Printers are definitely under utilised by most people. We tend to think about printers as useful for only printing out documents and photographs. Sure you can print out CD covers and labels but you need special software and paper, then there are the alignment issues and it just doesn’t seem worth the hassle.

Wrong! There are easy ways to print out CD covers and lots of other fun things without needing to download or buy special software. Take a look at some of these useful and fun things you can print at home.

1. Paper CD Case

This website enables you to print paper CD cases and jewel case inserts, simply by entering the CD name, track titles and the artist. The creators have even provided an auto-text option where you can search for the CD using their search engine and it will fill in the form for you. Once the CD case has been generated, you can print it out and follow the easy to use folding instructions.

2. Sudoku

Addicted to Sudoku? Instead of waiting for tomorrow’s newspaper or buying a puzzle book, why not download and print out a bunch of Sudoku puzzles. This website will generate up to 50 different puzzles for you to print. You can even specify the difficulty level and whether you want the solutions to be included.

3. Camera Lens Hood

This is a great idea for avid photographers, a lens hood which doesn’t cost you a penny. The website contains templates for many different 35mm and digital SLR camera lenses, including Canon, Nikon, Olympus and Sigma lenses. The designs come in both rounded and petal versions. It is well worth making these lens hoods as they help reduce lens flare and best of all the templates are free.

4. Gift Boxes

Buying presents for friends and family can be expensive. Not only do you have to buy the gift, but also the wrapping paper or gift box as well. Save yourself a few quid by making your own gift box. This website offers a variety of designs and styles to choose from. Just download the PDF of the style you like, print it on decorative paper and follow the folding instructions.

5. Calendar

Instead of buying a calendar, why not make one yourself? This website enables you to print different types of calendars including annual, weekday and monthly calendars. Even better is that it is customisable, so you can choose the size of the calendar, as well as the year, week starting day and whether you want to include the week number.

6. Business Cards

Ordering and printing personalised business cards can be expensive, but fortunately websites like businesscardland.com offer free business cards which you can print out at home. All you need to do is enter the information you want on the card, select the design and colours your prefer, and then print the generated PDF. You can print between 8 and 10 business cards per page layout. As a business card does give an indication of your business practices, it’s well worth investing in good printer ink and high quality card to print onto.

7. Easter Games

Download and print out over 40 different games for Easter. These games are great for keeping the kids entertained and some are even educational. Types of games include Bunny tic-tac-toe, Easter bible trivia, Easter word scramble and every child’s favourite game - Egg hunt. The great thing about this website is that once you have ordered the games collection, you can print out the games as many times as you like.

8. Maps

Print out a map of the world for free at Megamaps. The website offers 10 different map collections from world maps, continent maps to country maps. The maps can be printed in various sizes from large to small. These outline maps are great for classroom use as the students can colour, mark, write and draw on their own individual copies and the teacher can have a large version to keep at the front of the classroom.

9. WiFi Antenna

Save money and make your own WiFi antenna instead of buying one. This website provides the antenna template as well as easy to follow instructions for assembling the antenna. This Ez-12 Parabolic Reflector is sure to improve performance, especially if you use two reflectors on an AP.

10. iPod Cover

Personalising your iPod couldn’t be easier using this free iPod cover generation website. You can generate personalised covers for most types of iPods including Third Generation, Mini, Nano and iPod Shuffle. Simply select your iPod type, upload the photograph you want to use, generate the cover and print it out.

11. Colouring Printouts

Children love their colouring books, but it can be rather expensive to keep buying new books for them to fill in. Download free pictures for the kids to colour in from Freecoloring.org. There are various different pictures to choose from including mermaids; sharks and even good old Santa Claus. This is sure to keep the children entertained for hours on end.

12. Birthday Cards

Instead of buying a birthday card, create your own. This website has thousands of cards to select from, including Father’s, Mother’s, funny, friends and belated birthday cards. You can download the cards for free and customise your chosen card before printing it out. The site also enables you to create your own greeting card from scratch.

13. Baby Shower Games

Hosting a baby shower, but not quite sure what sort of games to play? Well this website has several different game options to download and print. All are fun to play and will certainly get the guests laughing. Some of the games include Baby Shower Bingo Cards; Old Wives’ Trivia and Name that Nursery Rhyme.