Plan the pop-it shape and bubble pattern on paper before opening TinkerCAD.
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Parent note: Planning on paper first is a real design skill. Professional designers always sketch before they build digitally. Grab a piece of paper and a pencil!
Plan your design
1Before opening TinkerCAD, grab a piece of paper and a pencil
2Draw the outline shape you want for your pop-it, try a heart, star, animal, or game controller
3Inside the outline, draw circles where the bubbles will go
4Think about the pattern: do you want rows, a spiral, random, or a picture made of bubbles?
5Write down approximate sizes: how big is the overall shape? How big are the bubbles?
6This sketch is your blueprint, it'll make building in TinkerCAD much faster!
Five minutes with a pencil saves an hour in TinkerCad. Sketch the outline, dot in the bubbles, and jot rough sizes. You will copy this plan bubble-by-bubble in step 4.
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Professional product designers always sketch on paper first. It's faster to erase a pencil line than to undo 20 steps in software!
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Knowledge Check
+15 XP
Why do we sketch on paper before building in TinkerCAD?
ABecause TinkerCAD doesn't have a planning tool
BBecause paper is cheaper
CIt's faster to plan on paper and helps you think through the design before building
2
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Create a Custom Outline Shape
Build a heart, star, or animal silhouette for your base
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Goal for this step
Create a custom outline shape for your pop-it base instead of a simple rectangle.
Build your custom shape
1Open TinkerCAD and create a new design: "My Pattern Pop-It"
2For a heart shape: drag two cylinders and a triangle, position them to form a heart outline
3For a star: use the "Star" shape from the Shapes Panel (look under "Basic Shapes" or search "star")
4For a simple custom shape: use the "Scribble" tool, draw any outline freehand!
5Flatten your shape to 4mm height, this is the base thickness
6Make the overall shape about 80-100mm across so there's room for bubbles
7If using multiple shapes to create an outline, select all and Group (Ctrl+G) them into one piece
Pick ONE outline method. Whichever you choose, finish the step the same way: squash it to 4 mm tall, make it 80-100 mm across, and Group it into a single flat piece.
✅Checkpoint: click your outline, it should select as ONE shape (grouped), be about 80-100 mm wide, and only 4 mm tall. Flat like a biscuit, not a tall cookie-cutter wall.
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The Scribble tool is amazing for custom shapes, try drawing a dinosaur, a cloud, or your favourite animal!
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True or False?
+15 XP
The Scribble tool lets you draw freehand shapes.
All pop-its must be rectangular.
You should flatten the base shape to 4mm height.
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Knowledge Check
+15 XP
What tools can you use to create a custom outline shape in TinkerCAD?
AOnly rectangles and circles
BScribble for freehand, or combine basic shapes like cylinders and triangles
CYou have to import an image
3
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Set Up the Ruler Tool
Use the ruler for precise bubble placement
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Goal for this step
Place the Ruler tool on the workplane to measure exact positions for bubbles.
Set up precise measurements
1Find the Ruler tool in the top-right toolbar (looks like a small ruler icon)
2Click it, then click on the workplane to place it. A ruler with measurement lines appears
3The ruler shows distances from its origin point, useful for precise positioning
4Drag the ruler to the corner of your base shape
5Now when you drag shapes, you'll see exact distances from the ruler origin
6This helps place bubbles at exact positions instead of guessing by eye
The Ruler turns guessing into measuring. Drop it at the corner of the plane; from then on, every selected shape shows exact distance numbers you can click and retype.
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The Ruler tool is essential for patterns. Without it, your bubbles might look randomly placed instead of following a neat pattern.
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Fill in the Blanks
+15 XP
The tool shows exact from its origin point on the workplane.
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Knowledge Check
+15 XP
What does the Ruler tool help you do?
AMeasure exact positions for precise placement of shapes
BDraw straight lines
CChange the size of shapes
4
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Create Bubbles in a Pattern
Place bubbles following your sketch, not just a grid!
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Goal for this step
Create bubbles that follow a pattern matching your sketched design.
Place your bubbles
1Create a half-sphere bubble (same technique as Episode 2): sphere at 10mm, position half below workplane
2Place your first bubble at a key position, like the center of your design
3Instead of a simple grid, follow your paper sketch to place bubbles in your pattern
4For a heart shape: place bubbles following the heart outline, then fill the center
5For a spiral: start from the center and place bubbles in a growing spiral
6Use Ctrl+D to duplicate and then move each bubble to its planned position
7Use the Ruler tool to keep spacing consistent, aim for 12-15mm between bubble centers
Big bubble at the focal point, the rest tracing the shape. Ctrl+D each new bubble from the last one and nudge it into place with the arrow keys, keeping 12-15 mm between centres.
