Your child has a 3D pen (or is getting one soon) and wants to start right away. But what do you make first? With these ten easy 3D pen projects for beginners any child can make something great today, from a keyring with their own name to a proper racing car.

First things first: how to get off to a good start

The golden rule for beginners: start flat. Draw on a drawing mat or tracing sheet first, let the figure cool down and only then lift it off. Set the pen to the slowest speed, that gives you the most control. And is your child using a child-friendly pen with PCL filament at a low temperature? Then little can go wrong, even for smaller hands from age 6.

10 projects from easy to challenging

1. Name keyring

Write your child's name in block capitals on paper, trace the letters with the pen and connect them with a line. Add a loop, thread the ring through, done. The perfect first success.

2. Cheerful butterfly

Draw two wings flat, let them cool and "glue" them at an angle to a body with a line of filament. That is how your child discovers how to go from flat to 3D.

3. Flower with a stem

Five petals, a circle for the centre and a sturdy stem. Several flowers together make a bouquet that never wilts. A lovely little gift for grandma!

4. Cool glasses

Trace a pair of frames (without lenses, of course). Try them on, take a photo, have a laugh. This is always the favourite project at birthday parties.

5. Star or snowflake

Symmetrical shapes are satisfying to draw and look beautiful in the window. In December they double as Christmas decorations.

6. Animals with templates

With a template a dog, dino or unicorn works out even when free drawing is still too tricky. A template book with tracing sheet offers dozens of examples at different difficulty levels, and with moving animal stencils they can even make figures with turning parts.

7. Pen pot

Draw four square walls and a base, let everything cool and join the panels with filament. The first genuinely useful build for the desk.

8. Gift tags

Small figures with a name in them as a label on a birthday present. Big impression, small amount of filament.

9. Fantasy figure from their own drawing

Let your child come up with their own figure in pencil first and then trace it with the pen. That turns their own imagination into a figure they can hold, and that is where the real pride comes in.

10. Racing car

The showpiece project: a car with wheels that really roll. Anyone up for it will find a complete challenge in the 3D Pen Race Kit with car stencils, and afterwards the racing can begin for real.

Handy tips for parents

• Keep filament in stock: ten projects use it up faster than you think. A PCL filament refill set with 20 colours keeps the creativity going.
• Protect the table: a drawing mat gives grip while tracing and protects the tabletop at the same time.
• Start together: practising together the first time works better than explaining. After a quarter of an hour your child takes over by themselves.
• Keep the first pieces: in a few months you will see how much better it is going. Fun for your child, even more fun for you.

Frequently asked questions

From what age can my child make these projects?

With a child-friendly 3D pen that works at a low temperature with PCL filament, children can get started from age 6, certainly with the flat projects in this list. The building projects such as the pen pot and the racing car suit ages 8 and up better.

How much filament do I need for a project?

A keyring or butterfly takes roughly 1 to 2 metres of filament. Larger builds such as a pen pot can take 5 to 10 metres. So with a 100-metre refill set you can make dozens of projects.

What is the difference between PCL and PLA filament?

PCL melts at a low temperature and is therefore extra safe for children; it belongs with the wireless children's pens. PLA works at a higher temperature and belongs with the classic XXL starter kit. So always check which type of filament suits your pen.

My child still finds free drawing difficult. What now?

Start with templates and tracing sheets. Tracing gives quick results, and success early on is exactly what motivates children to keep going.

Have fun drawing and building together! And do show us what you have made, it makes us just as happy as it makes you.