We settled on Fairies for our cake toppers, and I figured out how to 3D print some! The site user AwesomeA has done a bunch of models of Navi. Anyone with a 3D printer can download and print these files for free, or you can have us print one for you by hitting us up on Etsy. I found these awesome things called “Fairy Berries” while I was wedding planning, and I was able to use one of those to make my cake toppers light up!

Supplies

Buying one package of each of those should give you far more supplies than you actually need to get this done.

*Alternatively, you can just buy completed print in our store. But if you already have a printer then you’re set!

Print File Prep

I downloaded High Res Gem Wings Cut 1 and High Res Wings Cut 1. Opened both in Simplify 3D and resize the Gem model to 82.733 x 122.886 x 14.439 and the High Res Wings model to 82.449 x 83.657 x 12.489 (sizes in mm). I also adjusted a few process settings in Simplify to get it to print without the bottom layer. I printed at medium quality with no infill and tweaked the layer settings:

These are necessary to make the fairy berry fit perfectly, and still allow the glow to shine through. If you want more glow you could decrease the number of top solid layers, but I loved how the translucent filament softened the glow! You won’t see the hole in the model until you click the “prepare to print” button and look at it from below. At the size above, with the settings outlined the fairy berries will fit in the holes just right!

Changing the Size of the Fairies Changing model size in Simplify is as easy as doubleclicking the model and editing the scale until it's the size you're looking for. I honestly stumbled on the right size for the fairy berry, and I'm glad I did! Fairy In Progress Print Preview The preview in Simplify shows that it won't be printing a bottom, which is perfect for the fairy berry! You don't need support for this print, the angle is shallow enough the print alright without it. :) Simplify Interface This is what the models looked like when properly resized. I actually printed about a half dozen of them before I got one printed at the right size.

Assembly

Once you’ve got the printed fairies, assembly is easy! Just put a fairy berry in one of the sides and smash the other one down on top of it. They stay together pretty well, but for extra insurance I dabbed a little super glue on the smallest wing and attached it to the back. This allows me to pull it back open again to replace the batteries in the berry if I want to.

Aaaannnd you’re done! 😀 To get them to sit up on the cake! You can push the bottom wing into the fondant a titch. The awesome thing is that with a little creativity you can turn them into Christmas Ornaments and display them forever after. (Another craft post to come when I get mine done. 🙂 )

Result

(Photo Credits: Naomi Leu)