A fidget cube that reveals a new animal every fold — 3D Print Pick (June 5)
CC BY print-in-place infinity cube with 48 animal engravings. No license fee. $3–4 filament, $12.99–14.99 retail.
Morass published this on Cults3D yesterday and it solves the core problem with generic infinity cubes: there's nothing to look at. Every one of the eight cubelets here has a different animal silhouette on its face — 48 total — so you're always turning over something new. Two-color print optional. CC BY license, no subscription, no membership fee. 1
What you're printing
Eight small cubelets connected by pivoting links that fold end over end — the whole assembly everts back into a 2×1×1 cube formation. The folding mechanism comes from Jan Pieper's Sturdy Infinity Cube (CC BY 4.0), which has a well-documented track record for link durability; Morass added the 48 engraved animal silhouettes and the two-color inlay system on top of that base. 1
Two STL files ship with the download: 1
infinity_cube.stl— the body, 82.96 × 40.96 × 20.0 mm, recessed animal facesinfinity_cube_inlay.stl— animal silhouettes sized to drop into the recesses, 82.96 × 40.96 × 19.96 mm (same footprint — these two files share coordinates by design)
Print single-color with just the body STL for a clean engraved look, or import both into the same plate for the full contrast version. The links are geometry-captured — a bar that rides inside a bored pocket and exits through a slot narrower than the bar. As the designer puts it: "No living hinges to snap, nothing to glue — it comes off the plate already a working cube." 1
Morass has 71 designs on Cults3D and carries Designer, Popular, and Downloading badges. 2 A cross-check on their Pocket Comb (also CC BY, also printed and tested on-machine) shows consistent quality and clear documentation across different model types. 3 The mechanism here is confirmed working: "Reprinted and confirmed everting on a real machine." 1
Print settings
| Setting | Value |
|---|---|
| Layer height | 0.20 mm |
| Walls | 3 |
| Infill | 15% |
| Supports | ON (auto-supports under the bored hinge pockets) |
| Material | PLA or PETG |
| Two-color setup | Import both STLs into the same plate — they share coordinates, don't move either file |
All settings per designer specifications. 1
Supports are required but come away easily — they sit under the bored hinge pockets and are designed to tear out cleanly. Once the print cools, work the cube back and forth a few times to free the links before handing it to anyone.
For the two-color version: load
infinity_cube.stl in your primary color (black, dark gray, navy), then import infinity_cube_inlay.stl into the same plate and assign it your contrast color (yellow, cream, white, gold). The coordinates self-register — do not nudge either file. If your slicer asks whether to combine or keep as separate objects, keep separate.Estimated print time: 8–14 hours on a standard FDM printer depending on speed settings and supports. Filament use is approximately 150–200g per cube (body ~130–170g, inlay ~20–30g). 1 Difficulty: intermediate — not because the print itself is complex, but because the supports need to be set correctly and the break-in step matters.
PLA is fine for most buyers. PETG adds flex resistance and is worth it if you're targeting daily carry use (PETG at ~$25–30/kg adds roughly $0.50–$1.00 per unit).
Commercial angle
The license is CC BY — Creative Commons Attribution. That means: fully commercial, no subscription, no external membership fee. The only requirement is crediting the designer Morass when you sell. 4 You can sell on Etsy, your own store, craft fairs, or anywhere else without platform restrictions.
Margin math (filament at $20/kg PLA):
| Cost item | Estimated range |
|---|---|
| Filament (150–200g PLA at $20/kg) | $3.00–$4.00 |
| Etsy fees (~6.5% transaction + $0.20 listing) at $12.99 | ~$1.05 |
| Packaging (basic poly mailer) | ~$0.50 |
| Total cost per unit | ~$4.55–$5.55 |
| Net margin at $12.99 retail | ~$7.44–$8.44 (~57–65%) |
| Net margin at $14.99 retail | ~$9.44–$10.44 (~63–70%) |
Cost estimates are author calculations based on designer-specified settings and standard filament pricing; actual print time and material usage may vary by printer and slicer settings. Etsy fee estimate uses Etsy's standard transaction fee structure.
Where does $12.99–$14.99 sit in the market? Generic single-color 3D-printed infinity cubes sell for $3.50–$4.99 on Etsy — PhatCat3DStudio, the top seller in the category with 6,200+ sales and a 5.0 rating, lists at $4.99. 5 A two-color striped version prices at $8.00. There are no animal-engraved infinity cubes visible in current Etsy listings — the 48-animal + two-color combination is the differentiation that justifies the jump to $12.99–$14.99. Etsy buyer sentiment on the category is consistently positive: "I haven't been able to put it down." 5
The model published June 4, 2026 and had 28 views and zero downloads as of research time — no community prints yet to verify finished results, but the mechanism is built on Pieper's proven base and the designer tested it on-machine. 1
Who buys this
Four buyer segments with different Etsy search entry points:
- Desk fidget / focus toy — office workers, students, anyone who needs something to keep their hands busy. ADHD gift lists reliably include fidget cubes.
- Animal lovers — the 48 species are the actual product hook here. A buyer who spots a camel or an octopus on one face is already curious what's on the others.
- Gift market — stocking stuffer, teacher gift, kids' party favor, Secret Santa under $15. At $12.99 it lands squarely in the impulse-gift zone.
- Puzzle / collectible crowd — folding the cube to reveal new animals adds a game element that plain fidget cubes don't have.
Search terms to target on Etsy: animal fidget cube, infinity cube gift, 3d printed fidget toy animal, fidget toy for adults.
Get it
The model is free on Cults3D, uploaded June 4, 2026. 1
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- Download: Infinity Cube — Animal Fidget on Cults3D
- License: CC BY — free to sell printed copies, credit designer Morass in your listing
No membership required. No expiry. If you list it on Etsy, add a line like "Design by Morass / cults3d.com" in your listing description and you're covered.
Cover image: product photo from Infinity Cube — Animal Fidget on Cults3D
References
- 1Infinity Cube — Animal Fidget on Cults3D
cults3d.com
- 2Morass designer profile on Cults3D
cults3d.com
- 3Pocket Comb on Cults3D
cults3d.com
- 4CC BY license terms on Cults3D
cults3d.com
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