CHRISTMAS DIORAMA - THE CANDY STORE (Patreon)

Hello, my fantastic friends!

Here it is! The first Christmas design is officially available!

(NOTE: THE WHOLE SET OF PHOTOS IS COMPLETELY AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS POST AND THE ZIP FILE CONTAINING ALL THE STL FILES IS JUST BELOW THE PHOTOS.)

As previously mentioned, it uses the same building structure as the Apothecary, but modified and embellished with a classic festive Christmas touch.

Certain parts have been altered to accommodate the Christmas elements added to the design! So, it involves much more than just "add-ons" to the Halloween house to turn it into a Christmas house. That is why I am treating them as two completely separate projects.

Overall, however, the two projects still look very similar!

With two exceptions:

1- The snowy parts require "Fuzzy Skin." Use whatever settings you prefer; they will all be compatible and look great in the end. It is indicated in the file names which files require the fuzzy skin.

2- For the snowman, the eyes and buttons are simply small pieces of 1.75mm black filament inserted into the holes and trimmed flush with the snowman's body.

Also, a quick tip: If you have trouble printing the snowman's nose, add a second one to the build plate before starting your print. Place the second nose away from the first; this forces the print head to move away, allowing the part to cool down effectively while the printer travels to the other nose for the next layer. This ensures a nice nose without deformation caused by heat buildup in the part. You could also adjust the minimum layer time settings, but adding a second nose further away is the simplest and easiest option, especially for beginners. You can actually use this trick for any small part you print in the future.

As for the rest, I’ll stick with the same recommendations as the previous project:

The project can easily be scaled up; it is currently in its smallest form. In its present state, it can be printed on a mini-format printer. However, I don't advise printing it any smaller, as the current size already requires a bit of dexterity during assembly. Making it smaller would likely make assembly quite difficult, so I don't recommend scaling it down. On the contrary, I suggest scaling it up if your printer allows. Take the base (the largest piece), place it in your slicer to see how much you can increase the scale percentage, and then scale the other pieces by that same amount.

The model was designed for use with battery-operated tea lights. However, I also designed it to work with LED strips or COB LED strips. If you choose to use LEDs, the instructions will show you two pieces that should be left out. Everything is clearly explained. The only major difference with the LED strip is that it also illuminates the basement fencing—something a tea light struggles to do. If you choose this option, you’ll find a hole in the basement section at the back of the building to route the wire.

Overall, the assembly process is very similar to my Hot Wheels dioramas or other dioramas and "fairy houses" you might have built in the past. In fact, the scale matches Hot Wheels vehicles (1:64). The instructions are detailed, so assembly should be straightforward.

Almost all parts print without supports. Only one—the roof—requires supports for the interior. If you’re worried about removing them, don’t be: even if you leave the supports in place, the model assembles perfectly, and nothing will be visible from the outside.

A few parts require color changes at specific layers. Colors are indicated in the file names. As we’ve discussed before, any printer can handle this—you don’t need a multi-color system. If you aren't familiar with layer-based color changes, feel free to ask for help in my Facebook support group here:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1403567230344891

I highly recommend using CA glue that comes in a bottle with a precision applicator tip. I always use the one linked below; It doesn't leave a white residue and applies smoothly and precisely (I use the medium-viscosity version):

https://a.co/d/06H5JyH3

Once again, be sure to read the instructions carefully and don't hesitate to do dry fit checks (without glue) to see how the parts go together.

With that, I hope you like the new version!

I'll be back soon with another wonderful project!

Take care, everyone! ❤️

Pascal

HERE'S THE ZIP FILE WITH ALL THE STL FILES 👇