How to create 3D paper models of your Minecraft creations

For many, it's the new Lego, inspiring creativity using the simplest shapes and forms. The world of Minecraft is home to a lot of wonderful creations that both young and old spend hours, even days, making. And although they only reside in the digital world, a lot of people would like to own a physical copy of them as well.

While you can quickly and accurately bring Minecraft models to life with a 3D printer using Printcraft - as we explain here - the limitations of printing in multiple colours makes it difficult to replicate the graphics seen in Minecraft exactly.

So while we wait for the technology to catch up, the best way to recreate your blocky designs on the physical plane is often to get old-school with paper, scissors and glue. But tech can still help here, in the form of the Minecraft Papercraft Studio app.

The app gives you a helping hand by turning your Minecraft creations into full colour printable 2D nets, which can then be folded in to physical 3D models.

Aside from your own creations, you can also download and print a multitude of models from the Minecraft universe, including Steve, the Creeper and even the Enderman. Here's a tutorial to explain how it all works:

Words: Christian Harries

Christian Harries is a freelance product designer and recent graduate from Ravensbourne. His portfolio can be seen here.

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Have you seen a cool 3D tool? Tell us about it in the comments!