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A six-foot Christmas tree built by Ruth Amos and Ellis Ware looks like an enormous LEGO construction, but it is actually assembled from custom 3D-printed, LEGO-inspired parts. The project scaled the original design roughly six times, used about 50 kg of PLA filament, and combined printed sections with a wooden base, metal pole, adhesive joints, and integrated lighting.
What was built?
The finished tree is approximately six feet tall. Its branches, candle-like elements, presents, baubles, and star recreate the visual language of a classic LEGO-style Christmas tree at a much larger scale.
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According to the creators’ Instructables project, the tree also includes remote-controlled tea lights, illuminated baubles, and a star fitted with LEDs.
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Why scaling the design was difficult
Simply enlarging a small model does not produce a reliable large structure. The creators scaled the concept by approximately six times, but geometric scaling and functional scaling are different problems.
- Large components can exceed a printer’s build volume.
- Long printed shafts become difficult to print accurately and may lack stiffness.
- Thin branches experience much greater bending forces at large scale.
- Warping and dimensional errors become more significant across wide parts.
- Connections that work at toy scale may be loose, brittle, or overloaded when enlarged.
- A fully printed base would consume substantial material without necessarily being the strongest solution.
These issues are why a large 3D-printed object often needs thicker walls, redesigned joints, reinforcement, and different construction methods rather than a simple percentage change in the slicer.
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The structural redesign
The original construction was modified to make the six-foot version practical. The brown base was removed or redesigned around a wooden base, while the central support used a metal pole. Long printed shafts were replaced with steel shafts, reducing the amount of printed material and giving the tree a stronger internal structure.
Large printed elements were divided into smaller sections. The sections included connection points and additional support features so they could be aligned, bonded, and finished after printing. This preserved the appearance of the original design while replacing impractical details with a hybrid printed-and-hardware structure.
Printers, material, and production
The project used PLA as its principal filament and consumed approximately 50 kg, a figure that reflects the chosen print settings and desired finish. The project page says that Polymaker supplied filament for the build.
Most of the major parts were printed on a Bambu printer, although the available documentation does not identify the exact Bambu model. Smaller decorative pieces and presents were printed on a Prusa MK4, which was useful for detailed components. The build therefore depended on multiple printers rather than a single machine operating over one weekend.
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The parts were printed in their final colors where possible. That avoids painting, but it requires a reliable supply of several colors and makes replacements harder if a particular shade is unavailable. Painting can be a better option for a smaller one-off project, especially when seams are already being filled and sanded.
How the sections were assembled
The creators refer to their adhesive assembly process as “glooping.” Oversized components were printed as smaller sections, joined using adhesive, and cleaned up so the finished part looked continuous.
This is a hybrid manufacturing process: the printer creates the geometry, but the final structural component is completed through alignment, bonding, curing, and finishing. Readers should not assume that one adhesive works for every filament. The suitable method depends on the plastic formulation, joint size, surface preparation, load direction, and curing conditions.
For a replica, print and test one joint first. Alignment pins, keyed sockets, temporary fixtures, and clamps can prevent small errors from accumulating across a complete branch or tier. Mechanical keys are preferable to relying on a thin adhesive seam alone when a joint carries weight.
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The candle-shaped elements were designed to accept remote-controlled battery tea lights. Custom holders were used for illuminated baubles, and the star was redesigned with gaps for lighting and fitted with wired LEDs.
A safer approach for a similar project is to use battery-powered tea lights or low-voltage LEDs and keep heat-producing lamps away from PLA. Test every light, battery compartment, switch, and wire before permanently closing or gluing a section. Batteries and controls should remain accessible for replacement and troubleshooting.
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The tree should be treated as a decorative display rather than a toy. Keep it away from heaters, open flames, unstable surfaces, and areas where children or pets could pull on the branches or climb the structure.
Could you make one yourself?
Yes, but the full-size version is a substantial fabrication project. A realistic build requires:
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- An FDM printer or access to a print service.
- CAD or mesh-editing software for splitting and modifying parts.
- A slicer that can estimate material use and organize many sections.
- A large supply of consistent PLA.
- A rigid wooden base and internal metal or wooden support.
- Plastic-compatible adhesive, clamps, alignment aids, and sanding tools.
- Battery-powered lights or low-voltage LEDs.
- Floor space for printing, assembly, curing, and display.
The creators’ Instructables page provides creator-associated LEGO-inspired STL files. Check the current download page, completeness, license, and permitted uses before printing or sharing the files; availability and licensing can change.
A practical workflow for a smaller replica
- Choose the height first. A tabletop or half-scale tree is far more manageable than a six-foot version.
- Measure the printer’s usable build volume. Include clearance for the bed, supports, and part removal.
- Split parts at natural seams. Avoid arbitrary cuts across highly visible or highly loaded areas.
- Add alignment features. Pins, sockets, and keyed joints make assembly more repeatable.
- Print one test branch. Check fit, stiffness, warping, surface quality, and joint strength before committing to the full tree.
- Test the base and pole under load. The center support must remain stable before decorative parts are added.
- Print in final colors or plan the finish. Decide early whether color matching or painting is more practical.
- Assemble one tier at a time. Allow adhesive joints to cure fully and inspect alignment as the tree grows.
- Install lighting after mechanical testing. This reduces the risk of burying a faulty wire or inaccessible battery.
Printer options and trade-offs
Several standard FDM printers
Multiple ordinary printers can produce modular sections in parallel and avoid the cost of a large-format machine. The trade-offs are more seams, greater coordination, and possible variation in dimensions or color between machines.
A large-format FDM printer
A larger printer can reduce the number of seams, but it does not eliminate warping, support requirements, failed prints, or structural redesign. Large failed parts also waste more filament and machine time.
A print service
Outsourcing avoids printer maintenance and can provide access to larger machines, but a project requiring roughly 50 kg of filament may become expensive. Shipping can also damage long or thin parts.
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A smaller tree
For most hobbyists, a tabletop or half-scale version offers the best balance. It keeps the visual idea while reducing filament, workspace, structural risk, and assembly labor.
PLA, strength, and failure modes
PLA is widely available and relatively easy to print, which makes it a sensible material for the documented project. It is not automatically suitable for every structural or environmental condition, however. PLA should be kept away from high heat, and outdoor exposure introduces additional durability concerns.
Possible causes of failure include flexible branches, weak layer orientation, poorly bonded seams, loose joints, an undersized base, excessive leverage at the top, or an inadequately anchored pole. Prototype the heaviest branch, keep the center of gravity over the base, and use reinforcement where printed plastic would carry significant bending or pulling forces.
Large flat surfaces are particularly vulnerable to warping. Brims and other bed-adhesion measures may help, but splitting a part into smaller sections is often the more dependable solution. Measure test pieces rather than assuming that a scaled LEGO-style fit will remain accurate.
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Adhesive performance also varies. Test a sacrificial joint using the actual filament before assembling a visible or load-bearing section.
What the project really demonstrates
This build is less a demonstration of pressing “scale” in a slicer than an example of redesigning for fabrication. The creators kept the recognizable appearance but changed the base, central support, shafts, segmentation, and assembly method to suit a six-foot object.
That is the practical lesson for anyone attempting a large printed construction: use the printer for repeatable modular geometry, then combine it with wood, metal, adhesive, lighting, and careful finishing. A single consumer printer can produce a large object, but the seams, material consumption, workspace, and labor become part of the design.
For the original reporting and project details, see Hackaday’s coverage and the creators’ Instructables build.
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