Bambu Lab’s #WhyIPrint Contest: Celebrating the Winners 🎉
Discover the inspiring stories behind the creations that brought our community together.
Last December, we launched the #WhyIPrint Contest with a simple yet powerful goal: to connect with our community and see what drives your creativity. While MakerWorld and our monthly themed contests offer glimpses of the amazing minds out there, this contest was different. We wanted to dive deeper into your personal journeys with 3D printing by asking:
- What sparked your interest in 3D printing?
- What was your first "wow" moment?
- How has 3D printing changed your life?
- What keeps you excited about 3D printing today?
#WhyIPrint allowed us to truly “see” you, without limits on what you could share.
And you didn’t disappoint!
With 553 submissions (over 100 in the final weekend alone), you shared so much creativity, skill, and passion. Each video reflected heart and effort, and we were blown away.
We want to say a big THANK YOU to everyone who participated. Not only for sharing your story with us, but for inspiring the world as ambassadors of this incredible technology.
It was a privilege to meet so many of you through your stories, and we loved discovering the diverse and inspiring ways you use 3D printing to bring ideas to life.
Here’s a quick look at some of the amazing projects we saw:
- Life-changing medical projects, like prosthetics, surgical tools, and other custom devices;
- Ingenious problem-solving and community-driven ideas, from engineering kits to the ultimate coffee machine companion;
- Clever engineering feats, such as drone add-ons to exoskeletons;
- Tech for good, like a speech-to-3D-model for the visually impaired or wheelchair soccer solutions;
- And beautifully crafted cosplays and art.
Many of these videos were really well-made, with storytelling at its finest. Others featured projects requiring countless hours of engineering and effort. Some touched our souls, and several had us bubbling with excitement.
It was especially inspiring to see so many kids and teens diving into 3D printing. Seeing their enthusiasm, we just know that the future is bright and in excellent hands!
With so many incredible projects to consider, selecting the winners wasn’t easy. But after careful deliberation, we’re thrilled to reveal the #WhyIPrint winners and why we loved their stories.
Drumroll, please... 🥁🥁🥁
Legend Winner
Our grand prize winner is @starwars.eo, a.k.a. Marco, who took us on an adventure with his 8-year-old son and their robot B3N. Congrats! 👏
What we loved about their story is how they started with one goal– making a robot– and ended up printing props and costumes, and strengthening their father-son relationship along the way.
Marco’s story perfectly captures what #WhyIPrint is all about: empowering creativity, fostering learning, and turning big ideas into reality.
Congratulations for your hard work and patience on this amazing project! We hope that your $5,000 cash prize will help you and your son take it even further.
Prodigy Winners
These winners may not have taken the top spot, but we appreciated them all for different reasons. Congratulations to the 10 prodigies who each receive $500! 👏
@dr.oscarjuarez
Using 3D printing in his medical practice, Dr. Juarez combines precise models, custom tools, and virtual planning to improve patient care. We appreciate that he went the extra mile and wrote a song about it!
@cooper_s_creations
A talented teen who started 3D printing at just 10 years old and now operates a small business thanks to his Bambu Lab printer.
@nozzle_torino
Andrea Piccinno built his own exoskeleton from scratch, designing every single piece from head to toes. Well done!
@collecticraft
After discovering the power of 3D printing during his thesis, Fabrizio Drago couldn’t stop designing. He now uses it to make beautiful objects and art. It was a pleasure to discover his creations (check his files on MakerWorld!).
@exocage.metamorphosis
We loved the dramatics of this sleek video! Two brothers took on the challenge of designing a custom cage for their Lumix camera, solving practical needs like extra mounting points and better battery solutions. We love their ingenuity and teamwork!
@mytmjrelief
What started as a daily pain turned into a unique and profitable solution for this young entrepreneur and inventor. We love that 3D printing enabled him to ease his pain and that he’s making it available to others, too.
@freiewaldorfschulefrankenthal
It was great to meet all of these students in one video! A fun bunch and a cool professor that any class would be lucky to have. It was nice to see the #WhyIPrint contest become a video project for this class.
@techshat
Winning a Bambu A1 printer in an arcade turned into a creative spree for this maker, who now prints everything from cable organizers to custom designs. Keep it up!
@keatsdidit
Keats impressed us with his incredible collapsible Crypto cosplay sword, designed and printed using his trusty printers, "Alchemist" and "Thanos." Loved the energy of his video and look forward to seeing more of his cool props!
Northwest Mountie Robotics
We could just feel these young engineers’ excitement and enthusiasm across the screen. Their robots look awesome and we’re happy that our printers are helping them achieve great things.
Keep Creating, Printing, and Sharing!
Thank you again to everyone who participated in this contest. Even if your submission wasn’t selected this time, know that you were seen and that your contributions made an impact.
You’re always welcome to share your latest prints with us by tagging @BambuLab or using our hashtags. We can’t wait to see what you’ll create next and how you’ll continue to inspire others!
Be sure to follow us on social media so you don’t miss any upcoming contests, challenges, or exciting announcements (yes, we have plenty of those in store! 😎).
Cheers,
The Bambu Lab Team
