Frustrated with sparking excitement and interaction in your 3D printing community? Community Challenges are a proven way to motivate members, showcase creativity, and create lasting connections. Use these ready-made templates to launch fun and engaging challenges that bring your members together.
Plan your content calendar and auto-post to Skool, Circle, or Mighty Networks
Community Challenges tap into people’s natural desire to learn, compete, and share their achievements. By offering achievable tasks and friendly competition, members are encouraged to participate, build skills, and interact with others. This low-pressure environment allows both newcomers and veterans to feel included and valued.
In the 3D printing world, challenges can showcase technical skill, design flair, and problem-solving, all while fueling camaraderie. The shared experience of working toward a goal creates buzz, fosters teamwork, and positions your community as a vibrant place to belong.
Mini print challenge. Can you design and print something under 30mm tall this week? Show us your creations!
💡 Example: "Mini print challenge. Can you design and print something under 30mm tall this week? Show us your creations!"
Share your most creative 3D printed keychain design. Bonus points for unique materials. Ready to wow us?
💡 Example: "Share your most creative 3D printed keychain design. Bonus points for unique materials. Ready to wow us?"
Weekend print-off. Pick your favorite filament color and print anything you like. Post a photo of the result!
💡 Example: "Weekend print-off. Pick your favorite filament color and print anything you like. Post a photo of the result!"
Time trial! Print an object in under 2 hours. What did you make? Upload a pic and share your print time.
💡 Example: "Time trial! Print an object in under 2 hours. What did you make? Upload a pic and share your print time."
Show us your best print failure and what you learned from it. Learning together makes us stronger.
💡 Example: "Show us your best print failure and what you learned from it. Learning together makes us stronger."
Support structure challenge! Print something with a tricky overhang and let us see how you solved it.
💡 Example: "Support structure challenge! Print something with a tricky overhang and let us see how you solved it."
First print flashback. Share a photo or story from your very first 3D print.
💡 Example: "First print flashback. Share a photo or story from your very first 3D print."
Design a functional household item and 3D print it this month. What did you make? Post your STL or a photo.
💡 Example: "Design a functional household item and 3D print it this month. What did you make? Post your STL or a photo."
Can you print something that moves? Share your best articulated or mechanical print.
💡 Example: "Can you print something that moves? Share your best articulated or mechanical print."
Tiny tools challenge. 3D print a tool that fits in your palm. What does it do? Show and tell time!
💡 Example: "Tiny tools challenge. 3D print a tool that fits in your palm. What does it do? Show and tell time!"
Print swap! Offer to print a small item for another member and trade designs.
💡 Example: "Print swap! Offer to print a small item for another member and trade designs."
Filament experiment challenge. Try a new filament type and post your results. What surprised you?
💡 Example: "Filament experiment challenge. Try a new filament type and post your results. What surprised you?"
Pet print parade. Print something for your pet and share a photo of them with it.
💡 Example: "Pet print parade. Print something for your pet and share a photo of them with it."
Monthly theme challenge: Print something inspired by space. Post your design or finished print.
💡 Example: "Monthly theme challenge: Print something inspired by space. Post your design or finished print."
Upcycle it! Repurpose a failed print into something useful or creative. Share before and after photos.
💡 Example: "Upcycle it! Repurpose a failed print into something useful or creative. Share before and after photos."
Speed design challenge. Create and print a model in under 1 hour. What did you make?
💡 Example: "Speed design challenge. Create and print a model in under 1 hour. What did you make?"
Show us your best painted or post-processed print. What techniques did you use?
💡 Example: "Show us your best painted or post-processed print. What techniques did you use?"
Challenge: Print a puzzle or brain teaser. Can your design stump the group?
💡 Example: "Challenge: Print a puzzle or brain teaser. Can your design stump the group?"
Eco-friendly print challenge. Use recycled filament or sustainable designs. Share your creation!
💡 Example: "Eco-friendly print challenge. Use recycled filament or sustainable designs. Share your creation!"
Share a print that solved a real-life problem for you. How did it help?
💡 Example: "Share a print that solved a real-life problem for you. How did it help?"
Collaborative build! Join forces to design and print a multi-part object. Who wants in?
💡 Example: "Collaborative build! Join forces to design and print a multi-part object. Who wants in?"
Challenge: Find and print a useful gadget from an open source site. Share the link and your results.
💡 Example: "Challenge: Find and print a useful gadget from an open source site. Share the link and your results."
Favorite print of the month. Post a photo and tell us what made it special for you.
💡 Example: "Favorite print of the month. Post a photo and tell us what made it special for you."
Miniatures showdown! Print a tiny figure or scene. Who can go the smallest with the most detail?
💡 Example: "Miniatures showdown! Print a tiny figure or scene. Who can go the smallest with the most detail?"
Unusual filament challenge. Print with wood, metal, glow-in-the-dark, or another specialty filament.
💡 Example: "Unusual filament challenge. Print with wood, metal, glow-in-the-dark, or another specialty filament."
