Religious figurines · 2026
3D printed religious figurines and statues: saints, church replicas and nativity sets
Can religious figurines be 3D printed?
Yes: statues of saints and the Virgin for the home, small replicas of a parish or confraternity's statue, first communion favours, crosses and nativity figures. They're printed in resin so the face, hands and folds show, and large ones in parts. A figure of about 7.5 cm costs €15–€40 and a 20 cm one €21–€55, unpainted, excluding VAT and shipping. It doesn't have to arrive grey: you can ask the maker to paint it, and painting is quoted separately. Fabrishare is a network of makers: post your project for free and get quotes within 24–48 hours.
Price and machine time for a religious figure
Estimates from the Fabrishare calculator for pieces of that size, unpainted. Each maker sets the final price in their quote.
| Piece | Technology | Guide price | Machine time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Figure of about 7.5 cm (nativity, favour, small shrine) | Resin | €15–€40 | about 1.5 hours |
| 20 cm statue for a shelf | Resin | €21–€55 | about 4 hours |
| Statue over 25 cm or processional replica | Resin or FDM, in parts | Each maker quotes | Days to weeks |
| Hand painting | — | Separate, depends on the painter | Adds to the lead time |
Prices exclude VAT and shipping. If you order several identical figures in the same project, such as favours, the price per piece drops: several fit on one build plate and the maker sets up the printer once.
Which religious figures are 3D printed
Figures and decor are what people ask for most on Fabrishare: 33 of the 110 requests registered between May and October 2026. Religious figures are part of that world, with their own kinds of order:
A statue for your home
Your patron saint or a statue of the Virgin sized for a shelf or a home altar, from a licensed file or a new model made from photos.
Custom figurine from photosFirst communion, baptism and confirmation favours
Small identical figures, with the name and date on the base, to give to guests. In a batch, each one costs less.
Small batch 3D printingFor parishes and confraternities
Small replicas of a parish or confraternity's statue for members, gifts, scale models of a processional float, or test pieces before casting in metal or carving in wood. Always with the owner's permission.
Crosses, crucifixes and bases
Wall or table crosses, small crucifixes and made-to-measure bases for a statue you already have.
Medals and pendants
A metal medal is made like jewellery: it's printed in castable resin and a casting house casts it in silver or brass.
3D printed jewelleryNativity sets
The missing or broken figure, at the exact scale of yours; and for larger scenes, buildings and stable in FDM with the figures in resin.
Nativity figures and Christmas ornamentsPainted by hand
Painted by the maker or by a painter they work with, from photos of the original statue.
Miniature and figure painting service
Can it arrive painted?
Yes. Many people want it ready to put in its place, and you ask for that in the project. You have three options:
Unpainted
White or grey, with the supports removed. The cheapest option, and the one to choose if you'll paint it yourself or take it to a painter you trust.
Primed
Sanded with a coat of primer: it shows any flaws before painting and holds the paint better. It's the starting point almost any painter prefers.
Hand painted by the maker
Some makers paint and others work with a painter. Painting a religious statue is a craft of its own: polychrome work, with skin tones, gilding and fine detail, takes more hours than the printing, so it's quoted separately and depends a lot on the painter.
Send photos of the original or of the statue you're using as a reference, in good light, and ask to see previous work before choosing a quote.
Replicas of processional statues: two real cases
3D printing is already used so that an old statue doesn't have to go out in procession. Two public cases, not Fabrishare's, show how it's done:
Alijó (Portugal), 2024
The wooden statue of Santa Maria Maior weighs about 80 kg and can no longer leave the church. The festival committee and the parish had a replica scanned and printed in PETG: it's about 1.60 m tall, weighs 25 kg, took about ten weeks on two printers and was painted by a conservation and restoration studio.
Santiago de Compostela (Spain), 2026
A Holy Week confraternity presented a processional statue that stands in for its 17th-century original while that is restored. It combined scanning, 3D printing and traditional carving techniques, and was hand painted.
