I love a bit of meta in a LEGO build. Eli Willsea is taking part in Iron Builder, where the challenge is to use the watering can piece in new and unusual ways. Now a watering can is a tool to help keep your plants alive. So Eli has used it to bring a plant to life in brick form! But why not go further? Why not choose a plant that is famous for not needing a lot of water, like a cactus? Now we’ve got a hint of irony involved too! Pretty much all that’s missing now is a good pun. What to do for that, I wonder… The post Cactus makes perfect appeared first on The Brothers Brick. Original linkOriginal author: Theo Spencer

In the wake of Russia’s invasion last year, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy launched United24 as the official platform for fundraising efforts to support Ukraine. With a holistic approach, the charity provides funds across medical aid, reconstruction, de-mining, defense, and more, with a variety of projects and global ambassadors, including actors like Mark Hamill and astronaut Scott Kelly. Today, United24 launched a new initiative with custom kits designed by talented LEGO builders from around the world — Maksym Mityakin from Ukraine, Artur Samkov from Poland, and Yevgen Tonyev from the United States. By donating $24 (USD) on the United24 website, you’re entered in a raffle to win one of a very limited number of custom LEGO kits, with the resulting funds from this initiative going to rebuild housing in Ukraine destroyed or damaged by Russian military action during the war. The first wave of custom LEGO kits includes three iconic landmarks from...

The Dragon Masters faction (a.k.a. Dragon Knights, outside of the US) from LEGO’s Castle theme has been on the minds of many thanks to the upcoming 40601 Majisto’s Magical Workshop gift-with-purchase. And for builder terauma, it’s clearly a big deal! I mean, that explains this jumbo-scale minifigure of the wizard himself. Based on the proportions of 40649 Up-Scaled LEGO Minifigure, mega-Majisto makes the dragons from his faction look like whelps by comparison. It’s a great reference to my favorite of the brick-built medieval armies of the 90’s. The post LEGO Majisto is a BIG Dragon Masters fan! appeared first on The Brothers Brick. Original linkOriginal author: Kyle Keller

LEGO Ideas switches to a new track with the reveal of 21344 Orient Express. The Orient Express is a classic train that is a part of popular culture, most prominently in Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express novel and its movie adaptations. The Orient Express first ran in 1883, and though the original incarnation ceased operation in 1977, you can still ride the Venice-Simplon Orient Express in very similar coaches today. The set rumbles in with a 4-6-0 steam locomotive, a 3-axle tender, a restaurant car, and a sleeping car with two classes of accommodations. Built from 2,540 pieces and including 8 minifigures, it will be available from LEGO.com and LEGO stores worldwide starting December 1st for US $299.99 | CAN $TBD | UK £259.99.  LEGO Ideas 21344 Orient Express | 2,540 pieces | Available December 1st | US $299.99 | CAN $TBD | UK £259.99 Nearly every Ideas set...

There’s nothing to see here. I recommend you move on ASAP and check out our LEGO puppy archives instead. Get! Skidaddle! Are you still here? You must be a sucker for punishment, then. Fine, have it your way! With so much AI art on the net nowadays, including some bonkers LEGO creations, you’d think this is yet another disturbing offering from our eventual robot overlords. But no, this came from the mind of Julius von Brunk. He calls it McGundam and it features a clown mech with a large Ronald McDonald head for a crotch. What part of that don’t you understand? Kinda makes you wish hot coffee was the only McDonald’s crotch-related mishap, doesn’t it? Julian goes on to tell us that this model went through several iterations due to frequent stability and fragility issues. No one said fueling your nightmares was easy! If you like your LEGO creations just...

This saccharine sweet little LEGO scene is brought to you by famed builder Eli Willsea. With adorable frogs under a bridge and equally adorable birds on it, what’s not to love? This is an entry for the ever-popular Iron Builder competition; this time the seed part being the watering can in lime. Eight were used to denote the frog eyes. I especially love that one frog peeking from behind the bridge. It’s just so sweet! Even the wee caterpillar seems happy to be eaten in this delightful little scene. The post Water (and frogs) under the bridge appeared first on The Brothers Brick. Original linkOriginal author: Lino

LEGO plants are much easier to take care of, only needing a light dusting now and again. But this scene by Duncan Lindbo could mean the end of the accidental death of thousands of houseplants every year. This walking robot bonsai tree pot can care for the tree, water it, and make sure it always has the perfect spot of sunlight. The multi-jointed legs even have decorative gold details, and of course, LEGO frogs. And be sure to check out more of Duncan’s excellent work we’ve featured on TBB. The post This LEGO bonsai tree is in good hands appeared first on The Brothers Brick. Original linkOriginal author: Daniel

LEGO often makes holiday sets that are available as gifts with purchase in November and December. This holiday season, that will include LEGO Creator 40602 Winter Market Stall. It looks like a toy seller’s stall at a holiday night market, and suggests you create your own additional stalls – or perhaps the night market is a destination for the trolley from 10308 Holiday Main Street, or going even further back, you could add it to the stalls from 10235 Winter Village Market! After initially posting this review, we’ve learned that the set will be available with a minimum purchase of (US $170 | CAN $220 | UK £150), nor when it will be available on the LEGO website. But when is, will it be worth stretching for another stocking stuffer? Let’s put on a pot of hot cocoa and see. The LEGO Group provided The Brothers Brick with an early copy...

Not content with releasing nostalgia-laden sets, LEGO has also been re-visiting some smaller classics as Gifts with Purchase. If you picked up 40567 Forest Hideout, the latest offering is sure to be worth a look as well. 40601 Majisto’s Magical Workshop is an update of the 1993 set of the same name. Composed of 365 pieces, also included are the titular wizard Majisto, alongside a female Dragon Knight. At the time of writing there is no information on how much you’ll need to spend to get your hands on it, or how long it will be available for. That said, LEGO Insiders weekend is coming at the end of this week, so there’s a good chance it will be available then. 40595 Majisto’s Magical Workshop | 365 pieces | Availability TBC | Min purchase of US $TBD | CAN $TBD | UK £TBD Here’s the blurb on 40601, lifted from LEGO.com:...

LEGO builder Justus M. Has taken us all the way back to Ancient Greece with his contribution to the recent Rogue Bricks collaboration. Each build in the series touches on the myths and society of the time, here showcasing a fishing village on the outskirts of Troy. A pair of huts make up most of the scene, with walls cobbled in various bricking textures to symbolize the mud clay that these buildings were actually made from. These angular houses contrast the smooth, weather-worn rocks in the foreground, showing their age in silence amid the bustle of the scene. But my favorite bit are definitely the exquisite cypress trees littered about. Each one an agglomeration of upward-pointing leaves knit tightly together so as to appear as a single green leafy tube – a difficult task given the nature of the parts used. The post A 2,500-year-old LEGO creation on the shores of...