We keep rolling with the flash contests so keep your eyes peeled on this page to see the current themes. Reminder, flash contests come weekly, every Friday, and only last 9 days. There is also only one main prize, 400 PrusaMeters to the winner but we are awarding some other small prizes awarded at our discretion. Oh, and if you are working to collect as many badges as possible on PrusaPrinters this is also a chance to get a contest winner badge!

Good luck and keep reading below to find our latest themes.

Current themes:

18. Last Meter

Starting May 13, 2022 Ending May 22, 2022 23:59 UTC

This is another one from our Sustainability team. It’s a shame to waste plastic, not only is it a valuable resource, it has an environmental impact. When we get down to those last few meters of plastic on our spools though, it can be hard to find a good use for them. So this week, let’s find some good uses!

This contest is all about small and useful prints that use as little filament as possible. Valid entries must be something useful and must be under 5 meters of filament, the less the better. To help us judge the entries, we also ask that you upload gcode on this one so we can easily see how much material is used.

Arrow Paper Clip By Jack

Don’t wait till the last minute to get your entry in, you have until May 22nd.

Contest Page

Judging Criteria, How to participate and Terms and conditions

17. Pen Cups

Starting May 6, 2022 Ending May 15, 2022 23:59 UTC

I have to admit, this one comes from personal need, I have way too many pens, pencils, markers, small tools, and other assorted things that I jam into vase mode prints around the house. and while prints designed as vases often work, there can be drawbacks from prints designed for flowers when storing pens.  So this week, help me put my pens away by designing “cups” to hold them. Vase mode prints are great for speed but it would be also great to see designs that take a more interesting shot at the problem.

Helical Gear Pen Holder by Larry Guo

Don’t write off this contest, get your entry in by Sunday the 15th for your chance to win.

Contest Page

Judging Criteria, How to participate and Terms and conditions

Archived themes:

16. Motor Visualizers

Starting Apr 29, 2022 Ending May 8, 2022 23:59 UTC

There are all kinds of mods for printers, some make them easier to use, some just make them prettier. One of the most popular that lives largely in the later category is motor visualizers. As the motors on your printer turn, magnets attached to motor shafts turn parts on the visualizers with corresponding magnets attached too. While there are some great visualizers already on Printables, we think the coolest ones have yet to be created and this week’s contest is your chance to prove us right. Qualifying entries must contain an element that moves in sync with any motor on your printer without causing any kind of issues with the motor’s primary function.

Extruder Visualizer by GerryPB

This is our last contest in April with all entries due in by May 8th.

Contest Page

15. Game Tokens

Starting Apr 22, 2022 Ending May 1, 2022 23:59 UTC

We all love to play games and some of our game contests in the past have been very successful. Of course with flash contests we try to keep things a bit more focused and whether you are trying to collect all the railroads or settle some foreign lands, you need tokens, but maybe a boot just doesn’t represent you. In this challenge we want you to create your own versions of the tokens and pieces of your favorite games. Please don’t release the entire game of any copyrighted games but we think additional tokens, pieces, and accessories are fair game.

Monopoly House and Hotel by Zwackelmann

April won’t be around much longer and this contest ends May 1st so don’t wait to show us a new piece to your favorite game.

Contest Page

14. Phone and Tablet Stands

Starting Apr 15, 2022 Ending Apr 24, 2022 23:59 UTC

From the kitchen counter, a desk, a nightstand, or numerous other places, sometimes it’s useful to prop up your phone on a stand. I’ve been known to employ various objects for this task when I didn’t have a real stand at hand. Now’s your chance to make sure none of us have to improvise another way to hold our phones in place. This week, create phone and tablet stands for your chance to win Prusameters. There are lots of phone and tablet stands already on Printables so we are really hoping you find some creative solutions for this one.

Phone Holder by Xanoy

Don’t stand around waiting to get your entry in, this contest ends on April 24th.

Contest Page

13. Easter Decorations

Starting Apr 8, 2022 Ending Apr 17, 2022 23:59 UTC

Spring is here and with it comes one of the more popular holidays on Printables, Easter. This week it’s all about cute as we challenge you to create your best eggs, bunnies, flowers, and other spring and Easter themed designs. The decorative potential of eggs alone should give you all plenty of opportunities to create something super fun for this one.

Easter BunnyEgg Hanging By Veronika

You’ve got until Easter Sunday for this one so hop on it and get your entries in!

Contest Page

12. Pranks, Tricks, Gags, and Jokes

Starting Apr 1, 2022 Ending Apr 10, 2022 23:59 UTC

It’s April 1st so what better time to show a little humor with your prints. We want to see your best jokes, gags, tricks, and pranks as entries in this week’s contest. Novelty shops have had years of selling us fake poo’s and trick boxes, now it’s your turn to dig up your inner prankster, so let’s see what you’ve got.