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Put These in Order
+15 XP
Click the items in the correct order:
Duplicate the bubble and move it to the next position
Create your first half-sphere bubble
Continue until your pattern is complete
Place it at a key starting position
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Knowledge Check
+15 XP
What makes this pop-it different from Episode 2's pop-it?
AIt uses bigger bubbles
BIt uses different materials
CThe bubbles follow a creative pattern instead of a simple grid
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Mix Bubble Sizes
Use large, medium, and small bubbles for visual interest
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Goal for this step
Create bubbles in 3 different sizes and mix them for a more interesting design.
Add size variety
1You've been using 10mm bubbles. Let's add variety!
2Create a large bubble: 14mm diameter half-sphere. Great for center or focal points
3Create a medium bubble: 10mm diameter (your original size). Good for the main pattern
4Create a small bubble: 7mm diameter half-sphere. Perfect for filling gaps and borders
5Place large bubbles at the most important parts of your pattern
6Fill the main pattern with medium bubbles
7Tuck small bubbles into gaps and along the edges for a polished look
Three sizes make it look designed, not stamped. Resize a duplicated sphere to 14, 10 or 7 mm before placing it, biggest where you want the eye to go first.
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Mixing sizes creates visual hierarchy, the eye is drawn to the larger bubbles first, making your pattern more interesting.
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True or False?
+15 XP
Using only one bubble size creates the best designs.
Large bubbles work well as focal points in a pattern.
Small bubbles are good for filling gaps along edges.
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Knowledge Check
+15 XP
Why mix bubble sizes in your design?
ABecause TinkerCAD requires different sizes
BIt creates visual interest and hierarchy, the design looks more professional
CSmaller bubbles are easier to 3D print
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Apply the Hole Technique
Turn all bubbles into holes and punch them through the base
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Goal for this step
Convert all bubbles to Hole shapes and group with the base.
Punch the bubbles
1Select all your bubble shapes (click first, Shift+click the rest, or use Ctrl+A then Shift+click the base to deselect it)
2Click "Hole" to convert all bubbles to hole shapes
3They all turn translucent with stripes, ready to cut into the base
4Now select everything: all bubbles AND the base shape (Ctrl+A)
5Press Ctrl+G to Group. The bubbles punch dome-shaped impressions into the base!
6Rotate the view to admire your unique pattern pop-it taking shape
Same two moves as Episode 2: select only the bubbles and click "Hole", then select everything and Ctrl+G. Every bubble becomes a smooth dome dent in your custom shape.
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If some bubbles didn't cut properly, they might have been floating above the base. Undo (Ctrl+Z), lower them so they overlap the base, then Group again.
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Knowledge Check
+15 XP
What must you do BEFORE grouping bubbles with the base?
AChange all bubbles to Hole shapes
BChange the base to a Hole shape
CExport as STL first
7
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Add Decorative Elements
Add raised borders, embossed name, and details
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Goal for this step
Enhance the design with borders, text, and decorative details.
Add finishing touches
1Create a border: duplicate your base shape outline, make it 4mm bigger all around, and 2mm taller
2Position the border behind your main pop-it and Group them together
3Add your name using the Text tool from the Shapes Panel
4Set the text height to 2mm and position it along the bottom edge of the pop-it
5For raised text: leave it as a solid shape sitting on top of the base
6For embossed text: change it to a Hole, position on the surface, then Group
7Consider adding small decorative shapes, hearts, stars, or dots, around the edge
The border is your outline again, 4 mm bigger. Duplicate the outline, scale it up, slide it underneath and Group. Raised name = leave the Text solid; stamped name = turn the Text into a Hole first.
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Fill in the Blanks
+15 XP
For embossed text, change the text to a shape before grouping. For raised text, leave it as a shape.
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Knowledge Check
+15 XP
What's the difference between raised and embossed text?
ARaised text is bigger
BRaised text sticks up from the surface; embossed text is cut into the surface
CThere's no difference
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Choose Your Colour Theme
Pick colours that match your design
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Goal for this step
Apply a cohesive colour scheme to your pop-it design.
