Trendy 3D Printable Bucket - Mini and Full Size!

Backstory

In the midst of 2025, the peak of mini bucket-crazed social media exploded. Some folks went so far as to summon their inner Pokémon trainer and declaring they "gotta catch them all!" My curiosity was piqued to see so many of the big box stores coming out with their own (and other mini-varieties, too), so I took to the Internet and searched for models available to print.

Licensing Labyrinths

Sites like Printables and other 3D model hosting sites abounded with 3D printable buckets and accessories. I was not at a loss to find models I liked or had good reviews from other makers. However, I struggle sometimes interpreting model licenses across the different sites. Can I print them just for myself or can I give them as gifts? Is this license saying I can't share just the files or also the 3D printed object? Are these two licenses for the same file different between their two hosted sites? Suffice to say, legalese is not my forte. I aim to always give credit and dues to the original creator. If I'm ever unsure whether I can share something, I err on the side of only printing it for myself or, in this instance, designing my own solution. Plus, I give some things I design away as holiday gifts, so making them in a way I could apply vinyl decals of inside jokes and family specific designs was an added requirement.

Chuck it in the FreeCAD Bucket

As with many of my FreeCAD creations, this bucket started off with some rough measurements of a random bucket I had in my garage. I figured it couldn't be too big of a deal to make a hollow cylinder and I was mostly right, with some tweaking. I even named my folder "Learn to Make a 5-Gal Bucket" to frame it as a learning challenge, which actually took a lot of pressure off the process, too. At 25% scale, the bucket stands around 100mm tall, so easily fits on all but the smallest of modern printers. The 100% scale doesn't fit on my XL, so anyone who prints it bigger, please share your experience with that.

Bucket Printing Suggestions

With a bit of sketching here, some pockets there, and a bit of chamfering, I landed on this design (FreeCAD file and STLs for 100% and 25% included). At 25% scale, the bucket requires no supports. I printed my buckets with 5 perimeters and 4-5 top/bottom layers, which didn't really impact print time plus it added rigidity to the print overall. The bucket takes about 90 minutes to print at 25% scale on a MK4 or XL.

Handle Print Suggestions

I iterated the handle several revisions and landed a design with a chamfered connection point that recesses into the bucket attachment holes on the side. I printed the handle out of PETG, as I found PLA to be too brittle at 25% scale and snapped off the connection points when trying to attach the handle to the bucket. Your mileage may vary based on filament of choice. Additionally, I added supports/brims to the ends where the handle attaches to the bucket. I found these tended to warp or peel off the bed while printing, ruining all the setup. The supports and brims are easy to take off, taking only a few seconds to remove and clean up any residual material. The handle takes about 5-10 minutes to print at 25% scale on a MK4 or XL.

Assembly

The bucket handle connection points are slightly oversized compared to the attachment holes on the bucket. To attach the handle connection points to the bucket, carefully press the groove of the handle connection point onto the edge of the bucket attachment hole on one side of the bucket, then slowly rotate the handle around the hole while gently pressing in toward the bucket. The handle should stay securely inside the attachment hole of the bucket, though on occasion I have had the handle connection point slightly compress when attaching it, resulting in a looser fit and the handle coming off the bucket, especially when printed in PLA. This was largely overcome when switching the handle to PETG, which gave a little more flexibility when attaching it to the bucket. Repeat the attachment on the opposite side of the bucket.

Comments, Feedback, Suggestions

As always, please leave a comment, share your make, or offer a suggestion. I'd love to see your prints and all the various color, material, and printing scales. Also, remix this to your heart's content. If you liked this model or the writeup, please leave a like or check out my other models here on Printables. Thank you for checking out my model and see you in the next chapter of my 3D modeling adventure!

...bucket

Update Log

2026-Feb-04: Uploaded a new version of the model with no handle or pocket for handle. File names updated to match. Updated title from to "Trendy 3D Printable Bucket" to "Trendy 3D Printable Bucket - Mini and Full Size" and 

2026-Jan-03: Matt Walsh-Sarnecki created a lid for the bucket. Consider downloading that if you need a cover for yours. I've printed the 25% scale version and it fit well on the same scale bucket.