The LEGO Elves theme was retired not long ago, and sadly it never quite gained the popularity among adult fans that I think it deserved. Thankfully, though, there are a handful of builders who’ve been designing beautiful creations in the brightly colored world of Elves, and this gorgeous diorama by Stilly Bricks shows how delightful Elvendale can be. They built it a few years ago, but only recently got around to photographing it, which is understandable given that the massive village is over 5 feet long from end to end, and more than 2 feet deep.
The goal of this creation wasn’t simply to build an amazing village, though. Instead, it was to provide a beautiful setting for many of the theme’s official sets, so sprinkled throughout the diorama are recognizable LEGO sets, perfectly incorporated into the landscape. For instance, here you can see The Secret Marketplace (41176) on the right, while Naida’s Epic Adventure Ship (41073) and 41181: Naida’s Gondola (41181) float on the river.
While many of the official sets were excellent, one thing they always lacked was sufficient foliage to feel like the Elves were in a dense, lush forest. Stilly Bricks has fixed that by giving Elvendale an abundance of thick trees whose colors blend together to create that magical feeling that was at the core of the theme.
And of course, a diorama of Elvendale wouldn’t be complete without the Goblins, who have a small burrow on the edge of the village, which you might recognize from Magic Rescue from the Goblin Village (41185).
Check out more of Stilly Bricks work in our archives, and don’t miss this even larger Elves diorama we featured recently, along with the rest of our LEGO Elves archive.
I loved this theme, so bright and colourful. This diorama really reminds me of my early beginnings as a Druid Elf in World of Warcraft, back in the day when it started (that was 15 or more years ago!) and there had no extensions yet. My very first steps in the deep forests of Teldrassil, if I remember the name correctly are still lively printed in my mind. The colours, sounds, music : such a peaceful atmosphere… Lovely build.
I would have been waaay more into the Elves theme (and more likely to purchase for both me and my kiddo) if it had used minifigs.
Seeing this makes me even more upset I missed Elves completely. I only got back to buying Lego right as it was ending!
I think it would have been much more interesting to adults had it used minifigures rather than minidolls. It’s a bit sad in a way that the “girl themes” have bifurcated from the rest of Lego in this way, though I know it was the result of 5 years of market research and I know that young girls love minidolls. They don’t scream design clsssic to me like the minifigure does thought because they’re a bit too similar to other things in the market. Paradisa was the best ever girly theme!
My girls absolutely love the minidolls, way more then minifigs. I’m a minifig guy, but LEGO’s research was right on with girls loving the minidolls. They are constantly building them houses, bakeries, doctor’s offices, etc. And they love the old Elves sets. They wish they were still made. And they were disappointed there were no challenges in the LEGO Masters show that used minidolls.
Yeah minidolls aren’t that bad overall, but I sure wish they had studs on their behinds or some other way to sit securely. They’re a bit top-heavy and my 4y old gets frustrated trying to place them. Also the rubberized hair is far too easy to accidentally knock off, another frustration for my kid.
And yes, she very much likes them, but we also have some minifigs princesses and mermaids that are just as beloved. (Not to mention a bunch of other more conventional female minifigs).