DesignerBee.build

Designer Bee Blog

Guides, build logs, and project ideas for first-time makers — laser cutting, 3D printing, and getting the most out of Designer Bee's free tools.

The Designer Bee mascot writing maker guides at a sunlit desk with a laptop, books, and a potted plant
A parent and child reading the open picture book 'DeeBee and Milo Climb the Hill', showing DeeBee the bee riding in Milo, a smiling red car, climbing a green hillside road past two trucks

Storybook

"DeeBee and Milo Climb the Hill": A Free Read-Along for Families and Classrooms

A free picture book about kindness and the loads we can't see, starring the Designer Bee mascot. Read it online, print it, or use it as a classroom discussion starter.

A 3D-printed lithophane glowing on a bedside table at night, a couple's photo revealed in soft warm light through the printed panel, lit from behind by a small light in its stand

Maker Guide

How to Make a 3D-Printed Lithophane From a Photo (A Glowing Gift You Finish Yourself)

Turn a loved one's photo into a lithophane that glows when you light it from behind. Design it in your browser, print it, add a candle or LED, and you've made a real keepsake.

A purple 3D-printed keychain reading 'Maker' with a raised heart, held in a hand in a library makerspace, the same design open on a laptop and a 3D printer working behind it, with blue 'Create' and green 'Build' keychains on the bench

Maker Guide

How to Make a Custom 3D-Printed Keychain (The Perfect First Makerspace Project)

Design a personalized 3D-printed keychain in your browser, no CAD. Small and fast enough for a whole class to design, print, and take home in one session.

A laser-ready jigsaw puzzle export from the Designer Bee tool — the bee mascot engraved in a single clean blue across sixteen interlocking pieces, with orange cut lines and the board size labeled

Maker Guide

How to Make a Laser-Cut Jigsaw Puzzle From Any Photo (No Glue, No Software)

Turn any photo into a real wooden jigsaw puzzle in your browser — the laser engraves the picture and cuts the pieces in one job, so the image never peels off mid-cut.

An everyday first-time maker at a bright public-library makerspace, using a desktop 3D printer with a freshly made part in hand and library shelving behind them

Maker Guide

How to Find a Free Makerspace Near You (Library 3D Printers & Laser Cutters)

Don't own a 3D printer or laser cutter? Use the free map of public-library makerspaces — now ranked by how close they are to you — to find one nearby.

A laser-cut plywood bird house mounted on a garden post with two Eastern Bluebirds — one perched at the round entrance hole and one on the gabled roof

Maker Guide

How to Make a Laser-Cut Bird House (No Design Software Needed)

A beginner-friendly walkthrough for designing an Audubon-spec, laser-ready bird house in your browser — pick a species, set the box, and export a clean SVG.

The DesignerBee mascot reading a maker ideas book in a cozy maker's living room, with a custom laser-cut wooden wall clock on the wall

Maker Guide

How to Make a Custom Clock Face for Laser Cutting (No Design Software Needed)

A beginner-friendly walkthrough for designing a laser-ready clock face in your browser — pick a style, tweak the markers, and export a clean SVG in minutes.