony garden, or an indoor garden, there is always room for improvement.

Consider a problem or need with your garden and design a 3D printable* tool to solve it! If you don’t have a garden, design a 3D printable tool for another project or need of yours – just be sure to make something functional!

Here are some things to consider: Watering, Planting, Decoration, and Indoor Solutions.

Entries will be voted on by their creativity, uniqueness, and the story behind them.

*your entry does not need to be 3D printed but should consider the limitations of various 3D printing methods and materials.

PRIZES

• Grand prize: $200 Amazon Gift Card*
• 2nd place: $100 Amazon gift card*
• 3rd place: $75 Amazon gift card*
• 4th: $50 Amazon gift card*
• 5th: $50 Amazon gift card*
• 6th: $25 Amazon gift card*
• 7th $25 Amazon gift card*

Special thanks to the wonderful folks at Thangs.com for sponsoring this challenge and providing the prizes!

*an equivalent and equal prize will be rewarded to the winner(s) if Amazon is not available in your area

CHALLENGE DEADLINE

• Submissions – accepted until Friday, July 2nd, 2021 at 11:59 PM Pacific Time.
• Winners – announced Friday, July 9th, 2021 on this page and Thangs social media.

HOW TO PARTICIPATE

• Create an original functional garden tool (or functional tool if you don’t have a garden)
• No limit to the number of entries per contestant
• Submit Entry – upload your 3D designs to Thangs.com including the hashtag #garden in the model’s description
  • Note: put the hashtag in the description and NOT the title of the model
• Include 2-3 sentences explaining your design
  • The more detail included in the story, the more the judges will understand your idea!

JUDGES

Entries will be judged on quality, creativity, adherence to the challenge theme, and suitability for 3D printing.

• Kevin Kennedy from Product Design Online
• Thangs.com team members
• Fusion 360 team members

Winners will be announced the following Friday, July 9th, 2021 on this page and Thangs social media.

QUESTIONS?

Join the PDO community and post your questions, comments, share progress, and more.

FAQs

TERMS & CONDITIONS

• No purchase necessary.
• By entering this competition, entrants will be deemed to have accepted and agreed to the conditions.
• No stealing or ripping of models available on the Internet, all entries must be original works created by the entrant.
• The judges’ decisions are 100% final. In case of dispute, no correspondence will be entered into.
• Winning entries (models) will be documented and may be used for promotional purposes on social media.
• Contestant’s models must be uploaded to Thangs.com and tagged #Garden in the model description to be considered as an entry.
• The contest and prizes are not open to Physna/Thangs employees or their families.
• Winners retain all Intellectual Property as per Thangs’ Terms and Conditions.
• The winners will be contacted by Friday, July 9th, 2021.
• The prize is not sponsored by Amazon or any Amazon subsidiaries.
• Promoter: Thangs, 30 W. 30 Street, Floor 5, Cincinnati, OH 45202