One look at printable file repositories like Printables or Thingiverse, and it's immediately evident that there's no dearth of things you could print. Most of these models are ready to hit Print, with minimal adjustment in slicer settings because they're already optimized for commonly used materials like PLA, ABS, and PETG. Some of them offer multiple preconfigured variations, while others are packed with parametric files you can tune to your liking. Lest I forget, enthusiastic hobbyists have also created whole themed model ecosystems like Gridfinity for drawer organization and the hilariously named Underware for under-desk cable management.

However, since we're already invested in the printer-filament loop, we might as well stop buying little things off Amazon because you'll likely find a model for it online, have freedom to customize it, and print it out faster than Bezos' business could deliver it to your doorstep. I've spent over half a decade tinkering with CAD software, printers, and printable models, but there's just a handful of things I use everyday with no equal on Amazon.

A bucket seat-inspired phone stand

With one critical limitation

Starting off with something I believe everyone needs on their desk — a phone stand. It's one of those accessories I never realized how much I needed until I printed one out. Unlike several simpler and robust shapes that take less filament, this one ties in nicely with all the black accessories I have on my desk. This model is a multi-part print that takes a few M2 or M3 screws to assemble, but that benefits budget printer owners who cannot do multi-material printing, since the frame and seat can be printed out in different colors. Even though I skipped printing the rear roll cage frame, it holds my phone in portrait or landscape orientation and remains immune to tipping over like similar-priced stands from Amazon.

It is one of my oldest surviving PLA prints, running on its sixth year now, and besides the slight fading on the red filament, there's no functional degradation. However, the model I use has a few limitations. For instance, the tilt angle of the device is non-adjustable, and the version I have does not allow a charging cable to pass through. While the former is a design limitation, newer forks solve the latter. Now, I see this product on several Etsy shops too — merely a testament to its popularity.

Phone holder for webcam duty

Another stand, technically

While I'm discussing phone stands, it would be remiss to ignore a stand I designed and 3D printed to hold my phone in landscape orientation atop the monitor to serve as a webcam. Since I built my home office, I've never bought or used a webcam, because using my phone as needed for the purpose inherently ensures my security. Since then, iOS came up with Continuity Camera, Android developed Webcam Mode (over a wired tether), with support for multiple operating systems.

I resorted to designing a multi-part print modeled to fit my monitor exactly, with arms large enough that even my chunky Pixel 7 with a Supcase UB Pro case slides in and stays put with ease. Wing nuts pointed outwards in either direction allow quick and easy tilt adjustment, while height and angle adjustment comes from the arm my monitor's on. This design has proven to be robust, and easy to take apart when dusting my desk. I love that it holds my heaviest devices without clamping down on them like a car mount, but the model files remain private because the design fits my monitor and nothing else. I doubt anything under $10 from Amazon would be nearly as versatile and easy to use. When this gives out, I'll surely print another.

Cable holders

These proved to be the best, but in TPU

Cable managers are a dime a dozen on STL websites. In fact, Printables ran a contest in 2022, attracting 318 entries. Designs have evolved since, and people keep coming up with new ways to manage cable spaghetti. Meanwhile on Amazon, you'll only find cable clips, straps, and Velcro straps to bundle stuff up together. When I built my new desk recently, I needed a way to ensure multiple cables of different sizes didn't slide around as they fell off my desk and into a cable raceway underneath.

Typical cable clips sold online and in stores simply fail to account for various wire diameters, so I sought something parametric, with presets available to save some time. @universalmake_168616's parametric cable holder model on Printables ticked all the boxes for me, with a secure design that didn't impede cable movement with its holding grip. You can mount these to your desk using screws or double-sided sticky tape, but I would recommend printing this in 95A Shore hardness TPU filament instead of the usual PLA or PETG, just to ensure there's some leeway for the size of cables it can fit.

Ethernet connector repairs

A tiny print that's a big relief for you, and the cable

Sticking with the theme of cables and 3D prints for them, I must appreciate the repair I managed to perform on one of the ethernet cables running to my NAS. Like several cables before it, the locking tab on the RJ45 connector broke off due to wear from duty cycling. I was staring at two options — replacing the perfectly good cable with one from Amazon, or buying a box of connectors and a dedicated crimper to fix occasional damage. Neither choice seemed appealing, and a late-night doomscroll on Printables unearthed replacement locking tabs that just slide onto the damaged connector, restoring function.

I was skeptical at first, but hit Print because it takes just about 20 minutes with support, and finding out firsthand if the model is any good. I'm pleased to report the design is thoughtful and versatile, restoring function when printed in the right orientation (along its side) so the layer lines run along the length of the replacement clip. I've used these for months without failure, and will happily print more when these give up. Needless to say, there's simply no equal on Amazon today.

Wrist rests for typing with ease

Comfort matters more than the cost

Since my work entails typing out articles like this every day, I'm heavily invested in tools that make the experience enjoyable, such as custom mechanical keyboards, gaming mice, and a horde of custom cables and deskmats. However, typing for a long time without wrist support starts hurting, and could cause strain-related injuries in the long term. After using a wooden plank, the Deltahub Carpio, and other popular wrist rests, I spent months designing my own fully 3D printable system with a support under each wrist, comprising replaceable TPU cushions and PLA plastic bases on mouse feet.

This project was purely enabled by accessible 3D printing, and I took every liberty to ensure the design retains customizable elements like the emote between the TPU cushions, and press-fitting, so the cushions don't pop free from sticky hands. In consultation with doctors in my circle, I also lowered the outer cushion on each side to reduce wrist pronation. The split design is also more usable with split keyboards. qUnlike anything you'll find on Amazon, this design doesn't require lifting my hand to reach different parts of my keyboard, making it way more comfortable. The printable files for this project remain private, but you could find similar models on Printables, or get a Deltahub Carpio instead.

Print your way out of retail therapy

I understand the overwhelming allure of next-day delivery and the massive product catalog Amazon maintains, but watching a printer at work is equally therapeutic. Sure, there are items you're better off buying than printing, but before your next small purchase, it helps to spend a minute looking up potential solutions you could 3D print at home, for a fraction of the cost. Who knows what hidden gems you might find. If nothing turns up and you need something truly obscure or custom, CAD and a printer always have your back.