If you’re anything like me, the holidays roll in and suddenly you’re knee-deep in storage bins, pulling out ornaments that somehow — every single year — have lost their toppers. I swear those little metal caps migrate like geese. One minute they’re on your ornament, the next they’re in witness protection.
Not this year.
This year, we’re upgrading. We’re making custom 3D-printed ornaments with magnetic toppers so nothing falls off, nothing disappears, and nothing requires a hot glue gun at 11 p.m. on Christmas Eve.
Let’s dive in.
Why Magnetic Toppers?
Because they fix everything.
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No more lost caps
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No more bent metal doodads
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No more last-minute glue disasters
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Easy swapping and re-use
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Strong enough to survive cats, kids, and Christmas tree collisions
Instead of forcing a metal cap onto a fragile print, we’re designing a topper that snaps into place with neodymium magnets. Strong, clean, and reliable.
Before you print or assemble anything, please read this carefully:
⚠️ Neodymium magnets are extremely strong and must be handled with care.
Always follow all manufacturer safety warnings on your magnet packaging.
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These magnets can snap together quickly and may pinch skin.
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Keep magnets far away from electronics, pacemakers, and magnetic storage devices.
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Never allow magnets to slam together — they can chip or shatter.
⚠️ Small Parts Warning
The magnetic toppers and the magnets themselves are small parts and can pose serious risks if swallowed.
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Keep out of reach of children.
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Keep away from pets who may chew or swallow small objects.
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Swallowed magnets can cause serious internal injury or require emergency surgery.
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Do not use damaged magnets or toppers.
Step 1: Figure Out Magnet Strength (The Fun Part)
We’re starting with a 3-inch PLA ornament printed at 10% infill, two walls. That means it weighs around 50–70 grams — basically nothing. If this were solid, it’d be a tiny kettlebell for Santa’s personal trainer. But it’s not, because we’re not monsters.
So here’s the rule:
Pick magnets that absolutely laugh at the ornament’s weight.
Choose magnets rated 2–5 lbs of pull force. Why?
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People bump trees
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Cats wage war
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Painted surfaces aren’t flat
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Hooks cause sideways pull forces
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You want a safety margin that’s basically insured
I used 12×3 mm N52 neodymium magnets. Overkill? Yes. Effective? Also yes.
Step 2: Designing the Ornament in Nomad Sculpt
Everything below works in:
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Nomad Sculpt
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Bambu Lab Studio
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Blender
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Any slicer with boolean tools
But today we’re doing it in Nomad Sculpt.
Create the Topper Base
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Add a cylinder:
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Height: 15 mm
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Width: 15 mm
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Clone it.
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On the clone:
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Height: 5 mm
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Width: 12.1 mm (to fit a 12 mm magnet)
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Lower the smaller cylinder until it just peeks through the bottom.
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Make the small one invisible, select the large one, and voxel remesh at resolution ~400.
That gives you a perfect magnet cavity.
Step 3: Create the Ornament Sphere
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Add a sphere.
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Set the radius to 76.2 mm — the correct scale for a 3-inch ornament.
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Clone your smaller cylinder and place it at the top where you want the magnet to sit.
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Add a torus (the loop). Resize and rotate it until it looks like a typical ornament hook ring.
Step 4: Merge and Remesh Everything
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Hide the small cylinder
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Select the sphere
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Voxel remesh at around 400 (otherwise the iPad explodes)
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The cylinder punches the magnet hole perfectly
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Merge the torus into the topper base
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You now have two clean parts:
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The ornament
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The magnetic topper
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This is the part where you feel like a Christmas elf with CAD software.
Step 5: Print, Glue, and Assemble
You’ll need:
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Starbond Super Glue (or any thin CA glue)
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Your neodymium magnets
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The 3D printed topper
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The printed ornament
Important:
Mark the magnets before gluing so you know which orientation sticks together.
Then:
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Add a tiny drop of glue inside each magnet slot
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Push the magnets in
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Press firmly for a few seconds
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Snap the topper onto the ornament
Done. Strong. Clean. Stupidly satisfying.
Final Result: A Magnetic Ornament That Actually Stays On the Tree
When you’re done, you’ve got:
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A snap-on topper
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A secure magnetic system
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A reusable design you can put on ANY ornament
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A print you’ll actually be proud to hang
The magnets are so strong you could probably anchor down Santa’s reindeer… but let’s keep this between us.
These magnetic Christmas ornaments are easy to design, easy to print, and way more durable than the store-bought ones. Plus, they’re customizable — paint them, texture them, engrave them, whatever you want.
🧲 Free STL Files + Tools I Used
🔗 STL Files (Free):
MakerBuildIt: https://makerbuildit.com/products/magnetic-christmas-ornament-topper-and-ornament-stl
MakerWorld: https://makerworld.com/en/models/2010340-christmas-ornament-topper-and-ball
🔗 Starbond Super Glue: https://amzn.to/3K9VLlz
🔗 12×3 mm N52 Magnets: https://amzn.to/4oLcdI1
🔗 Fowler Caliper: https://amzn.to/4oEaZhI
🔗 Nomad Sculpt: https://nomadsculpt.com/
And remember:
The best gifts aren’t bought — they’re built.
Before you print or assemble anything, please read this carefully:
⚠️ Neodymium magnets are extremely strong and must be handled with care.
Always follow all manufacturer safety warnings on your magnet packaging.
-
These magnets can snap together quickly and may pinch skin.
-
Keep magnets far away from electronics, pacemakers, and magnetic storage devices.
-
Never allow magnets to slam together — they can chip or shatter.
⚠️ Small Parts Warning
The magnetic toppers and the magnets themselves are small parts and can pose serious risks if swallowed.
-
Keep out of reach of children.
-
Keep away from pets who may chew or swallow small objects.
-
Swallowed magnets can cause serious internal injury or require emergency surgery.
-
Do not use damaged magnets or toppers.