Apply your colours
1Select your pop-it shape. Click the colour swatch in Shape Properties
2Think about your theme: rainbow, pastel, neon, or monochrome?
3For a rainbow pop-it: unfortunately, grouped shapes share one colour in TinkerCAD. Choose your favourite single colour!
4Consider how the colour will look when 3D printed, light colours show detail better
5Popular choices: bright pink, ocean blue, mint green, sunset orange, or classic white
6If printing in multi-colour, you'd need to split the design or use a multi-material printer
7Apply your chosen colour and take a moment to admire your creation!
Grouped designs take one colour. Light, bright colours show the dimple shadows best when printed. The colour here is a preview; the real colour comes from the filament you print with.
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When you 3D print, you can use any colour filament you want, it doesn't have to match what you see in TinkerCAD!
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Knowledge Check
+15 XP
Why do light colours show detail better in 3D prints?
ABecause dark filament is lower quality
BBecause light colours hide details
CBecause light colours create more visible shadows in the dome-shaped impressions
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Check Wall Thickness & Overhangs
Prepare your design for successful 3D printing
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Goal for this step
Check that the design is printable, no walls too thin, no impossible overhangs.
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Parent note: Wall thickness is the most common reason 3D prints fail. If walls between bubbles are too thin, they'll crumble. 2mm minimum is a safe rule.
Check your design
1Rotate your design and look at it from all angles, especially the bottom
2Wall thickness: make sure no parts are thinner than 1.5mm. Thin walls can break during printing
3Check between adjacent bubbles, the walls between them should be at least 2mm thick
4If bubbles are too close together, move them apart slightly before your final grouping
5Overhangs: the dome impressions face upward, which is perfect, no support material needed
6The base should be flat on the bottom, this is the surface that sits on the print bed
7If you see any floating pieces or disconnected parts, they won't print correctly, fix them!
Leave at least 2 mm of plate between bubbles. If two dimples nearly touch, the wall between them prints wafer-thin and snaps on the first pop. Nudge them apart before grouping.
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True or False?
+15 XP
Walls thinner than 1.5mm can break during 3D printing.
Overhangs facing downward always print perfectly.
The flat bottom of the pop-it should face the print bed.
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Knowledge Check
+15 XP
What is the minimum recommended wall thickness between bubbles?
A0.5mm
B2mm
C10mm
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Share Your Design
Learn TinkerCAD's sharing features and community
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Goal for this step
Share your completed design with others and explore the TinkerCAD community.
Share and explore
1Click "Export" → STL to save your printable file
2Now let's share the design: click the "Share" button in the top toolbar
3You can copy the share link, anyone with this link can view your 3D design in their browser
4TinkerCAD has a Gallery where you can publish your designs for the community to see
5To publish: add a description, tags (like "pop-it", "fidget", "toy"), and a thumbnail image
6Browse the TinkerCAD Gallery to see what other designers have created, get inspiration for your next project!
7You can also "Tinker This" on other people's public designs, remix them and make them your own!
Export the STL first, then show it off. The Share link lets family view the 3D model in a browser; publishing to the Gallery lets other kids "Tinker This" and remix your design.
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The TinkerCAD community has millions of designs. Search for "pop-it" in the Gallery to see how others approached the same project!
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Put These in Order
+15 XP
Click the items in the correct order:
Add a description and tags
Export as STL for printing
Browse the Gallery for inspiration
Click Share and copy the link
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Final Knowledge Check
+15 XP
What does "Tinker This" do on a public TinkerCAD design?
ADeletes the design
BSends a message to the creator
CCreates your own copy that you can modify and remix
🛠️ Printed it and something's not right?
My shape printed in disconnected pieces. The outline shapes were not overlapping when grouped, every circle, triangle or scribble must clearly overlap its neighbour, exactly like the spinner arms in Episode 1.
A thin wall between bubbles snapped straight away. Two dimples were closer than 2mm apart (step 9's check). Move them apart in TinkerCad, re-group, re-export.
The engraved name is unreadable. Letters under 4-5mm tall get blobby. Make the text bigger and ask for 0.1mm layer height when printing.
The bubbles are different depths. Some spheres were sunk deeper than others before grouping. Select each bubble and give it the same height position, the Ruler tool (step 3) shows exact numbers.
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You Created a Pattern Pop-It!
Outstanding, you've brought together custom shapes, creative patterns, and design thinking. Your unique pop-it is ready to share!
