3D Printing a LEGO-inspired Christmas Tree

One Year, 500+ Parts and a Lot of Filament

A colorful, Lego-style Christmas tree stands in a cozy indoor setting, adorned with red and white ornaments, candles, and a star on top. In the foreground, a small Lego elf figure with a green hat and red scarf is positioned next to a wine rack filled with bottles. — The final product: a LEGO-inspired Christmas tree created over a year.

Follow my year-long journey printing a massive LEGO-inspired Christmas tree across 5 Bambu Lab printers. Here are the challenges, the hiccups, and what I learned along the way.

The Challenge

I started this project on a whim—inspired by Ellis Ware’s incredible Giant Brick Christmas Tree design on MakerWorld. When I first saw the files, I thought: “Could I actually do this?” The answer was yes. (But it took an entire year.)

This wasn’t a weekend project. This was a commitment to push my 3D printing setup to its limits and see what was possible when you dedicate serious time and resources to a single creative vision.

“
The year-long build taught me patience, planning, and the power of distributing work across multiple printers.

Journey Overview

Project By The Numbers

Key Insight

Successful 3D printing requires strategic planning and adaptability.

500+ pieces (tracked across the build)
~34,000g of filament (~34 × 1kg spools)
Printing time: (tracked during the build; see original post counters)

The Setup: 5 Printers

To make this work, I needed to think strategically. I couldn’t rely on a single printer—I’d be waiting years. Instead, I added to my arsenal of printers in 2025 so I could be more efficient:

1× Bambu Lab H2D – Dual extrusion, Dual AMS, 10W laser [NEW]
1× Bambu Lab A1 – AMS Lite [NEW]
1× Bambu Lab A1 Mini – AMS Lite
2× Bambu Lab X1 Carbon – both AMS equipped

Printer 1: Bambu Lab X1C, used for core parts.

Printer 2: Bambu Lab A1, used for smaller parts.

Printer 3: Bambu Lab A1 Mini, helped speed up production.

Printer 4: Bambu Lab H2D, used for experimentation and advanced techniques.

X1C: Used for core green parts.

A1: Provided speed boost for smaller parts.

A1 Mini: Essential for quick production.

H2D: Experimented with additional features.

Filaments

Polymaker PLA Pro Green was used for the bulk of the tree; chosen for its extra strength and durability. The ornaments are PLA as well but vary in company such as Bambu Lab, Polymaker, and ERYONE.

Key Insight

This project involved over 500 parts and significant investment in time and resources.

Design Tip

Carefully choosing your color palette can significantly enhance the visual appeal of your project.

Color Palette

I printed in eight primary colors—each carefully chosen to bring the tree to life. (Palette shown on the original post.)

Month by Month: The Journey

Over twelve months I printed, sanded, and tracked more than 500 pieces. Here’s a snapshot of the journey broken down by quarter:

Jan – March

Started with the core green parts on the X1Cs I had at the time.

April – June

Getting access to my A1 and the A1 Mini gave me a speed boost on smaller parts like the baubles and flowers.

July – Sept

Okay… here I might have slacked off a bit, printing so many other things and experimenting with my new H2D and its laser.

Oct – Dec

The final countdown! I had around 60% of it done and had to blast out the rest. All printers were running for 3 weeks straight leading up to the build.

Cost Breakdown

The total cost of the project was a bit higher than I had anticipated. However, factors like selecting PLA Pro for the bulk of the printing raised cost—but for the right reasons.

With 34k grams of filament for the project, this leaves around 34 × 1000g spools.

Assume 80% PLA Pro @ $33.99 per roll ~27 × $34 = $918 CAD
Remaining 20% averaging ~$20 per roll ~7 × $20 = $140 CAD

Total Estimated Cost: $1163*

*Estimate based on filament assumptions above.

♻️

Consider recycling failed prints into your next project! It's a great way to minimize waste.

Failed Prints & Waste

Even with careful planning, failed prints happen. I accounted for approximately 10% waste in my pricing formula.

Keep a box of failed pieces and consider recycling them into other projects! I use silicone molds and melt the scraps in the oven to create unique items people love!

The Assembly

Finally putting it all together was surreal. Seeing all the pieces snap into place and watching the tree come to life in my home—that was the moment it all became real. I added my own Christmas flair to make it feel uniquely mine.

Build Photos

A variety of colorful building blocks and construction pieces are arranged on a carpeted floor, with green blocks stacked in groups and other shapes in various colors, including red, yellow, and black, spread out around them. In the background, a decorated Christmas tree adds a festive touch to the cozy living room setting.

A collection of green building blocks is spread out on a carpeted floor, with several stacks neatly arranged nearby. An electronic device displaying a building plan is positioned next to the blocks, indicating a construction project in progress.

A colorful, block-style Christmas tree made from green building blocks stands on a carpeted floor, adorned with white candle replicas and red ornaments. In the background, festive decorations and a staircase are visible, enhancing the holiday atmosphere.

A colorful, large Christmas tree made of green building blocks stands in a festive entryway, adorned with red ornaments, white candles, and topped with a yellow star. Surrounding decorations include garlands, white flowers, and holiday-themed wall art, creating a cheerful atmosphere.

🔮

Looking Ahead: Explore new designs and techniques in future 3D printing projects!

What I Learned

Long-term projects need systems — I couldn’t wing this. Notion became my command center for tracking parts, colors, and progress, but inventory surprises still happened.
Printer diversity is powerful — having different printer models meant I could optimize each one for specific part types and sizes. This helped maximize how much I could print.
Filament management matters — humidity, storage, and organization prevented countless failed prints. And sometimes you just have to wait for the right material to come back in stock.
Community inspiration drives innovation — without the Maker community, prints like this wouldn’t exist. So much time and passion goes into these files!

What’s Next

LEDs: I’m planning to add lighting to the candles and reprint the star to support being lit up.
More Layers & Decorations: With the flexibility of the files, I’m going to add to the height by crafting a few custom layers and decorations.
Base / Stand: Print a matching base and elevate the tree with a stand.

Special Thanks

To Ellis Ware and Ruth Amos for the incredible design and for sharing the journey publicly. To the Bambu Lab community for the support and inspiration. And to everyone following along—your encouragement kept me printing!