Is 3D printing useful for making everyday objects or is it more for special hobbies? Have people been using 3D printing to genuinely create a number of needed objects in their homes, and if so, what? Or is 3D printing better for special niche interests like art projects, home engineering projects, etc?
Have people been using 3D printing to genuinely create a number of needed objects in their homes, and if so, what?


Yes, but in a very limited sense. If there is widespread demand for an item, then it will always be available from stores. This is basics economics: if there is enough demand for something, somebody will step in and provide the supply. The store-bought alternative will almost always be of better quality and relatively cheap.

3D printing can be useful to create a niche part that is needed but not readily available, such as replacement parts for appliances long out of production. This unfortunately takes a lot of time since you need to make a 3D model of the part yourself, which also requires considerable skill.

Some examples of items that I made for my home:


Custom brackets to hang blinds when the store-provided ones did not fit my window.
A special mounting bracket to more easily hang a ceiling light panel.
Replacement wheel for a vacuum cleaner.
Cover plate for a deprecated telecom socket.
Fix for a broken clothes drying rack.


3D printing can also be used to create "trinkets" such as custom vases or similar objects.

I would say 3D printing is a bit like woodworking as a hobby: it is a skill that can be used to make genuinely useful items, but going to IKEA is a perfectly viable alternative.


  Or is 3D printing better for special niche interests like art projects, home engineering projects, etc?


It is ideal for this. I do not know of anybody who has a 3D printer specifically for home use. However, there are many hobbyists that use 3D printing for another primary purpose that occasionally find their 3D printers useful around the house.