A couple years ago, I started experimenting with an ear cuff and while I never got around to finishing that design, I thought it would be fun to add a little spider to a 3D printed ear cuff to make it look like a spider is crawling all over your ear. This started asn upper ear cuff, but I also decided to try to come up with one that works around your lobe/lower ear. I printed these all in Flexible TPU filament for durability (because of the tiny spider legs) and comfort as TPU is just softer and more comfortable than PLA.

The top ear cuff fits really nice and I think looks also really nice. The lower one still could probably use some work, but for now I'm content with the results.

Instructable 385

Supplies

3D Printer
TPU flexible filament
Clear for cuff
Black for spider
Super Glue or glue of choice
Flush cutter - not necessary but nice for cleaning up prints

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Step 1: Upper Ear Cuff

The upper ear cuff consists of a simple cuff made from a cylinder and the spider.

For this first version, I used a rectangle cutout to attach the spider on the cuff. This helps for adhesion and lining it up. Though, it limits the orientation of the spider on the cuff.

The spider is the same one I've used for past projects and is just made from basic shapes.

Step 2: Lower Ear Cuff

This design was done much later than the top ear cuff so varies a bit.

I used an existing ear cuff design I found to get the idea of what shape this one would need to be as a circle wouldn't cut it here.

Through various tests I ended up doing the cut out a bit higher up to try to fit the ear just right.

For this version, I ended up using a sphere cutout to attach the spider. I found this better than the rectangle in two ways. The first being, you can orient the spider in any way you want. The second being that since it sticks out a bit, you can kind of pop the spider on and it makes for an even better connection when glued. That's not accidentally sliding off.

Step 3: Print

Follow the directions of your printer for printing these.

Most will require a releasing agent, like glue stick, on the bed before printing TPU.

I do not recommend support even if there is a bit of overhang where the sphere or rectangle sticks out.

Step 4: Glue on Spiders

The upper ear cuffs are pretty easy in that the spider can only be attached in two ways. Check it out in the mirror and make sure you have the spider going how you want though both up and down should look good on either ear.

Apply a little super glue (or glue of choice that works with TPU) to the back of the spider and stick it on the cuff so the rectangle fits into the spider.

Let it dry.

For the lower ear cuff, you can actually put it on and orient the spider the way you want. Then take it off your ear and verify how it will be glued on. Take it off quick, add glue, then stick it back on! Since i had a few I was doing, I did one the way I wanted it and then set it there and used it as a guide to glue the rest. Then I glued that one.