Free Form Pencil Holder

I made this free form pencil holder because I simply needed one. I wanted one to call my own so I made it with lots of curves to give it its free form look and smoothness, I think it looks really cool. Its organic design has variable heights for different sized objects so that short things can go in it as well.

This is my first instructable but I do have experience in 3D modeling. I’ve had a lot of fun designing this pencil holder using Fusion 360, It's a great tool for turning your imagination into reality!

Step 1: Supplies

For my instructable I've gathered up the following Supplies:

• Laptop with 3D modeling capabilities
• 3D Printer
• Sketch book
• An idea

These are the basics of what you'll need to 3D print just about anything.

Step 2: Sketch It Out

To get started you should grab paper and pencil to get your ideas down on paper. Try to come up with a couple different ideas to get some creativity juices flowing. Nothing is a bad idea and there is no limit to how many you should come up with.

After you've got your concepts pick the one you are most fond of and that will challenge you a little. Then start sketching it to get an idea of how you want it look and what functions it is going to have. Try to be detailed in your drawings, it will help when you start to 3D model. Also take into account what you plan on using the object for, I want it to mainly hold pencils so I made the holes a good enough size to hold a few per hole.

Take lots of measurements to make sure you get it just right.

Step 3: Model It Up

After you got your design all drawn up you are ready to start modeling. You can use any 3D modeling software that you'd like, I decided to go with Fusion 360. It's great if you have to work with different computers because you can access it through a web browser.

If you are having trouble navigating your software youtube is a great resource to help you out.

Make sure you start modeling in the right units, by that I mean if your 3D printer only reads millimeters then you should model in millimeters. However, in Fusion 360 I know that you can model in inches then when you are ready to print you can change it to millimeters so the printer can read the STL file.

I attached my STL file here if you need some help visualizing what needs to be done.

Step 4: Get Printin'

Once you've finished creating your design you are ready to save the file as an STL file so you can transfer it to a 3D printing software. I used Ultimaker but you can use whatever works best for your printer. Find the best printing position by having the least amount of overhang possible to avoid having to use supports.

Now its ready to print, make sure you put enough glue on the heating plate of the printer to ensure that the filament sticks to the surface. Now sit back and relax while the machine does its job.

Once it's finished you can pop the model off of the plate and now, your idea has come to life.