Spare parts · 2026
3D printed furniture parts: connectors, shelf supports and feet
Can you 3D print a furniture part?
Yes. Connectors, shelf supports, feet, screw caps and drawer runners are small plastic parts that 3D print well, even when the furniture is no longer sold. The load decides the material: PETG for anything that carries weight, TPU for stops and glides, and never PLA for a part that holds up a shelf. A small FDM part costs about €10 (€6–€17) and a set of 8 connectors about €4.29 each, excluding VAT and shipping. On Fabrishare, a network of makers, you post the project for free and get offers within 24–48 hours.
Which furniture parts can be 3D printed?
The furniture parts that break or go missing most often, with the material a maker will usually suggest and what to watch out for.
| Part | What it does | Material | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plastic connectors and dowels | Joining the panels of flat-pack furniture | PETG or nylon | Metal cam locks and bolts are standard and cheap: buy them rather than print them. |
| Shelf pins and supports | Holding the shelf in the holes in the side panel | PETG | The hole diameter (5 mm is the most common) and the weight on the shelf. |
| Bed slat holders | Holding each slat to the frame | Nylon or PETG | They flex every night: if they keep breaking, nylon. |
| Feet, levellers and glides | Supporting and levelling the furniture | PETG; TPU for glides | Feet carry the full weight: thick walls and high infill. |
| Screw caps and covers | Covering screws and holes | PLA or PETG | The colour: send a photo in daylight or the name of the finish. |
| Drawer runners and stops | Keeping the drawer running and in place | PETG or nylon; TPU for stops | Metal ball-bearing runners can't be printed; plastic ones can. |
| Handles and knobs | Opening doors and drawers | PETG or PLA | For a set, order one as a test first. |
| Garden furniture parts | Feet, caps and joints outdoors | ASA | In the sun, PLA warps and PETG ages faster. |
| Chair or bed parts that hold a person | — | Better not printed | If they fail, someone falls: get them from the manufacturer or a carpenter. |
Which material holds up in a furniture part?
With furniture, the rule is simple: the load decides the material. A part that only covers or decorates can be any plastic; one that holds up a shelf, a drawer or the weight of the unit can't.
It has happened in the network: shelf feet printed in PLA didn't take the load. Since then, anything that carries weight is printed in PETG or ABS. The full story is in the spare parts guide.
- PETG: the default for connectors, shelf supports and feet. Strong and slightly flexible, so it doesn't snap without warning.
- Nylon: for clips and holders that bend under load again and again, like bed slat holders.
- TPU (flexible): for drawer stops, glides and bumpers that have to cushion.
- ASA: for garden and patio furniture that spends the summer in the sun.
- PLA: only for caps, covers and decorative parts with no load.
Before printing: ask the shop for the fitting
Many flat-pack furniture shops, IKEA among them, supply spare fittings for their furniture free or for very little. Each fitting has a reference number in the assembly instructions: look it up and ask for it before ordering anything.
Printing is worth it when the shop no longer has that part, when the furniture is old or from a brand with no spare parts service, when you need a different version (longer, thicker or another colour), or when you need lots of identical parts and don't want to wait.
What to send so the part fits first time
- 1
Photos next to a ruler
Of the broken part (taped together if it's in pieces) or, if it's lost, of the hole it goes in, from every side.
- 2
The measurements that matter
With callipers: the diameter of the pin or hole, its depth, the panel thickness and the distance between holes. Even with just the hole, a maker can model the part.
- 3
How many and how much weight
Say how many you need and what they carry: «a shelf of books», «a cutlery drawer», «a 60 kg wardrobe». That tells the maker which material, wall thickness and infill to use.
- 4
One test part, then the set
Order one part first and check it fits and holds. If it does, order the rest: the more parts in one job, the cheaper each one gets.
How much does it cost to 3D print a furniture part?
Estimates from the Fabrishare calculator for small FDM parts, excluding VAT and shipping. Each maker sets the final price in their offer. If the part has to be modelled because you have no file, the design is charged separately.
| Job | Ballpark price | Per part |
|---|---|---|
| One small part (connector, shelf pin, cap) | €6–€17 | about €10 |
| Set of 8 small connectors | about €34 | about €4.29 |
A small part keeps the printer busy for about 20 minutes: on a part like this, the maker's work weighs far more in the price than the plastic. That's why a set costs much less per part than a single one.
What reaches the network
Spare and functional parts make up 26 of the 110 requests registered on Fabrishare between May and October 2026, the third-largest group. Among them, a shelving connector that wasn't sold on its own: it was reproduced in FDM and the shelving stayed in use.
For a furniture part there's often no 3D file, and you don't need one: from photos and measurements, a maker models it.
How to order your furniture part
- 1Post your project for free with photos, measurements and how many parts you need, or with the file if you have it.
- 2Say how much weight the part carries and where the furniture is (indoors or outdoors).
- 3Get offers with price, material and lead time within 24–48 hours, compare and choose.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to 3D print a furniture part?
A small FDM part, such as a connector, a shelf pin or a screw cap, costs between €6 and €17, typically about €10. A set of 8 connectors works out at about €4.29 each. Excluding VAT and shipping; if the part has to be modelled, the design is extra.
Can a 3D printed shelf support take weight?
Yes. In PETG or nylon, with thick walls, it takes the load of an ordinary household shelf. Say in the project what goes on it (books, crockery, tools) so the maker can set material, wall thickness and infill, and test one before loading the shelf fully.
Which material should I ask for?
PETG for anything that carries weight, nylon for parts that flex under load (such as bed slat holders), TPU for stops and glides, ASA for garden furniture and PLA only for caps and decorative parts.
Can I 3D print an IKEA fitting?
Yes: a functional part to repair your own furniture is generally not a problem. But ask the shop first: IKEA and other flat-pack retailers supply many spare fittings free of charge, using the number in the assembly instructions.
I've lost the part. Can it still be made?
Yes, from the hole it goes in: the diameter and depth of the hole, the panel thickness and photos with a ruler. If the furniture has an identical part elsewhere, measure that one. A maker models it and quotes the design separately.
Can I order several identical parts?
Yes, and each one costs less: 8 small connectors come to about €34 in total, roughly €4.29 each, against about €10 for a single one.
Can a chair leg or a bed support be 3D printed?
Better not, if it holds a person: if it fails, someone falls. For those, get the manufacturer's spare part or see a carpenter. Feet for furniture that doesn't hold anyone, like a chest of drawers or a bookcase, can be printed, in PETG with high infill.
How long does it take?
Offers arrive within 24–48 hours. Printing a small part takes about 20 minutes of machine time; each maker gives the total lead time, shipping included, in their offer.