There’s a special kind of magic that happens when a child draws something and then sees it come to life. Today, we’re doing exactly that. My daughter sketched a cat, made a few clay sculptures, and we turned them into real, physical 3D prints—right here in the shop.
If you’ve ever wanted to turn your kids’ artwork into something they can hold, keep, paint, or proudly display, this guide walks you through the full process using simple tools, free software, and a little maker know-how.
Now let’s turn some imagination into reality.
Why These Projects Matter (More Than You Think)
Working with kids on projects like this is more than just fun—it’s STEM in disguise. They learn:
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Creativity
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Problem-solving
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3D thinking
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Spatial awareness
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How ideas move from imagination to the real world
And the best part? They don’t even realize they’re learning—they think they’re just making something cool.
This is how the next generation of makers and engineers begins.
Step 1: Turning a Drawing Into a 3D Model
My daughter drew a simple cat, and that was all we needed to start. Here’s how you can do it:
1. Scan or photograph the drawing
You can snap a picture with your phone, but using a printer/scanner avoids shadows and gives you a cleaner image.
2. Upload it to MakerWorld
MakerWorld’s MakerLabs AI tool can convert your image into a 3D model. Just upload the JPEG or PNG and let it process.
Within a few minutes, you’ll get:
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STL (standard 3D model)
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3MF (color-ready model with mapped textures)
You can edit the model in MakerWorld or load it into your slicer.
3. Fix any small issues
Our cat model came in with an extra ear (it happens!). Tools like:
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Nomad Sculpt
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Blender
…make it easy to remove or adjust details.
4. Print it
Once fixed, we brought the model into our Bambu Lab printer and printed two versions—one with the extra ear and one corrected. Full-color printing is optional, but absolutely awesome for kids’ drawings.
Step 2: Turning a Clay Sculpture Into a 3D Print
Next, we scanned one of her clay sculptures—a tiny gargoyle—and turned that into a fully painted 3D model.
Option 1: Scan with an iPhone
Starting with the iPhone 12 Pro, Apple introduced a built-in LiDAR scanner. That means you can:
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Scan 3D objects
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Capture geometry
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Export directly into modeling apps
The iPhone 15 and 16 have even better sensors, so results keep improving.
You’ll need a 3D scanning app, but many are free or low-cost.
Option 2: Use a dedicated 3D scanner
We used the Creality Ferret Pro, which creates surprisingly good meshes for the price.
Clean up and paint
Once scanned, we brought the gargoyle model into a slicer with paint tools. Since the sculpture only used a few colors, it took just a couple of minutes.
Then we printed it—and side-by-side with the original clay piece, the resemblance is spot on.
The Final Results
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A hand-drawn cat, turned into a 3D model and a physical print
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A clay gargoyle sculpture, scanned, painted, and 3D printed
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A project that blends art, technology, creativity, and hands-on learning
These are the types of projects kids remember forever. When a child sees their drawing become a real object, it tells them their ideas matter—and that’s powerful.