As I imagine everyone can relate, I have a lot of filament waste and failed prints lying around that seems close to useless. But it doesn't have to stay that way if you use your imagination!

I have attempted to (re)create some works of art incorporating filament purges, supports and failed prints, two to be exact. I dub them “Untangled by Jackson Pooplock” and “Forest of failures”. To display them in their full glory, I also designed a frame for them.

Here is a step by step guide explaining how I created these pieces of art:

Step 1: collect waste

The first step is simple: grab your pile of printer waste and select some interesting elements that you could use in your work: natural supports as trees, strands of filament as water, failed prints resembling certain objects, … Then arrange them inside a metal tray (this can be a lid, plate, or something similar), but make sure it's not something you will be eating from later on.

Step 2: turn up the heat

Next, simply heat the tray using a heat source such as a heat gun, torch or even an oven (again, one that isn't used to make food). This will soften the material and allow you to press it into a flat shape that can be frame easily, as well as connecting everything into one big blob. Try to stay between 100 and 200 °C (212 and 392 °F) to get the plastic flowing, but not melting completely (for PLA, other materials may need different temperatures). NOTE: you'll want to do this in a well-ventilated room or outdoors, as the filament can produce some unhealthy fine particles!

Step 3: flatten

Next, force the softened filament into a flat sheet using a solid piece of metal or wood (I used the box of which the tray above is its lid). I only left it on for a few seconds, but if you want to prevent warping you may want to keep it on longer until it is sufficiently cooled.

Step 4: display!

Finally, take the filament out of the tray (which is hopefully now one fused piece of material). I then pasted it onto a sheet of paper using a glue stick and inserted this into a little frame I designed. You can download the included file for it, I made the aspect ratio 3:2 so that you could also use it to display photographs if you want (just scale the model to the appropriate size: the original is for a length of 160 mm and a height of ⅔*160 = 106.66 mm).

The back has 3 holes that allow you to hang it from a nail/screw or using a string connected between the corners. I must admit the supports can be a bit tricky to remove, but I managed to do it after a bit of prying with a cutter. You could also change the orientation so the frame is standing upright and the supports are easier to remove, but this will use more filament. Of course, now you have a use for the waste!