Sites like Thingiverse and Printables offer hundreds of models for direct 3D printing, but sometimes we're after something more traditional... homemade. That doesn't mean technology is off the table, which brings us to the portal TemplateMaker, packed with designs for boxes, bags, envelopes, cylinders, cones, trays, and other special shapes, all with customizable dimensions.
I think I've told this story before, but in elementary and middle school, I went crazy making cardboard polyhedra. The teachers wanted the tetrahedron, the cube, the dodecahedron... weekends trapped in a nightmare of glue and poorly cut cardboard. Deep down I knew it would all be useless, and thirty years later, 3D printers proved me right: with just a couple of clicks, we can now print a "whatchamacallit-hedron" and have it ready in a couple of hours.
However, there are cardboard designs that are great, and definitely worth reproducing. All we need is patience, the right tools, and a precise template for making cuts. That's where the TemplateMaker portal comes in, offering dozens of free models, and the best part is it lets us easily customize their dimensions.
TemplateMaker: Free Templates for Boxes, Envelopes, and More
Each model includes basic unit parameters (millimeters, centimeters, or inches), and values for length, width, and height, but depending on secondary features, TemplateMaker also enables adjustments for margin, overlap, size, and flap angle, among other things. Once the template has the needed measurements, the rest is a matter of choosing the resolution, page orientation, and the download format. PDF is the most compatible, but TemplateMaker includes SVG and PNG in the list of options.
Finally, some of the templates are quite intuitive, but others include step-by-step guides that help us fold and apply glue in the right places. The total number of designs comes to 39, and honestly, it's more than enough to start, make mistakes, and try again. Link below!
Official site: Click here