What they show
Large statues are scanned, printed in parts and joined, and a specialist does the finish. On Fabrishare you can ask for the printing and, if the maker offers it, the scanning or painting; or the printing alone, for the studio of your choice to paint.
Which size and which material?
| Height | For | Technology | How it's printed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3–5 cm | Pendants, favours, small nativity figures | Resin | Solid, in one piece |
| 7–12 cm | Nativity sets, communion favours, home altars | Resin | Solid or hollow, in one or two pieces |
| 15–30 cm | Shelf or niche statue | Resin | Hollow, with drain holes, in several parts |
| Over 30 cm, up to life size | Large niches, processional replicas | FDM, or resin in parts | Many parts glued, filled and sanded |
Resin gives the fine detail a face and hands need; FDM is cheaper and lighter for large pieces, at the cost of sanding and filling the layers. For a replica that will go out in procession, ask the maker about weight and heat resistance: PETG copes with heat better than PLA.
A statue with an author or an owner: ask first
A parish or confraternity's statue has an owner, and many also have a sculptor with rights: in the European Union, copyright lasts for the author's life plus 70 years. To scan or reproduce it, even at a small size, ask the parish or confraternity and, if the work is recent, the sculptor or their heirs too. If the favours are for sale, all the more so.
Manufacturers' figures and pirated files aren't copied either. There are licensed files of religious figures, and a maker who models can create a new one. This isn't legal advice: if in doubt, ask whoever owns the statue. When you post the project you confirm you have the right to order the print, and the maker can decline it.
How to order your religious figure
If you want it painted, the painting goes in the same quote or separately: you'll see it before you accept.
- 1Post your project for free with the file, or photos if there's no model yet, and the final height in centimetres.
- 2Say which finish you want: unpainted, primed or hand painted, and send reference photos if you want it painted.
- 3Makers in the network send their quote with price and lead time within 24–48 hours. You compare, choose, and the maker prints it and ships it to you.
Questions about 3D printed religious figurines
How much does a 3D printed religious figure cost?
A resin figure of about 7.5 cm costs €15–€40 and a 20 cm one €21–€55, unpainted, excluding VAT and shipping. Anything over 25 cm depends on the height, the number of parts and the finish: each maker quotes after seeing the project.
Can I get it painted?
Yes, if you ask the maker in the project. Some paint and others work with a painter. Painting is quoted separately from printing and depends a lot on the painter and the level of detail: send reference photos and ask to see previous work.
Can my parish or confraternity get a replica of its statue?
Yes, with the permission of the parish or confraternity and, if the work is recent, of the sculptor or their heirs. The statue is scanned, printed at the scale you want and painted separately. Small replicas for members can be ordered as a batch.
Can I order first communion or baptism favours?
Yes: small identical figures, with the name and date on the base if you like. In a batch, each one costs less. Order early and say in the project when you need them.
Resin or FDM for a religious figure?
Resin up to about 25–30 cm: it gives the fine detail of the face, hands and folds. FDM for large statues or processional replicas, which are cheaper and lighter, at the cost of sanding and filling the layers before painting.
I don't have a file. Can it be modelled?
Yes. There are licensed files of religious figures in model repositories, and a maker who models can create a new one from front, side and back photos. Modelling is quoted separately.
Can I get a missing nativity figure printed?
Yes. Measure the height of a standing adult figure in centimetres and send a photo next to the others: the maker scales the new one so it matches. It's printed from a licensed file or modelled new; manufacturers' figures aren't copied.
Can a figure I bought in a shop be copied?
No. Manufacturers' figures have their own rights: scanning them to reproduce them isn't allowed. A licensed file is used, or a new one is modelled.
How long does it take?
Quotes arrive within 24–48 hours. A 20 cm resin figure takes about 4 hours of machine time; then come washing, curing, sanding and, if you want it painted, the painting, which is usually the longest part. Each quote states its lead time.