3D Designer / STL File Creator – Sensory Play, Fidgets & Printable Products

About the Role
Hi! I’m looking for a creative and reliable 3D designer who can create original, print-ready STL files for my growing Australian sensory play business, Gumtree Kids.
I have a collection of product ideas I would love to bring to life for a slow release on our website. Initially, I’m hoping to create approximately 10–15 designs over a month, with the possibility of ongoing work if we work well together.
An important part of this role is that I would like to potentially sell both the physical 3D printed products AND the digital STL files through my website, so the designs need to be original and created specifically for my business with commercial and digital resale rights agreed upon.
What We’ll Be Designing
I have lots of ideas and would love to work with someone who can help turn sketches, inspiration, measurements and concepts into functional 3D printable products.
Designs may include:
Sensory play trays in different shapes, themes and patterns
Scoops, spoons and sensory tools
Trinket bowls and containers
Plates and trays with patterns, textures and designs
Small realistic fidget toys and clickers
Articulated and print-in-place toys
Plant pots, planters and decorative plant bases
Nature-inspired products
Pretend-play accessories
Small functional products and accessories
Other custom 3D printable products as our collection grows
Some products may be quite simple, while others will be more detailed and require additional work, testing and tweaking.
3D Printing Knowledge
I’m specifically looking for someone who understands designing for actual 3D printing, rather than only creating a 3D model that looks good digitally.
You should ideally understand:
FDM 3D printing
Creating clean, print-ready STL files
Wall thickness and durability
Tolerances and clearances
Overhangs and supports
Print orientation
Print-in-place designs
Articulated parts and moving pieces
Designing products to minimise unnecessary supports where possible
Slicing and checking designs before final delivery
Making adjustments following test prints
Experience with Fusion 360, Blender, FreeCAD, SolidWorks, Onshape or similar software is welcome.
Having your own 3D printer and being able to test your designs would be a bonus, but is not necessarily required.
Digital Files & Website Sales
Alongside selling our physical products, I would also like to build a collection of digital 3D printing files that customers can purchase from the Gumtree Kids website.
For designs selected for digital sale, I will need the final files prepared neatly and professionally for customer use.
This may include:
Final print-ready STL file/files
Clearly named and organised files
Separate files for products containing multiple pieces
Any relevant printing or assembly information
Editable/source design files supplied to Gumtree Kids
A simple image/render of the finished design where agreed
Any other files needed to make the product easy for a customer to download and print
Our website is currently hosted through Wix. Experience preparing digital products for Wix would be a bonus, but Wix experience is not required. The main priority is creating high-quality digital files that I can package and upload to the website for customers.
Ownership & Commercial Rights
This part is very important.
The designs created for this role will be custom products commissioned and paid for by Gumtree Kids. I need to be able to:
3D print the designs commercially
Sell the finished physical products
Sell the digital STL files through our website
Use the designs and renders in our marketing
Continue using the designs commercially in the future
Make or commission future modifications to the designs if required
Applicants should be comfortable agreeing to appropriate commercial usage, digital resale and ownership/licensing terms before work begins.
Please do not use downloaded STL files, purchased files, copied products or another designer’s work as the basis for our products unless this has been specifically discussed and the appropriate rights exist.
I am looking to create an original Gumtree Kids collection.
Experience
I would love to hear from experienced 3D designers, but I’m also very open to hearing from someone newer who has strong skills, creativity and a good understanding of 3D printing.
Some of my ideas will be straightforward, while others may require more detailed modelling, moving components or a few rounds of adjustments.
Communication is really important to me. I’m looking for someone who is happy to receive feedback, make tweaks and work together to get each design ready for printing and eventual sale.
To Apply
Please send:
A little about yourself and your 3D design experience.
Examples or a portfolio of products/STL files you have personally designed.
What software you use for modelling and slicing.
Whether you have access to your own 3D printer for testing.
Any experience with articulated models, fidgets, functional products, toys or sensory products.
Your usual pricing structure — hourly, per design or package pricing.
If possible, your approximate price range for a simple, medium and more complex design.
Your typical turnaround time.
Whether you are comfortable creating designs that Gumtree Kids can sell as both physical products and downloadable digital STL files.
Whether you have any experience preparing digital products for websites such as Wix.
Please start your application with “3D DESIGN” so I know you have read the full listing.
Initially, I’m looking at approximately 10–15 designs over the first month, released gradually rather than all at once. If we work well together, I would love for this to develop into an ongoing relationship, with new designs created regularly as Gumtree Kids continues to expand its 3D printed and digital product collections.
I’m excited to find someone creative who enjoys taking an idea and turning it into something we can print, test, sell and share with other 3D printing families and businesses.