Unsolvable Riddle – 10 Agorot by IBM

Don’t be a fool, get your entry in by April 10th!

Contest Page

11. Nozzle Holders

Starting Mar 25, 2022 Ending Apr 3, 2022 23:59 UTC

There are lots of reasons to have a supply of extra nozzles handy. You may want to change sizes to adjust how your print turns out, you may have specialty nozzles for specific types of materials, or you may just need to replace a worn-out nozzle from time time time. New hotends like those featured in our upcoming Nextruder or the E3D Revo system will make nozzle changes a breeze in the future increasing the likelihood that users will want to swap nozzles from time to time. All these extra nozzles need a place to live so they don’t get lost. We’ve seen some really creative and useful nozzle storage systems in the past but there is always room for something new.

For this contest, all designs must hold at least one 3D printer nozzle in a reasonably effective and useful way (please don’t submit just an empty box that the nozzle would rattle around in or something like that). We don’t care what brand of nozzles or for what hotends the nozzles are compatible with. We would love to see designs that attach to printers, label what nozzles go where, or have other useful features, let’s see what you all come up with!

Prusa Nozzle Box by ncsandor

This contest ends on April 3rd so get those nozzles hot and your designs submitted.

Contest Page

10. Upcycling PET Bottles

Starting Mar 18, 2022 Ending Mar 27, 2022 23:59 UTC

One of the criticisms often placed on 3D printing is that it is contributing to the amount of plastic waste in the world, but what if we could use it to create less plastic waste? Recycling obviously helps make plastics more sustainable but sometimes, recycling can be less carbon-friendly than we would like for it to be so instead of recycling, why don’t we try upcycling! Upcycling is the process of reusing items in a way they were not necessarily intended for that gives them a new life rather than going into the trash or being sent off to be recycled.  We previously had a Prusament Spool Upcycling contest but this time we are going after a far more ubiquitous plastic waste source, PET bottles. We would like to see you create a print that helps you re-use a water, soda, or other plastic drink bottle in a new and useful way. Your entry doesn’t have to contain the whole bottle but must include a print and at least part of a plastic bottle.

PRUSAMENT Soda Bottle Bird Feeder

As always, you have 9 days to get your entries in for this contest so don’t wait.

Contest Page

9. Wall Hooks

Starting Mar 11, 2022 Ending Mar 20, 2022 23:59 UTC

Our Picture Frames flash contest is about to wrap up so, of course, we need ways to get our frames (and other things) on our walls. This week we challenge you to create wall hooks to hold anything you need to your walls. I personally have a wall leading into the basement of my house that is my “measurement station” with hooks to hold a meter stick, a set of calipers, and a bin for a tape measure. It’s really nice to not hunt for these things when my family needs them. So what will you hang on your walls when this contest is complete?

We don’t care if it’s with screws, nails, double-sided tape, glue, or other adhesives but to be a valid entry in this contest the model must attach to your wall. The entry must also be able to support another item, not simply be a decoration.

HangWateva (adhesive hook) by Daniel Useriu

If this contest hooks your attention, be sure to get your entry in by March 20th, 2022.

Contest Page

8. Picture Frames

Starting Mar 4, 2022 Ending Mar 13, 2022 23:59 UTC

In our digital age, many things have been replaced by technology but despite many attempts, digital picture frames have not really caught on. To view our memories, we still love good old-fashioned physical media so we need picture frames. Sure you can go to any of your favorite big box stores and pick up a frame but we are makers, we want to be able to print the things we need from the comfort of our own homes. For this competition, you can design your picture frame in any size or shape that you wish but it must be able to hold a photo, painting, or other similar art. We will even accept digital picture frames, maybe you can change our minds on the medium!

Puzzle Photo Frame Modular by SilvaMan

Entries are do by March 13 so don’t hang around waiting or this one might pass you by.

Contest Page & Winners

7. Toothbrush Holders

Starting Feb 25, 2022 Ending Mar 6, 2022 23:59 UTC

It wasn’t all that long ago that all toothbrushes were generally the same size and shape and it was easy enough to just toss them in a cup with a few holes in the top to store them by the sink. Now, that’s far from the case. Handles have become more ergonomic, no longer rectangular and electric toothbrushes come in all kinds of shapes and sizes to handle their batteries. Of course, when you have a 3D printer, making a holder that fits your needs perfectly is an easy job. With this flash contest, we want to see your toothbrush holders. It would be great if these designs also serve other functions, holding other items but to qualify at a minimum they must hold a toothbrush.

