Print, Stick, Shower: the Ultimate 3D Printed Soap & Razor Holder

Student housing isn’t always the most luxurious. While I love my townhouse, the shower is not quite adequate for a girl with too many products and no shelf to put them on — especially for my bar soap and razor. We’ve been using a shower rack that hangs from the faucet, but the water runs down it, causing my soap to wither away and my razor to rust.

To solve that problem, I designed a 3D printed shower shelf that keeps both my soap and razor dry and within reach.

Materials

1. Bambu PLA Basic Filament (mine is purple)
2. Gorilla Glue (can be substituted with hot glue)
3. Suction Cups

Tools

1. 3D Printer: Bambu Lab X1-Carbon
2. MicroSD Card and SD Adapter (to transfer files from computer to printer)
3. Sandpaper

Software

1. OnShape – for creating the design
2. Bambu Studio – for slicing and exporting to print

You have two options for this step:

1. Use the file provided below (if included with this post), or
2. Create your own design from scratch by following these steps:
3. Start your sketch: Select a plane on which you want to create your base sketch.
4. Create the base shape: Draw a rectangle measuring 7x3 in on the selected plane.
5. Extrude: Extrude the rectangle 2 in to give it depth.
6. Round the corners: Use the Fillet tool to smooth out the corners and make the shape more polished.
7. Add the soap holder cavity:
8. On the top face of the rectangle, draw an ellipse.
9. Extrude the ellipse inward by 1 in, selecting the Remove option.
10. Use Face Blend on both the top and bottom edges of the ellipse cutout for a smoother transition.
11. Create the razor holder:
12. On the same plane as the first rectangle, draw a smaller rectangle (this one will hold only the razor). I made mine 7x1 in.
13. Extrude this rectangle 0.75 in.
14. On the side face of the rectangle, sketch a 1.3 in circle centered at the top.
15. Extrude the circle 7 in along the length of the holder and make sure to click Remove to cut through the shape.
16. Add the razor head slot:
17. To prevent the razor from tipping forward, create a small slot for the head.
18. Sketch a rectangle on the lengthwise plane of the razor holder — mine is 0.6 in wide.
19. Extrude the rectangle 1.75 in using Remove.
20. Export your file: Once the design looks good, export the model as an STL file for slicing.

1. Upload your STL file into Bambu Studio.
2. Make sure the model is flat-side down on the build plate for best adhesion.
3. Print settings:
4. Layer height: 0.2 mm
5. Infill: 15–20%
6. Supports: Not needed
7. Click Slice All and preview the layers to check for errors.
8. Choose the Bambu Lab X1-Carbon (.4 nozzle) preset.
9. Export the sliced file to your SD or MicroSD card, then safely eject it for printing.

1. Load your printer: Insert the MicroSD card and make sure filament is loaded.
2. Start printing: Select the file and press Print.
3. The print takes about 3 hours to complete.
4. Once finished, let the print bed cool before removing your part.
5. Clean up: No supports are needed, but lightly sand any rough edges if desired.

1. Gather your materials — the printed holder, suction cups, and glue.
2. Apply Gorilla Glue (or hot glue) to the back of the soap dish and attach the suction cups.
3. I started with four small suction cups, but later added more for extra support.
4. Let the glue dry for 10 minutes and cure fully for 24 hours before testing.

1. Press your new soap dish onto the shower wall using the suction cups.
2. Add your soap bar and razor.
3. Enjoy a more functional shower setup — no more soggy soap or rusty razors!

Conclusion

This project turned a small everyday annoyance into a creative design challenge. I learned how to take an idea that I had on paper and turn it into a tangible object using OnShape and Bambu Studio. Beyond improving my shower setup, the process taught me how to 3D print, model in OnShape, and use Bambu Studio. If I were to make another version, I’d probably add drainage holes and built-in suction cup slots, but overall, I’m thrilled with how it turned out. It’s a perfect example of how 3D printing lets you create personalized, practical solutions for real-life problems.

Tips and Troubleshooting

1. Consider adding drainage holes to prevent water buildup.
2. 3D printing takes time, so plan for 3–4 hours.
3. For stronger adhesion, design slots for the suction cups instead of gluing.
4. Slightly dampen suction cups before mounting to improve hold.

Customization Ideas

1. Engrave your name or a design.
2. Change filament color to match your bathroom.
3. Resize the razor lip — it doesn’t need to match the full soap tray length.
4. Add angled drainage grooves in future versions for easier drying.

Final Thoughts

This was a fun and practical project that combined creativity and problem-solving. From designing in OnShape to printing and testing the final version, I learned a lot about functional 3D design — and my shower is now much more organized!