LittlePrintyCo: The 3D Printing Family Business Story
How One Kid Turned a 3D Printer into a Family Business: The Story of LittlePrintyCo
Milla discovered 3D printing and brought her whole family along for the ride.
The family behind LittlePrintyCo: Gui, Cynthia, Milla (11), and Malu (13).
I stumbled upon LittlePrintyCo on Instagram, where a girl, around ten years old, effortlessly assembles building blocks before school, as if it were the most ordinary thing in the world.
The first thing she does every morning is check the printers. Before leaving for school, she assigns new print tasks to each machine. After school, the real work begins: packing orders, tying ribbons, and organizing everything beautifully. Then, she helps her mom with inventory. Before bed, she checks again to make sure the printers are back to normal operation.
The story you're about to read goes like this: one day after school, a girl brought home a small fidget spinner made by her classmate on a 3D printer. Three months later, she had four Bambu Lab 3D printers in her home, a viral Instagram account, and a company called LittlePrintyCo. Her parents had never heard of 3D printing before, and Milla was the one who introduced them to this whole new world.
"3D printing has shown me that kids can create real things, help others, and even start a business. I hope other kids are inspired to try their own ideas." — Milla
11-year-old entrepreneur Milla
| What 3D Printers Have Brought to Their Family
As father Gui shares their story, it's not just a business tale, but a story of how the family found new ways to interact.
Gui and Cynthia both work full-time remotely. Before founding LittlePrintyCo, although they lived under the same roof, they were busy with different tasks. Now, they spend time together in the basement, discussing ideas, solving problems, and planning next steps. Their younger daughter Milla is involved, and even their elder daughter Malu, who was focused on volleyball, has started to participate.
"We spend a lot more time together now," Gui says. "We're constantly discussing ideas, what to do, and what everyone wants. It's a change we never anticipated."
Both daughters are also learning skills that school can't teach. The experience they gain at this age is something most adults don't encounter until their first job.
Milla learns how to brief designers, review work, manage inventory, package orders, and understand customer needs. Malu, the elder daughter, practices speaking in front of the camera and pitches product ideas. They sketch product designs for designers and provide feedback.
One of LittlePrintyCo's core goals is for the whole family to understand every aspect of running a business. Therefore, everyone is responsible for a different department, learning side-by-side as a family. It's not just about selling products; it's about creativity, communication, teamwork, responsibility, and how to turn ideas into popular and resonant products. — Cynthia shares
Milla's parents talk about "how 3D printing unexpectedly brought the family closer"
Milla's parents said: One of the fondest memories is when Milla asked her sister Malu if she would invest her savings in the business. Malu initially replied, "No, I won't invest." Milla immediately said, "That's okay... when my business gets big, you can come help, and I'll pay you an hourly wage." :) We still laugh when we recall this, especially since Malu changed her mind soon after and decided to join the business.
As parents, we are deeply moved by Milla's confidence, initiative, and clear vision for the future. Watching our two daughters grow, each taking on different roles, and supporting each other in their entrepreneurial journey, is undoubtedly the most meaningful part of our family creating LittlePrintyCo together.
"I thought it would just be something fun, but it miraculously brought our whole family closer and more united," Milla said.
| No Longer Just "A 3D Printer in the Corner"
"We've always been a very close family, and we used to do a lot of things together, but this project brought a unique experience to our home. Now, we spend hours creating, imagining, discussing ideas, solving problems, and building dreams together. What's even more special is that everyone contributes differently, with different ages, perspectives, and strengths, yet we work towards a common goal. One person comes up with an idea, another refines it, someone else provides creativity, another handles organization, and ultimately, we collaborate to create something greater. This is perhaps the most beautiful part of the whole process.
For us, LittlePrintyCo is not just a company that prints products; it represents creativity, family, learning, belief, and inspires other families to create together."
Follow LittlePrintyCo's Instagram account @littleprintyco. If their story has inspired you, head to MakerWorld to explore thousands of free, beginner-friendly 3D models to help you get started easily from day one – no design experience needed.