Bathroom Arranger by Elsa

Contest Page & Winners

6. Bottle Openers

Starting Feb 18, 2022 Ending Feb 27, 2022 23:59 UTC

It didn’t take long after desktop 3D printing began and users started sharing their designs with each other for a bottle opener to appear and we have seen tons of variations since but that doesn’t mean there isn’t room for new and unique takes on this tool. Be it a cap lifter or a cap turner, if it can help you open a bottle without resorting to the often furniture or teeth damaging tricks we have all seen in the past, we want to see it in this competition.

Contest Page & Winners

5. Rings

Starting Feb 11, 2022 Ending Feb 20, 2022 23:59 UTC

Tuning into the news the past week, it’s been hard to miss the talk of competitions and while our printers may not print in gold, silver, and bronze, you won’t want to let the opportunity skate by to win this week’s flash contest making some rings of your own. 3D printing is increasingly being used in the jewelry industry, especially using resin printers to create high quality models that can be molded and cast in precious metals. For this rings competition, we want to see it all, rings intended to just be worn in plastic and models that could be cast if desired, so long as they can fit on a finger (or a toe) they are perfect.

Contest Page & Winners

4. Valentines

Starting Feb 4, 2022 Ending Feb 13, 2022 23:59 UTC

It’s that time of the year, love is in the air as Valentine’s day is right around the corner. The theme for this week’s flash contest is you guessed it, Valentines. It’s time to break out your Ms. Pink and Lipstick Red Prusament and make all the cutesy creations you can stand. Let’s see those hearts, cupids, bows, and roses! We don’t really care what the items is or does this time so long as it’s brimming with love. We know this is a week early for actual Valentine’s day but we wanted to give you a chance to print some of the contest entries for your special someone.

Googly Eyes Hearts by PanamaRed

All entries must be submitted to the contest by February 13th. Have fun and good luck dealing with all that pink!

Contest Page & Winners

3. Pens and Pencils

Starting Jan 28, 2022 Ending Feb 6, 2022 23:59 UTC

From quills to roller balls, we have found an incredible variety of ways to make writing instruments over the years, now’s your chance to make one too. This contest is all about Pens and Pencils, we don’t want holders or other accessories, we want the actual bodies of the pens and pencils for this one. The wood turning crowd has been making fancy DIY pens and pencils for years and woodworking supply shops and of course Amazon are full of fancy kits for turning your own pens on a lathe and these can be used with 3D prints to make pens that would be impossible to create on a lathe. Of course we are not going to require you use a fancy kit for this competition if you don’t want, pop open a Bic pen and use the ink cartridge from it if you would like but to have a valid entry for this competition, it has to write.

3D Printed Slimline Pens by Dsk001

If you are a regular watcher of PrusaLive, you will have seen the master of 3D printed pens DSK001 on the show and might be worried that he will be entering the contest and would be hard to beat. Don’t worry, I thought about this and instead he is going to be a guest judge, helping us pick out the best pen you all create! All entries must be in by February 6th, we can’t wait to see what you come up with.

Contest Page & Winners

2. Cable Organizers

Starting Jan 21, 2022 Ending Jan 30, 2022 23:59 UTC

Wow, you really blew us away with your response to the first flash contest and we are ready to launch the second theme. Our modern lives have turned into a collection of cables. I’m willing to bet all of you have a drawer or box (or many of both) in your home that is a mess of cables from old phones, computer peripherals, and various gadgets. Sure, we’ve seen plenty of printable cable wraps and clamps designs, but hey, I think we need more.

Power Brick / Wall Wart Cord Wrap by rfinnie

Contest Page & Winners

1. Clothes Buttons

Starting Jan 18, 2022 Ending Jan 27th, 2022 23:59 UTC

We aren’t waiting for Friday for this first contest, we are kicking it off today! Our good friend Pooch creator of the RepBox posted a picture on twitter recently of fixing his pants with a 3D printed button. This sparked a conversation about how a couple of us had fixed our clothes with printed buttons and how we needed more on PrusaPrinters. This all eventually led me to the entire idea of the Flash Contests so it only felt right that it would be our first theme.

Hex Button by Stout Fay

Contest Page & Winners

Create shirt buttons, pants buttons, jacket toggles. Make them round, square, or crazy interesting shapes, surprise us with what a button can be. This contest will close on Wednesday January 27th 2022.

Judging Criteria

• 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, 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.

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 in order 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 PrusaPrinters.org 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 next to your name on the print’s page after you publish your print. Click the Compete medal and select the contest for name that matches the flash contest you are entering.

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

Terms and conditions

• You can submit any number of models (unique) to the competition and increase your chances of winning.
• Models submitted to the contest must be new models created during each flash contest window.
• The entry must contain at least one printed part and must include all models required to complete the project.
• By entering the contest, you agree to keep your model posted to PrusaPrinters 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.
• You must be the original creator of the model you upload, please no reposting 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 an attempted fraud, the competitor will be disqualified.
• Results are at the judges discretion and all results are final.