From My First 3D Printer to Designing My Own Creations.
I didn’t set out to start a design brand.
I bought my first 3D printer out of pure curiosity
So when I saw a 3D printer for the first time, I wasn’t thinking about selling anything.
I was thinking: How does that even work?
The First Print
Like most people, I started by downloading designs.
Little gadgets, plant pots and decorative bits. Watching the machine slowly build something layer by layer felt almost addictive. There’s something satisfying about seeing an idea become physical in front of you.
But after a while, something started to bother me., everything looked the same on every social platform
Scroll through any online marketplace and you’ll see it — hundreds of similar designs, printed in different colours, sold cheaper and cheaper. Speed over thought. Quantity over quality.
That’s not how I’ve ever approached design and creations in my professional career as a carpenter. I take pride in my work and others would say that I am a perfectionist, but whats wrong with that?
Learning to Design
The turning point was when I realised, If I wanted to make things that looked different, I needed to design them myself.
So I started to look into online design software and after hours of research, understanding the software and watching tutorials before I could even think about designing. This is where my passion grew and I realised it was more than just printing, it allowed me to become creative.
Designing something from scratch — adjusting curves, proportions, texture — and then watching it print for the first time is a completely different feeling. It’s no longer just plastic coming out of a machine. It’s your idea becoming real.
And that’s what hooked me.
Making Things With Intention
I didn’t want to make products that just filled space. I wanted pieces that not only serve a purpose but also aesthetically pleasing. I wanted to create plant pots that don’t look mass-produced, bathroom accessories that don’t look clinical.
I work with sustainable materials like wood-filled PLA filaments because materials matter. The texture matters. The finish matters. The way something feels in your hand matters.
3D printing isn’t just about technology.
It’s about what you choose to do with it.
From Curiosity to Willow 3D Designs
What started as curiosity turned into experimentation, experimentation turned into design. and design turned into Willow 3D Designs.
Every product I release now starts as an idea on screen — adjusted, refined, sometimes scrapped entirely — before it ever reaches a printer. If it doesn’t feel right, it doesn’t get made. Each piece is critiqued by my wife and daughters and they are brutal. Then I go back to the design, and make the changes and often it's the third or fourth print that passes their satisfaction, and I often see the trial products disappearing, funny that.
For me personally, I’m not interested in chasing trends or competing on price, I’m interested in making beautiful products so that people can add a touch of elegance in their homes.
This Is Just the Beginning
Buying that first 3D printer was a bold decision at the time, as this was not a buy on a whim purchase.
But it opened the door to something bigger — combining traditional craftsmanship values with modern technology.
And I’m still learning. Still refining. Still designing.
That’s the part I love most.
If you value thoughtful design, sustainable materials, and products made with intention — you’re in the right place.