Turn your kid's drawing into a 3D print
Updated August 30, 2026 · Published August 30, 2026
Here is the whole process: photograph the drawing, upload the photo, and PolyMedium turns it into a 3D model for $0.25. The STL download is free and goes straight into any slicer, so the drawing on the fridge becomes a toy on the shelf for a quarter plus filament. The model keeps the crayon look by default: wobbly lines stay wobbly, because that is the point. For another $0.25, "Make it real" generates a second version reimagined as a real object, and kids reliably lose their minds at the side-by-side.
How it works
- 1
Photograph the drawing
Snap the page however is easiest; shadows, skew, and the table around it are cleaned up automatically. The one thing that matters is the drawing itself: bold marker or crayon lines work better than faint pencil, and if the drawing is very light, tracing the outline with a marker first makes a real difference.
- 2
Upload it
PolyMedium recognises it as a drawing automatically and builds the 3D model for $0.25, keeping the hand-drawn marks instead of smoothing them away. Want to see it as a real object too? "Make it real" is a $0.25 add-on that generates a second model reimagined as the actual thing your kid drew. If a job fails, you are refunded automatically.
- 3
Download the STL and print
The STL export is free. Open it in your slicer (Cura, PrusaSlicer, Bambu Studio), scale it to the size you want, and print. Drawings with thin sticking-out parts (stick arms, antennae) may need supports or a slightly larger scale to print cleanly. No printer at home? Many libraries and print services accept STL files, or keep it digital: the free turntable GIF and phone AR view are a hit on their own.
Why PolyMedium fits
- • Total cost: $0.25 for the model, $0.50 if you add "Make it real"
- • STL export is free, plus GLB, USDZ (view it in AR on a phone), and a turntable GIF
- • The crayon look is preserved on purpose; it is a model of the drawing, not a correction of it
- • No 3D printer required to enjoy it: AR view and GIF are free too
Try it free
$3.00 starter balance: twelve $0.25 models, no card required.
FAQ
How much does it cost to turn a kid's drawing into a 3D print?
$0.25 for the 3D model, and the STL file for printing is a free download. The optional "Make it real" version (the drawing reimagined as a real object) is another $0.25. Filament for a palm-sized print typically costs well under a dollar. New accounts start with a $3.00 free balance, so the first drawing costs nothing.
Will the print actually look like the drawing?
Yes, deliberately so. The pipeline detects hand-drawn art and keeps the marks: uneven outlines, odd proportions, and all. It builds the drawing as a 3D object rather than redrawing it into something generic. One honest caveat: home 3D printers print in one filament color at a time, so a single-color print captures the shape, not the crayon colors. Paint it together, or print on a multi-color printer.
What kind of drawings work best?
A single subject with a bold outline: an animal, a monster, a person, a rocket. Marker and crayon beat faint pencil. Very thin details (whiskers, stick fingers) survive in the model but can be fragile in a small print, so scale up or print thicker. A page with five separate doodles should be photographed as five separate uploads.
What is "Make it real"?
A $0.25 option that takes the same drawing and generates a second model reimagined as a real object: the crayon dragon becomes a dragon, the scribble car becomes a car. You get both models, and the side-by-side is usually the best part.
Do I need a 3D printer?
No. The model is worth having on its own: view it in AR on your phone via the free USDZ export, or share the free turntable GIF. If you do want a print, public libraries and online print services accept the STL file.