💰 Results: Around €300/month currently
⏱ Time invested: Mostly upfront work
🔥 Worth it? Yes
🛠 Tools used: ChatGPT, Hyper3D, 3D printer, MakerWorld, Creality Cloud, Nexprint, Cults3D, MyMiniFactory
Today I want to talk about the side hustle that has worked best for me so far.
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One email per experiment. Full numbers, no fluff.
3D printing.
But probably not in the way most people imagine.
When people hear “3D printing side hustle,” they usually think of someone printing phone stands, toys, cosplay parts, or custom items and selling them locally. Maybe a small print farm. Maybe Etsy orders. Maybe someone running printers all day in a garage.
That is not really what I do.
I do not mainly sell printed products to local customers.
My main side hustle is designing 3D printable files and uploading them online.
More specifically, I create STL files, upload them to different platforms, and earn money, points, rewards, gift cards, filament, and sometimes even printers from those uploads.
Strange little business, honestly.
But it has been the best one I have tested.
The reason is simple: I did a lot of the work in the beginning, and now many of the models are already online. People can still find them, download them, print them, like them, and interact with them.
And I can still earn from work I already did.
That is the part I like most.
How It Started
At the beginning, I designed models myself.
The normal way.
I would open 3D modeling software, build the model, adjust the details, test the file, print it, fix whatever looked wrong, print again if needed, then prepare everything for upload.
It worked, but it took time.
A lot of time.
And if you have ever spent an evening fixing one tiny annoying detail in a 3D model, you know how quickly “just a small edit” turns into two hours of staring at vertices like they personally offended you.
For the last few years, my process has changed a lot.
Now I let AI do a big part of the heavy lifting.
I usually start by generating image ideas with ChatGPT. Then I use AI 3D model generation platforms that can turn those images into STL files.
There are many tools that can do this now.
The one I personally use is Hyper3D.
This is not an advertisement. I am not saying it is perfect or that everyone should use it. I simply found Hyper3D when I started experimenting with this process a few years ago, and I have been happy enough with the quality to keep using it.
That is the whole story.
Nothing dramatic.
Just a tool that worked for me.
My Basic Process
The workflow is pretty simple now.
It usually looks like this:
- generate an image idea with ChatGPT
- use an AI 3D model generator to turn the image into an STL file
- download the model
- inspect and check the file
- print the model myself
- take real photos of the printed result
- upload the model to different platforms
- let people download it over time
The important part, at least for me, is that I do not just generate random STL files and throw them online without testing.
I print the models.
That matters.
A render can look nice, but it does not prove the model actually prints well. A real photo of the printed object is much stronger. It shows people what they are actually getting, not just some perfect digital preview.
Also, from my experience, uploads with real printed photos simply feel more trustworthy.
And honestly, they are more trustworthy.
Free Course Link
I also made a Udemy course where I show the AI 3D model generation process from start to finish.
The course is paid, but I have a free link here:
https://www.udemy.com/course/ai-powered-3d-modeling-for-3d-printing/?couponCode=77507E10FED000C1C1A4
If the link is expired, send me an email:
I can generate a new free link and send it to you.
Where I Upload the Models
Once the model is generated, checked, printed, photographed, and ready, I upload it to different 3D model platforms.
For direct sales, platforms like Cults3D and MyMiniFactory can work.
But I want to be honest here: direct STL sales have not been the biggest part of this side hustle for me.
From those platforms, around €20–€50 per month combined is already a decent result in my experience.
That might sound low.
And yes, it is not huge money.
But direct sales are only one part of the whole system.
The bigger opportunity for me has been reward-based platforms.
That is where things became much more interesting.
The Real Opportunity: Reward Platforms
Some 3D model platforms reward creators not only through direct sales, but through points, gift cards, promotions, or creator reward systems.
My main platforms have been:
- MakerWorld
- Creality Cloud
- Nexprint
These platforms can reward you when people download, print, like, boost, collect, or interact with your models.
The rewards can then be used for things like filament, printers, gift cards, or other platform benefits depending on the platform and current rules.
This is where the side hustle became much better than simply selling STL files for a few euros each.
Because instead of waiting for someone to buy one file, the model can keep generating platform value through engagement.
Not every model does well, of course.
Some uploads disappear into the internet fog and do basically nothing.
But when you build a bigger portfolio, the winners start carrying the weaker models.
At least that has been my experience.
MakerWorld Results
MakerWorld has been the biggest platform for me so far.