Share your best time-saving tip for multi-part prints. What has worked for you?
💡 Example: "Share your best time-saving tip for multi-part prints. What has worked for you?"
Holiday print challenge! Design or print something themed for the next holiday. Share your festivity.
💡 Example: "Holiday print challenge! Design or print something themed for the next holiday. Share your festivity."
No supports allowed! Print an object that requires no supports. Share your slicer settings and results.
💡 Example: "No supports allowed! Print an object that requires no supports. Share your slicer settings and results."
Challenge: Print a useful item for your workspace. Snap a pic and tell us how it helps your workflow.
💡 Example: "Challenge: Print a useful item for your workspace. Snap a pic and tell us how it helps your workflow."
Guess that print! Post a close-up photo of a print and let others guess what it is.
💡 Example: "Guess that print! Post a close-up photo of a print and let others guess what it is."
Design remix challenge. Take an existing STL and remix it in a fun or functional way. Show both versions.
💡 Example: "Design remix challenge. Take an existing STL and remix it in a fun or functional way. Show both versions."
Challenge: Print a part for a local charity or community project. Who is in?
💡 Example: "Challenge: Print a part for a local charity or community project. Who is in?"
Print with friends! Invite a friend to join this week's print challenge and share your duo results.
💡 Example: "Print with friends! Invite a friend to join this week's print challenge and share your duo results."
Biggest print challenge. What is the largest object you have printed? Share a photo and the story.
💡 Example: "Biggest print challenge. What is the largest object you have printed? Share a photo and the story."
Reverse engineering challenge. Print a replacement part for something broken at home. Show us before and after.
💡 Example: "Reverse engineering challenge. Print a replacement part for something broken at home. Show us before and after."
Challenge: Print a wearable item such as jewelry or an accessory. Post a selfie with your creation.
💡 Example: "Challenge: Print a wearable item such as jewelry or an accessory. Post a selfie with your creation."
Speed support! Who can help a newbie with their first challenge print this week?
💡 Example: "Speed support! Who can help a newbie with their first challenge print this week?"
Share a timelapse video of your latest print in action. Inspire others with your process.
💡 Example: "Share a timelapse video of your latest print in action. Inspire others with your process."
Challenge: Print something using only two different filament colors. Show off your color combos.
💡 Example: "Challenge: Print something using only two different filament colors. Show off your color combos."
Design a 3D printed gift for someone special. Share the story and a photo of the finished piece.
💡 Example: "Design a 3D printed gift for someone special. Share the story and a photo of the finished piece."
Before and after! Share a print that you improved with a new technique or setting.
💡 Example: "Before and after! Share a print that you improved with a new technique or setting."
Choose a template that fits your community’s interests, then personalize with your branding or specific details. Announce the challenge with clear instructions and deadlines. Pin or highlight the post for visibility. Encourage members to share progress pics, ask questions, and celebrate each other's results. Recognize participants with small rewards, badges, or shout-outs to keep motivation high.
For all platforms, use visual aids like photos or short videos to demonstrate the challenge. Pin or feature the challenge post to maximize visibility. Use hashtags or dedicated threads to organize submissions. Follow up with recap posts highlighting standout entries and thanking participants.
Design your challenge around experimenting with different material types, such as asking members to print the same model in PLA, ABS, PETG, and TPU, or to share their experiences with resin prints. Include prompts about print settings, bed adhesion methods, and post-processing tips specific to each material, so participants learn and share best practices.
Prompt members to post photos and descriptions of their failed prints, with details like layer shifts, stringing, or under-extrusion. Encourage others to offer advice based on slicer settings, hotend temperatures, or bed leveling. You can reward the most helpful troubleshooting responses or successful 'before and after' fixes to increase engagement and learning.
Frame the challenge to focus on practical applications, such as printing spool holders, cable chains, or tool holders for their printers. Ask members to share their CAD files or slicer settings, document their design process, and discuss how their prints improve workflow or printer performance. Highlight projects that solve common printer issues or enhance print quality.
Yes! Provide a standard STL file and ask members to print it using their preferred slicer or printer, documenting their settings (layer height, infill, speed, etc.) and sharing close-up photos. Encourage discussion about slicer features like support structures, bridging, and surface finish. This helps members benchmark results and discover new optimization strategies.
Offer tiered challenge levels: a basic option for single-material prints and an advanced tier for multi-material or dual-extrusion projects. Provide links to tutorials on calibrating extruders, preventing oozing, or using purge blocks. Encourage experienced users to mentor newer members, making the challenge accessible while fostering skill development.
Host a 'Profile Swap' or 'G-code Hack' challenge where participants share their slicer profiles for specific printers or materials, or custom start/end G-code scripts for tasks like auto-bed leveling or filament changes. Ask members to test each other’s profiles, give feedback on improvements, and discuss the impact on print quality and efficiency.
Skool · Circle · Mighty Networks