Today’s guest article comes from Rylie Howerter, one of the LEGO fan community’s foremost color and materials enthusiasts. Her color guide is one of our go-to LEGO references here at BrickNerd, and you can follow her on Flickr, Instagram and Patreon. A Plethora of Plastics Back in 2022, I wrote an overview of the materials that LEGO uses in their products. Though I’m not a materials expert by any means, I do enjoy researching and discussing LEGO minutiae, and in the years since that article was published, I have found a few more historic sources for materials used, made some corrections, and been pointed towards other resources by like-minded fans. What follows is an expanded/revised version of that original article, with additional materials and the same disclaimers: this will never be an all-encompassing list; it is simplified; and I’m sure there are still things I’ve gotten wrong. But like my color...

There’s something special about original LEGO themes and the way they can build a shared narrative while still roaming freely through the vast potential of the LEGO brick. You never know what’s coming next for an in-house theme. Over the years, LEGO Friends has established itself as a perennial and increasingly polished original theme, and arguably the most versatile of all. City and Ninjago, to cite the other prime examples, generally tie each wave cohesively to one single subtheme, with maybe a couple of outliers, but the variety in this year’s wave of Friends sets is off the charts. We’ve got everything from mobile pet vans to indoor playgrounds to residential housing. Another way Friends stands out is its innovative use of color. Many colors have debuted in the Friends theme, and Friends sets consistently prefer newer shades to the basic red, blue, yellow, and green that were (with white) LEGO’s...

If you’ve been keeping an eye on the AFOL scene at all over the last decade, chances are you’ve encountered the work of Jerac. I’ve been following Jerac for a number of years and have found myself increasingly invested in his MOCing journey. His builds frequently feel fresh and unique with artistic themes that truly resonate with the viewer, and when he released his “Abstract Thoughts” series of builds last year, I just knew I had to reach out and learn more about the mind behind the MOCs. He was kind enough to chat and answer some questions for me, as well as share some exclusive behind-the-scenes photos demonstrating his design process! Read on to learn more about one of the boldest voices in the MOCing scene right now. Getting to Know Jerac Caleb: Hey Jerac! It’s an honor to talk to you on behalf of BrickNerd. Can you introduce yourself...

In less than a week, there’s been a lot of activity for the LEGO Ideas First 2026 Review Stage as eight more projects have reached the 10,000 goal. A majority of the projects are original ideas that haven’t been used before on LEGO Ideas so it’s nice to see some original variety. Chinese Folding Screen – Larry_land1 Lighted Little Library – Fr_An Tekeshi Townhouse – ModularManiac Pusheen With Pizza – WidmowySeniorChokun Make It Move Inventor Kit – TheBrickConsultant LNER A4 Class Mallard No. 4468 ‘Recordbreaker’ Steam Train – Stumbledonthebrick Four Seasons (Of Life) – bart_afol Architecture: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania – Chris74 The post LEGO Ideas February 28 Update – Busy Week appeared first on The Brick Fan. Original linkOriginal author: Allen "Tormentalous" Tran

A new month is here, which means more competitive building! March right on, there’s plenty on offer in our latest lineup of LEGO contests and challenges from across the AFOL community. March 2026 has a bit of everything to offer – and there’s nothing quite like a theme or a prompt to nudge you out of your comfort zone and push you to experiment building in ways you might not otherwise attempt. We’ve listed them in order of deadline so you can plan your building time wisely—especially in a month that always seems to fly by. Be sure to check the LEGO activity calendar for local challenges and events near you. Some of our fondest memories, proudest builds, coolest trophies, and strongest friendships started with a contest entry, so we hope you’ll jump in and give one (or two) a try. The AdoraBuild The AdoraBuild, the ultimate LEGO celebration of all things...