8 Reasons to Give Thanks for Your 3D Printer

If one of the things you’re thankful for this year is access to a 3D printer, then celebrate this Thanksgiving with some 3D printed touches to aid you in the kitchen, spruce up your table, and give thanks. You’ve got a few hours until dinner time, so get that machine running.

The Butter Pig was created by Thingiverse user Steve Weber as a “butter” way of getting butter pats off a stick of butter and avoiding “having to get out a knife, peel back the wrapper, throw away the wrapper, and wash the knife, every time you need a slice of sweet, creamy butter”. Replace the butter with something softer, like margarine or butter that’s been warmed up, and you’ll be able to extrude simple shapes like flowers for a classy touch to your meal.

If you can’t trust your family members to pick their own seats at the table this year without causing a ruckus, then maybe coming up with a strategic seating chart is on your list of things to do. Who will be able to argue with their seat assignments when these place card holders are so cute? (And your cousin and your grandpa won’t be able to argue at all once they’re seated at opposite ends of the table.)

Meant as a decoration, these snap-outs feature iconic Thanksgiving items like a pilgrim hat, can of cranberry sauce, cornucopia, pie, and a Turkey.

There’s only one wishbone in a turkey, but chances are there are more than two people sitting down to eat it. 3D printed wishbones designed to snap like the real thing are a fun post dinner treat to give everyone a chance to make a wish.

You won’t find a shortage of 3D printable turkeys online from low poly turkeys to turkeys with buff biceps. Of all the ones I saw, I found this turkey by freckles to be the most terrifying, therefore it must be the most realistic, since I find real turkeys terrifying.

Wine charms are a great way to differentiate between otherwise identical looking glasses of wine. Print your own charms (a slice of pie, a pilgrim’s hat, a corn cob, and a turkey) in different colors to get even more unique charms.

If you’re looking for more dessert options than just pie, why not bake of up a batch of turkey shaped sugar cookies.

http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1874079

Protect a loved one. When you get a large group of people together there’s bound to be a couple of people with special dietary restrictions or allergies. These picks can be stuck in dishes to easily let people know of any potential dangers when they go to dish up.