How One Kid Turned a 3D Printer Into a Family Business: The Story of LittlePrintyCo

I had just come back from maternity leave when I stumbled across LittlePrintyCo on Instagram. My son was a few weeks old. I was exhausted in the way only new parents understand. And there, in my feed, was this girl maybe ten years old cracking build plates before school like it was the most normal thing in the world...

She checked her printers first thing in the morning. Gave each machine a new job before she left for school. After school: IT'S BUSINESS TIME! Packing orders, tying ribbons, making everything look cute. Then helping her mom check the inventory. Before bed, one final round to make sure the printers were back on the night shift.

I watched that video three times. I was genuinely moved by it. Partly because I had just become a mom. Partly because I kept thinking: I want my son to grow up like this. With this kind of initiative, this kind of creative confidence, this complete matter-of-fact ownership over something he built himself.

What you're about to read is the story of how a girl came home from school one day with a small 3D-printed fidget board her classmate had made, and three months later her family had four printers, a viral Instagram, and a business. Her parents had never heard of 3D printing. She walked them into it.

If you're a parent, keep reading. I have a feeling you'll love this story — and it might just give you and your kids a new favourite thing to do together. This is LittlePrintyCo, and how one small idea changed everything for this family.

“3D printing showed me that kids can create real things, help people, and even start a business. I hope other kids feel inspired to try their ideas too.” Milla. 

How it all started

Milla's parents, Gui and Cynthia, had never thought about 3D printing. Then one afternoon, their daughter came home holding a small 3D-printed fidget board her classmate had made on a Bambu Lab A1. She walked through the door excited, showing them every detail, explaining how her friend's family had made it at home. "How does a printer make this?" she asked. "Could we create our own designs too?"

She always loved small, intricate things. Now she knew she could create everything she had ever imagined. What happened next surprised even her parents. Rather than just asking for a printer, Milla went away and researched. Then she told them she'd use her own savings to buy it. Money she had set aside from birthdays, Christmas gifts, and special occasions over years. Invested in one thing she truly believed in.

What impressed us most was how thoughtful she was about the decision. She didn’t answer impulsively. Instead, she started researching everything she could about 3D printing. Milla compared brands and models, watched videos, checked prices, and learned what beginners should look for in a printer. She even came to us with a list of options and explained why she thought the A1 or P1S would be a great fit for our family. For us as parents, it was incredible to see her initiative, excitement, and willingness to learn something completely new. That little moment at the front door ended up becoming the beginning of LittlePrintyCo, the brand name chosen by her. That became the starting point for our family to dive deeper, refine the research together, and make the best decision possible. And that is one of the reasons we chose Bambu Lab. We felt it was the best combination of quality, reliability, ease of use, and experience for a family beginning this journey together.

That was about three months before our call. By the time we spoke, the family had four printers running in the basement, a growing Etsy store, their first market stall that sold out completely, and an Instagram account that has gone viral, from 91 followers to nearly 20,000 in just a few days.

What a 3D printer actually brought into their home

I’ll be honest. When I called Gui, I expected to hear a story about a business. What I actually heard was a story about a family finding a new way to be together.

Both Gui and Cynthia work full-time, remotely, from home. Before LittlePrintyCo, they were in the same house but pulled in different directions. Now they’re in the basement together, talking about ideas, solving problems, and figuring out what to make next. Their younger daughter Milla, is right there with them. Even their oldest, who mostly focused on volleyball, has started getting pulled in.

“We are spending so much more time together,” Gui told me. “All day, we are talking about ideas, what to make next, what people are asking for. We didn’t expect this at all.”

And alongside all of that, quietly, both daughters are picking up skills that no school curriculum would have taught them this early. At their age, they are doing things most adults only learn on their first job.

Milla is learning to brief a designer, review creative work, manage inventory, pack orders, and understand what her customers actually want. Malu is developing her voice on camera and contributing product ideas. They draw what they want to make, hand the sketch to a designer, and give feedback on the result. 

One of the biggest goals behind LittlePrintyCo is for all four of us to understand every part of the process involved in building a business. Because of that, we are all working in different areas of the business and learning side by side as a family. It’s not only about selling products. It’s about creativity, communication, teamwork, responsibility, and learning how ideas become something real that people enjoy and connect with. - Cynthia shares

Milla's parents on how " 3D printing brought us together in ways we never expected "

One of our favorite memories from the very beginning was when Milla asked Malu if she wanted to invest her own savings into the business, too. At first, Malu quickly answered, “No, I’m not putting my money into that.” Milla immediately replied, “Okay then… when my business grows, you can work for me, and I’ll pay you by the hour.” :) We still laugh about that moment today, especially because not long after, Malu had already changed her mind and fully embraced the idea as part of the project.

As parents, we were incredibly impressed by Milla’s confidence, initiative, and clarity about what she wanted to build. Seeing both girls naturally grow into different roles and support each other throughout the journey has been one of the most meaningful parts of creating LittlePrintyCo together as a family.

“I thought it would just be something fun, but it ended up bringing our whole family together even more,” Milla said.

We have always been a very united family and used to do many things together already, but this project brought something unique into our home. Now we spend hours creating together, imagining together, talking about ideas, solving problems, and building dreams side by side. What makes it even more special is that each person contributes differently. Different generations, different perspectives, different strengths, but all moving toward one purpose together. One person has an idea, another improves it, another brings creativity, another organizes it, and together something bigger is created. That has probably been the most beautiful part of this entire experience.

For us, LittlePrintyCo was never only about printing products. It became about creativity, family, learning, faith, and inspiring other families to create together, too. 

Follow LittlePrintyCo on Instagram @littleprintyco. If their story sparked something for you, head to MakerWorld to explore thousands of free, beginner-friendly 3D models designed to help you get started from day one — no design experience required.