Over the last 2 years, I have generated around:
€4,500 in MakerWorld gift cards
That is not from one model.
It is from building up uploads over time.
What do I do with those gift cards?
Mostly, I use them to buy 3D printers and filament.
Then I sell those locally for cheaper than official store prices.
That is how I turn platform rewards into real money.
This is why the side hustle became more interesting than I expected. The value is not only in selling files directly. The value is also in using platform reward systems smartly.
Is it perfectly passive? No.
Is it guaranteed forever? Also no.
But it has worked very well for me so far.
Creality Cloud Results
Creality Cloud has also brought in good value.
From Creality Cloud, I have made around:
€1,000 in rewards over the last 2 years
Again, this was not instant.
I had to create models, upload them, test them, build a profile, and wait for downloads and engagement.
But once the models are live, they can keep working in the background.
That is what I like about this side hustle.
You do the work once, and the result can continue producing something later.
Not always.
But sometimes.
And when it works, it feels pretty good.
Nexprint Results
Another strong platform for me has been Nexprint.com.
At the time of writing, they have a promotion where creators can get $5 for every verified model upload.
This promotion has made me over:
$2,000 in the last 2 years
That is a very good result from uploading models.
But I should add a warning here.
Promotions can change.
Reward systems can change.
Platforms can change their rules, reduce payouts, remove gift card options, or completely redesign how creators earn.
So I would not build the entire side hustle around one platform only.
When a good opportunity exists, I think it makes sense to use it. But I also think it is risky to depend on one website too much.
Internet platforms are not your friends.
Useful, yes.
Friends, no.
Why This Side Hustle Works So Well for Me
The biggest reason I like this side hustle is that it can become semi-passive.
Not passive in the fake “earn money while sleeping forever” way.
More like:
I did a lot of work earlier, and now some of that work still produces value.
For the last half year, I have not been very active with 3D printing.
But the models I uploaded before are still online.
People can still download them.
Platforms can still reward them.
I can still receive monthly value from work I already finished.
That is a very different feeling from trading time directly for money every single day.
With a normal job or freelance work, if I stop working, the income stops quickly.
With this, at least some of the work can keep going in the background.
That is the part that makes it my favorite side hustle so far.
The Downsides
Of course, this is not magic.
There are downsides.
First, the beginning takes work.
You need to create or generate models, check them, print them, take photos, write descriptions, upload files, and learn what each platform wants.
Second, not every model performs well.
Some models get downloads.
Some do absolutely nothing.
And sometimes the model you think will perform well gets ignored, while some random simple idea does better. Internet logic. Very scientific, obviously.
Third, platform rules can change.
This is probably the biggest risk.
Reward systems, promotions, gift cards, point values, payout options — none of those are guaranteed forever.
A platform can be great this year and completely different next year.
Fourth, copyright matters.
You need to be careful with originality. I try to create my own ideas and avoid copying existing characters, brands, logos, or protected designs.
That part is important.
If the whole strategy depends on uploading copyrighted characters or trendy stolen designs, then it is not really a serious long-term side hustle. It is just asking for problems.
So no, this is not a “press one button and get rich” method.
You still need to test, print, upload, learn, and repeat.
My Results
The income varies a lot depending on the month, the platforms, promotions, reward systems, and how active I am.
Direct STL sales from platforms like Cults3D and MyMiniFactory are usually modest for me.
Around:
€20–€50 per month combined
is already a decent result.
The bigger value has come from reward platforms.
Over the last 2 years, I have made approximately:
- €4,500 in MakerWorld gift cards
- €1,000 from Creality Cloud
- over $2,000 from Nexprint
That is why I consider this my best side hustle so far.
It combines things I already enjoy: 3D modeling, 3D printing, AI tools, digital files, online platforms, and semi-passive earning potential.
Not a bad combination.
My Rating: Keep
In my side hustle testing, I rate this one as:
KEEP
This is currently my main side hustle and probably the best one I have tested.
The best part is that I do not need to sell physical printed products to every customer. I can create a digital file once, upload it, and potentially earn from it many times.
That makes it much more attractive to me than many other side hustles.
It is not effortless.
It is not risk-free.
And it is definitely not guaranteed to work the same forever.
But for me, based on my actual results, it has been worth keeping.
I will continue tracking this side hustle and sharing the numbers here.
Not financial advice. This is just my personal side hustle experience and real results from testing 3D model design and 3D printing platforms.
