Posts by Jake Forbes (TBB Managing Editor)

Bones-to-Brick collaboration celebrates prehistoric life in LEGO

From Johnny Thunder to Jurassic World, LEGO has a long history of sets featuring dinosaurs and other prehistoric life, but as much fun as it can be to pose a mighty molded Spinosaurus, we’re partial to brick-built dinos, like a Creator 3-in-1 T.Rex or the recent Mosasaurus Boat Mission. Of course, our favorite creatures of all are original creations from the LEGO building community, like those that were just unearthed as part of the Bones to Brick collaboration. Seven talented builders contributed an ancient creature in their own style, and we’re excited to share the full collaboration. These builders are also all veterans of the BioCup, the annual competition that also kicks off this month, so I’m sure we’ll be seeing more from this crew very soon!

J6Crash presents Ankylosaurus magniventris, an armored dinosaur of the late Cretaceous. Sand blue and black bricks make a pleasing combo, and the technique of laying claw elements flat to create ridges along the back is brilliant.

Benjamin Anderson is next up with Dimetrodon limbatus, a creature of the Cisuralian period, some 40 million years before dinosaurs showed up. There’s a lot to love about Benjamin’s creation, but I’m smitten by the spine sail with a colorful gradient created from alternating teeth.

The paleontology tour continues after the break

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Brick art: Casting a MOC in concrete to stand the test of time

Every LEGO bricks begins its life being cast in plastic from a mold. For builder Olle Moquist’s last creation, bricks become molds for a new building material: concrete. Inspired by the concrete sculptures of David Umemoto, Olle started with a traditional LEGO build, used it to create a silicone mold, then poured concrete to create this incredible creation. A single red minifigure and dark blue microfigure offer a pop of color and clarify scale.

Up close, the subtle imperfecti0ns in the pour add an air of weathered beauty. Even though the cast is just days old, it looks timeless – a relic from an alternate brutalist timeline where grey-clad children play with concrete blocks.

See how Olle made this incredible concrete creation

Build your own functional mini LEGO vending machine! [Instructions]

In a month absolutely stacked with incredible offerings, the must-have set of the moment is LEGO Ideas 21358 Minifigure Vending Machine. Maybe it’s out of your price range, maybe your local LEGO store sold out of copies, or maybe you just like building at an itty-bitty scale? In that case, Steve Guiness (aka the Brick Consultant) has you covered with instructions for a miniature (yet still functional) vending machine model that you can build using common pieces.

Here’s what you’ll end up with if you follow Steve’s instructions:

And a peek inside the mechanism:

Steve is no stranger to Ideas sets, having designed the incredible Typewriter set (sadly, now retired). If you’re inspired by this miniature mechanism, you might be interested in his Inventor Kit, currently on LEGO Ideas.

Dark Lords and Durasteel – Sith happens [Minifig Monday]

The LEGO minifig scene on Instagram is a welcoming place with creative collaborations, friendly crossovers, and a supportive community… all virtues sneered upon by the subject of this week’s Minifig Monday. Today we’re spotlighting Dark Lords of the Sith dreamed up by some of our favorite builders. The prompt for these builds came from the #swminifigtournament started by burbricks. Which wicked fig is your favorite?

Our first Sith comes courtesy of Expansion Bricks. Per the builder, “Darth Taz is an ancient Utapauan sith from the Old Republic era, long before the rule of two. Taz fought in the Sith Civil Wars as a revered warrior and tactician.” The robotic arm and collection of trophies are incredible, but my favorite detail is definitely the use of the minifig ladybug wings as a collar around Taz’ head.

From kappa_o407, we have Darth Enophis, a highly unusual Mon Calamari Sith. Per Kappa, “He was best known for his ability to create Force Storms, an ability that allowed him to tear the fabric of space and create hyperspace tunnels, a power that allowed him not only to travel, but also gave him the ability to destroy entire planets due to the instability of the tears.” His storm powers were also ideal for laying traps.

