Ready To Party Like It’s 2016? 3D Printable New Year’s Decor Will Get You in the Spirit

December 31, 2015 by Clare Scott 3D Design 3D Printing

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While some people love New Year’s Eve, and others hate it, I think we can all agree that it’s generally not the classiest of holidays. It’s a great excuse to get glittered up, drink champagne and pretend to be classy, but it usually devolves into drunken shenanigans and silly hats. Not that there’s anything wrong with that (just please don’t drink and drive, people, seriously), and if you don’t yet have your New Year’s accoutrements, 3D printable content from sites like 3DShook and 3DShare is here to help. They’ve shared a few of their favorite New Year-themed files for all your partying needs.

First of all, what would New Year’s Eve be without giant glasses in the shape of the upcoming year? Practical and attractive, these printable spectacles scream 2016. You can see out of them, too, which has been a bit of a challenge ever since we left the 2000’s with their convenient side-by-side zeroes. Print out a pair for yourself, or, if you’re hosting a party, print a pair for every guest. That way, that one guy who drinks so much he forgets what year is coming up will have helpful reminders all around him.

[Edited to add: these glasses had been listed on 3DShare, available for download at 99 cents, but the original design was featured on 3DShook. The sale of this design on another site was a violation of their EULA. 3DShook is offering anyone “anyone who paid $0.99 for this design on 3Dshare to contact us to receive a small gift from us so they don’t feel robbed 🙂 ,” as 3DShook’s Founder and COO Hector Berrebi informed 3DPrint.com. Those who did so can contact Hector via email.]

If you’d like an interactive centerpiece, how about a 2016 gimbal? What’s a gimbal, you ask? According to 3DShare, it’s “a pivoted support that allows the rotation of an object about a single axis.” In layman’s terms, it’s a spinny thing. The zero in this 2016 is composed of multiple rings that can be twirled around each other. Pros: your guests will think it, and by extension you, are really cool. Cons: that one drunk guy will probably still be spinning it over and over again and watching in fascination at 2 AM when you just wish he’d fall asleep already.

Chinese New Year isn’t actually until February 8, but if you’d like to combine your New Year’s celebrations into one, you can mark the upcoming Year of the Monkey with this cute monkey statue. Are you a monkey? If you were born in 1920, 1932, 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992 or 2004, beware – contrary to popular belief, the year of one’s birth sign is considered by the Chinese to be unlucky. It’s not going to be all bad, though; you can find some predictions for your upcoming year here, as well as some advice on what to pursue and avoid. (Red and pink are considered to be unlucky for Monkeys, so if you decide to print this little guy, maybe choose a different color filament than the one pictured.)

So there you go; if you’re looking for that final touch to make your New Year’s Eve party special, 3D printing has you covered. Have fun, be safe, expect the best for 2016, and, if you’re bored, keep a tally of how many colleagues and friends crack “see you next year!” and then heartily laugh upon taking their leave of you tomorrow. The number will likely worry you.