Whether it's a festival or an occasion, gifting is a common practice to show gratitude towards the people around you. While it's definitely a wonderful gesture, there may be times when you forget to pick up a gift for a loved one. It could be because you were too caught up with work, or you just forgot it was someone's birthday. That's not the situation you want to be in, especially with close friends and family members. But, if you somehow end up there, don't worry. If you have a 3D printer, there are a ton of simple yet nice gifts you can 3D print -- some of which are quite functional too!

I've included a range of gifts you can 3D print in a hurry, depending on whom the gift is for, and whether they prefer something that can be used in day-to-day life or an object that can be displayed on top of a fireplace. Most importantly, most of these prints (barring perhaps one or two) only need a few minutes or hours to print, so these truly are last-minute gifts that you can start printing in the morning and have ready by evening.

10 Keychains

Lots of designs and shapes

One of the simplest gifts you can 3D print for someone is a keychain. Most keychains have designs that are easy to slice and will barely take any time. Moreover, there are a ton of keychain models readily available on popular 3D printing platforms. So, all you have to do is find the one that you think the person you're gifting it to will like and print it in their favorite color. You can also make modifications to the size using your slicer before generating the gcode if you wish to make the keychain bigger or smaller.

Some cool designs that are universal include a set of keychains that has specific models for keys to an apartment, car, motorbike, garage, office, etc. You can also find several designs based on themes like superheroes and football teams, and even some utilitarian ones like a bottle opener keychain. Once you print the keychain of choice, all you have to do is get hold of an existing keychain, take the metallic ring off of it, and insert it into the keychain you printed.

9 Earrings and pendants

3D printed jewelry? Yes, please!

If you forgot to pick up a gift for your girlfriend before meeting her, or you just want to surprise her when she comes over, all you need is a cute little earring model that you can then feed into your 3D printer. You'll find a plethora of designs on the internet across various 3D printing file repositories, so there's no limit in terms of options. Just like keychains, you can find earrings of various themes too, like a pair for cat lovers, or a set of earrings with unique internal patterns that can be worn on different occasions.

After printing out the design(s) of your choice, you will need an existing pair of earrings to extract the stem portion out of them. Carefully insert them into the new pair of earrings you just printed, and they're ready to be gifted. Similarly, you can also find lots of pendant models that you can 3D print. Purchase a chain of your choice and put it around the print to get a customized necklace!

8 Bookmarks

Cute and functional

Bookmarks are quite special to those who read often. So, what better way to make their day than printing some awesome bookmarks customized to their interests? This way, they can get rid of the usual boring piece of cardboard and replace it with some Halloween-themed bookmarks, customized bookmarks for mum and dad, Avengers bookmarks for all the Marvel fans, and cute little animal bookmarks for those who can't stop talking about their furry friends.

The best part about these bookmarks is that they jut out of the book and stand out. When reading in a public place, the bookmarks are definite conversation starters and head-turners. They're also arguably more long-lasting than your typical paper bookmarks due to additional reinforcement via multiple players. I would recommend printing bookmarks in PETG since it's more durable than PLA.

7 Fidget toys

To keep the brain busy

Remember the days when fidget spinners were a massive rage? Well, that phase has passed. But, fidget toys still make for nice gifts since they keep the brain busy and aid with better clarity of thought in some people. So, if you have a fidgety friend, you can print them a fidget cube, fidget switch, fidget gear, or even a magnetic fidget slider!

You can even print a set of assorted fidget gifts, so your friend can alternate between all of them if they get bored with a single one! Like most other objects on this list, there are multiple variants of fidget toys. Go through all the makes, increase or decrease the sizes if you wish, and slice away!

6 Gift box for a gift card

A unique solution for a simple gift

Gift cards are pretty standard last-minute gifts when you can't get your hands on anything else. Just figure out their favorite brand, and purchase a physical gift card from a nearby store. While gift cards are common, you can make the process of gifting it unique by 3D printing a gift box for the gift card. This way, you won't have to hand over the card as is.

Measure the dimensions of the gift card using a Vernier caliper that you can 3D print as well, and then use the gift box model and scale it up or down based on the size of the card. Print it, and place the gift card inside the box before presenting it to your friend.

5 Vases and planters

Utility meets esthetics

A vase is a common gift item for homes. But, if you forgot to buy one, there are a plethora of online printable files that you can use to 3D print your own vase! In fact, I'm certain you'll find more variants online than you would in a store. Whether it's a spiral vase, one that has a honeycomb pattern, or a cylindrical vase with a curvy texture, there are tons of beautiful models you can print for a housewarming party or anything of that sort.

You could even print a set of vases for each room in the house, or a couple of planters that can be used for indoor plants. While PLA should work perfectly fine for these prints, I would recommend using PETG since some vase models have a thin perimeter with just a single layer and no in-fill. Those would need extra reinforcement.

4 Wallets and cardholders

They almost look professional

This one absolutely blew me away when I first printed it. It all started when my existing wallet tore, and I didn't have time to step out to buy one. To make things worse, I was leaving for a vacation the next day, so I needed a wallet to house all my cards. That's when I found this amazing cascade card wallet model. I printed one using PETG, and in just about three hours, I had a wallet that could hold up to six cards along with a money clip on the rear to hold cash.

It makes for an excellent gift since it would certainly be useful for pretty much everyone. Even if you don't want to use it as a wallet, you could use it as a cardholder to store all the extra cards you have that you don't want to keep in your wallet at all times. The best part is that there are so many iterations available, with some of them having an AirTag slot, which makes them super functional.

3 Coaster set

With fancy designs

Yet another gift that's suitable for housewarming parties is a set of coasters. There are multiple designs, just like vases, so all you have to do is pick a model that looks attractive to you. Or, find one that matches the esthetics of the house.

Some coaster sets also come with holders where you can stack the coasters when they're not in use. You'll also find ones with unique designs that are not your usual circular coasters.

2 Figurines

Bring your favorite characters to life

If you're looking to print a gift for kids, or you have friends who are fans of superheroes or cartoon characters, you can 3D print figurines that look quite professional -- almost like official merch that you can purchase from a store! From Batman and Iron Man's mask to Tom and Jerry, you can find a host of models across various themes.

Even if your friend is a Game of Thrones fan, or follows pop culture closely, you will find several print files that are characters from various TV shows, or some that signify certain incidents in the show.

1 Chess set

Challenge your friends

Well, it's time for the final boss! If you don't want to print characters, you can 3D print an entire board game at home! Chess is one of the most popular board games that you can print via models online, but you will also find other games like Catan, Connect 4, etc. You can print the board, as well as the pieces required to play the game.

Once you zero in on a game to print, you will find multiple variations of it with unique design elements. For instance, you will find different types of chess pieces depending on the model you pick. Once you print the game, you can also print a nice container to store the game in before gifting it.

The sky is the limit

The online 3D printing community is so cool that you'll certainly find something or the other that you can print for your friends and family if you forget to buy them a gift. If you think the person you're gifting won't like any of the mentioned items, you can head over to any popular site that hosts 3D printing files and find a cool little object that will float their boat. After all, the library of 3D printing files online is massive!