BOO-tiful Earrings

October is right around the corner, and what better way to get into the spirit than by designing your own ghost earrings with 3D printing?

To get started, create a free account on Tinkercad,, opens a new window a beginner-friendly 3D design website. Once you are logged in, follow the steps below to bring your spooky earrings to life.

Step 1: Build the Ghost Body

Start with a round roof shape. Place it on the workplane and rotate it so it lays flat on its side at a 90-degree angle.

Adjust the height. Change the height of the roof to 2.00 so it looks short and rounded.

Make duplicates. Copy and paste the shape until you have three identical round roofs.

Create a hollow ghost body. Take one of the roofs and resize it to be slightly smaller than the original. Place the smaller roof directly inside the larger one so they overlap. Select the smaller shape, mark it as a “hole,” (the shaded icon, see photo below) and then group the two roofs together. This will leave you with a hollow, rounded shape that looks like the bottom of a ghost.

Add a box shape. Drag a box onto the workplane and adjust its height to match the ghost body (2.00). Position the box so that one of its edges connects to the side of the hollow roof, creating a flat base for the ghost’s body.

Finish the Top. Take your third round roof and place it above the other shapes, lined up in the center. Group (Control + G) all the shapes together to form the full ghost body.

Step 2: Add Personality!

Design a face. Use shapes such as small cylinders or circles for the eyes, and stretch an oval or rectangle for the mouth. Position them on the ghost’s face where you want them to appear.

Make cutouts. Change the facial features to “hole” shapes, then group them with the body so the printer will cut out the eyes and mouth.

Add a loop for earrings. Place a tiny cylinder at the very top of the ghost’s head. Make it a “hole,” then group it with the body so there is a small opening where you can attach an earring hook later.

Step 3: Add Ghostly Arms

Create two arms. Drag two more round roof shapes onto the workplane. Rotate them to 90 degrees and set their height to 2.00, just like the ghost body.

Attach the arms. Position one on each side of the ghost’s body, so they look like little rounded arms sticking out.

Combine the whole shape. Group all the pieces together so the ghost becomes one solid figure.

Step 4: Print and Assemble

If you want to 3D print at the library, check the Frisco Public Library website, opens a new window for information on booking a Makerspace printer. Remember, only adults can reserve or operate the equipment, but kids are welcome to design and participate with adult supervision.

Once your ghost is printed, attach a jump ring through the small hole at the top and connect it to an earring hook. Repeat the process for the second ghost, and you’ll have a pair of handmade Halloween earrings ready to show off!