At some point, every maker looks at a perfectly normal object and thinks, “What if this made bubbles?”
Not because it needs to.
Not because it’s practical.
But because deep down… you’re a maker.
Today’s project is exactly that kind of idea.
We’re designing and 3D printing a bubble pipe—not a store-bought toy and not a “print this STL and call it DIY” project. This is a real maker build, designed from scratch in Nomad Sculpt, modeled in 3D, and printed on a desktop 3D printer. The kind of project that makes your workshop look like a science fair sponsored by chaos.
Starting the Design in Nomad Sculpt
Once Nomad Sculpt is open, the first thing to do is delete the default sphere. From there, switch to the Late tool. This tool lets us draw a profile that can be revolved into a solid shape.
Using the Lay tool, draw the outline of half of the bowl portion of the bubble pipe. When you complete the shape and release, Nomad Sculpt automatically revolves it, creating a fully formed bowl.
From here, you can click on the line and adjust it until the shape feels right. In this build, the goal was a slightly eight-chord style shape—because if you’re going to design something whimsical, you might as well lean into it. Somewhere between wizard gear and “this probably belongs next to a squirrel familiar.”
Designing the Bubble Ring Section
Next up is the part that actually makes bubbles happen—the small round ring section you see on every bubble wand.
This is where things could get time-consuming inside Nomad Sculpt, so instead of fighting it, I jumped over to Tinkercad for this specific component. Sometimes the most “maker” move is knowing when to switch tools.
In Tinkercad:
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A ring was used as the base
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“Domino” shapes were added around it
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The dominoes were positioned to stick slightly above and below the ring
This detail matters because almost every bubble wand out there has that same subtle geometry—it helps hold the bubble film properly.
Once the design was dialed in, the extra test versions were deleted, leaving just the final ring.
Adding the Blow Tube and Internal Air Channel
The pipe still needs a way to blow air through it.
Initially, a tube shape was used, but it didn’t feel quite right. Instead, the design was refined using a cylinder-based approach:
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A main cylinder was added
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Holes were cut through the top and bottom
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A small solid cylinder was used as a plug to define the internal airflow channel
Once everything was positioned correctly, the entire model was combined and voxel remeshed. This step is key—it cleans up the geometry and ensures the internal hole is properly formed throughout the pipe.
Final Details and Print Prep
With the structure complete, a decorative ring was added around the top of the bowl. Since the design already leaned into fantasy vibes, this ring helped push the look toward something resembling an acorn, tying back into the squirrel familiar theme.
Then it was time to print.
The model was sent to the printer, and surprisingly, it required very little support material, even with its height and angles. That’s one of the advantages of designing with printing in mind—and using build plates that handle steep angles well.
Once printing finished, the supports came off cleanly, and the bubble pipe was ready to go.
The Final Result
And just like that, you’ve got your own bubble pipe, designed by you and powered entirely by maker energy.
This isn’t just a novelty print—it’s a reminder that some of the best projects exist purely because they’re fun to make.
If you’d like to download this model for free:
👇 FREE DOWNLOADS Models:
MakerBuildIt.com - Bubble Blower: https://makerbuildit.com/products/3d-printed-bubble-blower-free-download
MakerWorld - Bubble Blower: https://makerworld.com/en/models/2285254-bubble-blower
Bubble Wand Head: https://makerbuildit.com/products/3d-printed-bubble-wand-head-free-download
If you make one, I’d love to see it—what you changed, what you improved, and what problems you ran into along the way. Because let’s be honest, bubbles have a unique way of turning a simple project into “Why is my shop floor slippery?”
🧰 Gear Used (Some Affiliate Links)
• 3D Printers - https://amzn.to/44A971y
• PLA filament - https://amzn.to/4p4OJNk
• Nomad Sculpt - https://nomadsculpt.com/
• Tinkercad - https://www.tinkercad.com/
• BIQU Build Plate – https://amzn.to/4bpBcNb