Christmas tree shaped advent calendar with working doors and incorporated hinges complete with a star on top. Choose your own color scheme for the different parts of the calendar!

3d printed miniatures are not my designs and not included in this project.

Approximate assembled dimensions:

• 11.5 inches/ 290 mm Tall
• 10.8 inches/ 274 mm Wide
• 1.5 inches/ 38.5 mm Deep

Approximate interior dimensions of each box: 1.25 in x 1.25 in x 1.25 in (33 mm x 33 mm x 33 mm)

Print and Assembly Instructions

Test Pins (Optional)

The tree shell must be cut in two to fit on many printers. I've done this in the sliced file, and the connectors generated by the slicer fit together when printed on my printer. However, at least one user found they did not fit properly. If you'd like to test the fit before printing the whole thing, print this plate and fit the pieces together to make sure they go together nicely. If they don't, inspect the pins to make sure they're free of blobs or defects. You can also download the Tree.stl file and perform the cut operation again and make adjustments to the connectors or eliminate them and use glue. Be sure to cut it at a spot where the cut is hidden under a set of branches.

Here are the connector settings I used:

Layer Height: .2 mm

Infill: 15%

Supports: Tree (Auto) - Slim

Brim: Yes

Tree shell (print 1)

The outer Christmas tree shell is too big to print on many printer plates unless sliced into multiple parts. To do this, stand it on the base and slice it below a set of branches to hide the seam. Consider adding connectors before performing the cut. Lay the pieces down on the flat side and rotate to fit on the plate. I like to rotate both pieces the same direction and angle to ensure they look consistent when reassembled.

Layer Height: .2 mm

Infill: 15%

Supports: Tree (Auto) - Slim

Brim: No

Door backers (print 24)

The door backers are colored plates that show through the numbers in the doors and also provide the door pulls so I like to print them in contrasting color(s) or shiny or sparkly filament. Snap one onto the back of each door by placing the knob through the hole in the door and pressing in the pins on the remaining three corners.

Layer Height: .2 mm

Infill: 15%

Supports: No

Brim: No

Gift box insert (print 1)

This single piece print is made up of 24 boxes with working doors stacked to fit snugly inside the tree shell. Print it with the door side down on a smooth cool plate with no supports and no brim. I print mine with a high flow PLA to ensure smooth door surfaces.

Layer Height: .2 mm

Infill: 15%

Supports: No

Brim: No

Note: Be sure to open all the doors and install the door backers before snapping it into the shell since the backers have the door pulls on them!

Align the box insert with the 3 sets of slots that help hold it in place before you push it all the way in.

Star (print 1)

The star snaps on to a pin at the top of the tree. It looks really pretty printed in a metallic filament. Print flat side down with no brim and no supports. Using a smaller layer height gives a nice sharp look.

Layer Height: .12 mm

Infill: 100%

Supports: No

Brim: No

Note: Miniature Bambu P1P, A1 Mini and filament spools are not my designs. If you think they're as adorable as I do, you can find them on MakerWorld:

• Bambu Lab P1P by Printedin3D - MakerWorld
• BambuLab A1 Mini - Mini Figure ( not keychain) - Printing itself ! Remixed by OLLESTORE - MakerWorld
• Mini Filament Spool Shared by Pfh10_DD - MakerWorld

Change History

11/26/2023

• Updated box insert to fix issue with hinges being too tight on internal boxes
• Updated tree shell to have slightly thicker back and allow for more tolerance on pins
• Added tree supports to pins on tree shell
• Added Test Pins plate to allow you to print a test to make sure the pins will fit together

12/30/2023

• My original fix for the hinge issue does not appear to have uploaded. After more reports of issues, I downloaded it myself and opened it from Maker World and it didn't contain the fixes. I have saved it with a new name and reuploaded. There should be 6 plates in total. The original only had 5 so you'll know you have the new one if you have 6.