3D printers are getting a lot of attention as their prices go down, and more of us get involved in do-it-yourself projects.  All you need is a computer, a 3D printer, material used for 3D printing, and of course a file that acts as the backbone of your project.

Interested in 3D printing?  Here’s 3 fresh designs to check out.

Nokia Lumia 820 Case

The Finnish company just released their 3D printing files for the Lumia 820, which lets you design and build their own interchangeable casings.  The 3D-printing Development Kit, or 3DK, is available for free to anyone interested in making their very own Lumia 820 casing.  The 3DK offers raw files for 3D printers, guidance on what materials could be used, tips on making a unique case, and more.

The mechanical drawings for the back panel (all parts) is available here, while the mechanical drawings for the back shell can be found here and shell separated here.

The Creators Project

Ever wonder what your Facebook relationships look like, in 3D?  The Creators Project is a collection of apps that turn your Facebook social graph into a physical representation of the complex data.  Based on Shapeways’ API, there’s three ways to explore your Facebook relationships thanks to collaborative projects with app makers Softlab, Sosolimited and Sticky Monster Lab.  They each have their own special way of visualizing Facebook data, from interactions to personality tags.

CrayonCreatures

If some people use 3D printers to create iPhone cases, gun magazines, and other gadgets, one company is using it to turn kids’ drawings into reality.  CrayonCreatures was created by Bernat Cuni, a Spanish designer working in Barcelona with a focus on emerging 3D printing applications.

He was asked by his daughter to turn one of her drawings into a toy but Cuni was dissatisfied with the outcome.  The printed version wasn’t as alive as the drawing, lacking the color and the scratches of the crayons, which is what makes children’s artwork so interesting.

CrayonCreatures outlines the drawings, use CAD tools to “inflate it like a balloon,” apply pressure physics to round out the shapes, and export the file for 3D printing.  Their 3D file is not available for the public to use, but interested parties can send them an image and CrayonCreatures will send them the sculpture, for a fee of course.