Free templates for a 3D pen are harder to find than you would expect. You want a shape your child can trace, and you end up on a paid book or a file you have to hand over your email address for. So here are six templates you simply print. They build up in difficulty, starting with a heart made of a single line and finishing with a house that actually stands up.

Download all six templates as a pdf (6 pages, A4)

No email address, no account. Print the whole set at once, or just the sheet you need.

What you need

Apart from a pen and filament there are only two things. A printer that handles A4, and something see through to lay over the printed sheet. A plastic sleeve from a ring binder does the job, and a drawing mat for the 3D pen works a little better because it stays put.

That extra layer is the most important thing on this page. Filament sticks to paper. Draw straight onto your template and you will pull the top layer of paper off with your figure, which ruins the sheet after one go. On plastic the figure comes loose easily.

All the shapes below work with PCL filament. That is the filament that comes with the wireless 3D pen starter kits and with the Race Kit. The XXL starter kit uses PLA instead. Two different types, and you cannot swap one for the other.

From sheet to figure in three steps

Every template works the same way.

1. Trace the outline first. Take it slow and stay on the line. You get a rim that holds the rest of your figure together.
2. Then fill the inside. Back and forth, with the lines touching. Let it cool down before you lift it off.
3. Join the loose parts. Hold the pieces together and run a thin layer of filament over the seam, like glue.

Six free 3D pen templates to print

Below is an example of each template. The print version is in the pdf above, at full size.

1. Heart

One continuous line without sharp corners, which makes it a good first attempt. Trace the edge and fill it in from the outside towards the middle. Want more of a challenge, make two and join them back to back with a bit of filament.

2. Star

Ten straight lines and ten corners. The trick is in stopping: let go of the button at every point, lift the pen and put it back down for the next line. That gives you sharp points instead of stringy ones.

3. Butterfly

The first one with loose parts. Draw the four wings separately, then the body with the antennae, and attach the wings to the body afterwards. You can leave the circles in the wings open or fill them in another colour.

4. Dinosaur

Start at the tip of the tail and work your way up to the head in one go. The neck is the tricky bit, because you keep two lines close together there. If something goes wrong you can simply trim it off once it has cooled.

5. Name tag

Draw the banner first, let it cool and put it back on the sheet. Then add the letters between the two dotted lines, straight onto the banner. That gives you a name tag for the bedroom door.

6. House in 3D

This is where you move from flat to three dimensional. You trace six separate panels: a front with a door, a back with a window, two sides and two roof panels. Then stand the four walls up against each other and seal the seams with a thin layer of filament. The roof goes on last.

Allow half an hour and a few failed seams. That is part of it, and it is exactly the moment a child works out that this pen also builds things that stay standing. Ready for more, have a look at the easy 3D pen projects for beginners.

Download the six templates as a pdf and start today

These templates or the template book?

Honest answer: six shapes are enough to learn with, and then you have used them up. Print them, see whether your child enjoys it and whether the tracing works. That verdict costs you nothing.

If the pen stays in use after that, you run into two things. You reprint every time, and ordinary printer paper is too thin to last. The XXL template book solves both: dozens of shapes on sturdy paper the pen does not sink through, with a tracing sheet so you can use a template more than once. For refills there is PCL filament in 20 colours.

Frequently asked questions

Are these 3D pen templates really free?

Yes. You download the pdf without an email address or an account and print the sheets yourself on plain A4. The six shapes on this page are the complete set.

What paper should I print the templates on?

Ordinary printer paper is fine, as long as you lay a clear plastic sleeve or a drawing mat over it. Draw straight onto paper and the filament sticks to it, tearing the sheet when you pull your figure loose.

What age is this suitable for?

The wireless 3D pens from Fits4Kids are suitable from 6 years. The heart and the star usually work straight away, while the house in 3D is more fun from around eight, because you are joining six separate panels there.

Which filament do I need for these templates?

Every shape on this page is drawn with PCL filament, which belongs to the wireless pens and to the Race Kit. The XXL starter kit works with PLA. So check which pen you have at home before you buy refills.

Print the pdf, lay a sleeve over it and start with the heart. Within fifteen minutes your child is holding something they made themselves.