By the end of last year, we introduced a new Prusament spool. It’s a bit slimmer, compatible with most multi-color printing systems, easier to take apart, and now includes an NFC tag based on the OpenPrintTag standard. OpenPrintTag allows printers to recognize the spool right away and provide a quick overview of remaining filament, material type, and other useful printing information. Overall, we can swear it’s the most practical thing for everyday printing.🤞

Yes, you can keep an empty spool and use it again with a Prusament refill. But once a spool has served its purpose and you no longer need it for refills, there’s no reason to leave it sitting in a corner!

Prusament Spool Lamp by Franz

Prusament Spool Lamp by Franz

Give the new Prusament spool a second life!

A few years ago, we ran a Printables contest focused on reusing the old Prusament spools, and the results were full of great ideas. With the new spool, it’s a good time to return to this theme. Upcycle the spool in any way you like and give it a new purpose! A spool can become a stand, a small table, a hanger, a workshop helper, a piece of art, or something entirely different.

We have two simple rules:

First, we know there are many different spool types, but for this contest, we’re focusing on new Prusament spools only. If you haven’t had a chance to get your hands on one yet, don’t worry, you can download a dummy model of the spool on Printables.

Second, your project should reuse the actual spool (or its parts) itself as part of the final build.

To help you start, we’re bringing you a selection of some nice old Prusament spool upcycling projects from Printables:

Flower Planter Stand
Prusament water hose spool

Cable Spool from Prusa Spool Upcycling
Socks hanger

Turntable
PRUSAVENT

Prusament Spool Clock
PRUSA Sorting Tower

Prizes

First place

The first-place winner will unwrap a brand new Prusa CORE One+ kit!

Second place

Second place will be rewarded with 1750 Prusameters – which is enough for grabbing
5 spools of Prusament or choosing from other selected products including Prusa Merch!

Third place

For third place, you’ll get 1400 Prusameters , perfect for picking out 4 spools of Prusament or exploring other options from the rewards section.

Representative images of what you can exchange your Prusameters prize for.<br>Starring: Mikoláš Zuza & Pepa’s head

Representative images of what you can exchange your Prusameters prize for.
Starring: Mikoláš Zuza & Pepa’s head

Community’s Picks

As always, you all have a chance to help award some prizes too. We want to see your makes of submitted designs. Five entries with the most makes (who are not also main prize winners or honorary mentioned) will each receive 500 Prusameters.

Judging Criteria:

  • The overall quality of the model.
  • Printability – Whether the model has an optimal orientation, whether it is divided into multiple parts so it can be printed more easily (without supports) etc.
  • Originality – If you create something truly unique, it will be rated better than a slightly altered existing model.
  • Popularity – Share your model to increase its popularity and prove that users appreciate such a model.
  • Your other works – In case we can’t decide between two favorite designs, we often check your other models to see what you can do.
  • Assembly instructions – If your model consists of multiple parts, we check how easy it is to assemble the final product.
  • Photo quality – Well-lit, in-focus, and clear photos help show off your work and help us pick the best designs. For tips, check out our Basics of Product Photography course!

How to participate?

It’s easy to participate in this competition. Just follow these simple instructions.

  • Design and create a model or improve an already existing one (“remix”) so that the result fits the theme of this contest. The model has to be printable on an FFF/FDM or SLA 3D printer (any manufacturer and model). This also means that you don’t need to own a 3D printer to participate. When creating the model, keep in mind the pros and cons of various types of 3D printing technologies and what can and can’t be actually done.
  • Upload the model to Printables.com and make sure it contains:
    1. Model in .3MF or .STL file format (print files are optional)
    2. Photo or render of the model (ideally both)
    3. Model description
  • Add the model to the contest. You will find the new competition button just below the download button on the print’s page after you publish your print. Click the Compete medal and select the “Upcycling NEW Prusament Spools” contest. After that, your print will be shown on the contest page and you will be in the running.

Of course, you can share your model on social networks (Facebook, Instagram, X, Pinterest,…), and don’t forget to add @printablescom. This can help increase the popularity of the model.

Terms and conditions

  • The contest runs from April 02, 2026, to May 02, 2026.
  • You can submit up to 5 unique models to the competition and increase your chances of winning.
  • Models submitted to the contest must be models that have been uploaded on or after October 01, 2025.
  • The model must contain at least one printed part.
  • By entering the contest, you agree to keep your model posted to Printables.com for a minimum of one year. The Prusa team reserves the right to repost your design if it is removed before the end of that year.
  • AI-generated models are not allowed. Please submit only designs you created yourself.
  • You must be the original creator of the model you upload. Please do not repost other people’s models from other sites.
  • We reserve the right to terminate the competition or change the conditions of the competition at any time. In case of violation of the terms and conditions or attempted fraud, the competitor will be disqualified.
  • Submitting entries that do not fit the contest criteria will result in disqualification, and repeated offenses may disqualify you from future contests.
  • Results are at the judge’s discretion, and all results are final.