Sea urchin Christmas tree ornament

thingiverse

Some enthusiasts craft festive tree ornaments out of sea urchins, and last year I came across some impressive examples, which inspired me to acquire a few shells, but unfortunately, I haven't attempted turning any yet. However, I recently obtained translucent plastic for my 3D printer, and my wife has been expressing interest in creating ornaments, so just for fun I designed upper and lower finials for one of the urchin shells and decided to give it a try. The next time I tackle this project, I'll refine the design of the stem, but for now, this was my initial attempt. I used translucent PETG filament for printing, filling the urchin shell with expanding foam while avoiding any contact with the outer surface. Next, I drilled a half-inch hole in the top and bottom, then assembled the upper and lower pieces using hot glue after they had been printed.