The Sith revenge tour continues after the fold

LEGO Icons How to Train Your Dragon: Toothless flies in July 1, 2025

This summer, DreamWorks gets into the live-action remake game with a version of How to Train Your Dragon featuring (we assume) actual flesh-and-blood firebreathers. Right on the heels of the new film, LEGO is releasing an adorable brick-built take on Toothless, the Night Fury dragon who stole everyone’s hearts. It’s a bit surprising we haven’t seen How to Train Your Dragon LEGO sets before, as the large cast of characters – Viking and dragon – playset friendly settings, and a steady decade of new movies and TV shows would have made an ideal theme. DreamWorks and LEGO previously partnered on multiple waves of Trolls sets, so the relationship was there. In any case, HTTYD debuts with a single Icons set, marketed for builders 18+. The designers opted for a stylized design for Toothless with puppy-like proportions. LEGO Icons 10375 How to Train Your Dragon: Toothless contains 784 pieces and will be available July 1, 2025. You can pre-order now for US $69.99 | CAN $89.99 | UK £59.99.

How to see more pictures of this dragon? Click here!

LEGO Botanicals 10349 Happy Plants – Smiles in bloom [Review]

The LEGO Botanical collection keeps on growing every year, with a selection of sets that vary in sizes and prices. We’ve seen tiny plants before, but the newest addition to the line tries something new with a potted pair engineered to deliver extra smiles to green thumb builders. LEGO Botanicals 10349 Happy Plants doesn’t just bring cute pots in fun colors, but it’s a playful foundation for creative repotting. Let’s have a look at the set and let’s see if it will make you as happy as the plants on the package.

LEGO Botanicals 10349 Happy Plants contains 217 pieces and is available from June 1 for US $22.99 | CAN $24.99 | UK £17.99.

The LEGO Group sent The Brothers Brick an early copy of this set for review. Providing TBB with products for review guarantees neither coverage nor positive reviews.

It’s time to repot these smiling sprouts. Read on for our review!

DORA and friends explore the post-apocalyptic wastelands

At last year’s Bricks Cascade expo, Martin Hulth shared a post-apoc behemoth on treads cheekily named D.O.R.A. the Explorer (DORA as in Deep Outpost Research and Armament.) This year, with encouragement and collaboration from Mark Cruickshank, Martin returned to Cascade with two new vehicles that expand on this emerging world that rests somewhere between Mad Max and the Mortal Engines. Leading the new pack is BIG BERTHA here. It’s a kid’s dream of a mobile base fused with a monster truck, backed with sophisticated techniques. You might call it a spiritual successor to the Rock Raiders theme. And the use of color, with bold yellow and red paired with muted sand green and blue, is striking.

Explore the wasteland with us and see more of Martin’s epic builds

LEGO + Nike = a Slam Dunk?

LEGO has always been an ideal hobby for indoor kids, one best experienced at a desk or maybe a bedroom floor, with minimal fitness requirements until you level up to UCS sets or convention collabs (don’t skip leg day, buddy). But in a new partnership with Nike, LEGO makes the bold claim that play can be both creative and active. From a corporate synergy perspective, this marks the toymaker’s biggest foray yet into the sports space, with global “activations” around play at LEGOLAND parks and beyond. LEGO has previously collaborated with the NBA, NHL, Football clubs, and most recently, Formula-1, a physically demanding sport for literally dozens of drivers. At this time, there is only one LEGO set announced with the Nike partnership, the 1,180 piece Nike Dunk set, releasing on July 1 for US $99.99 | CAN $TBD | UK £89.99. The set comes 4 years to the day after LEGO’s sneaker partnership with Adidas, but whereas that sneakerhead set was marketed to 18+, Nike Dunk is rated a kid-friendly 10+ and includes an exclusive B’Ball Head minifigure. Additional sets are promised for September.

The Nike Dunk set looks like a lot of fun, and is a surprisingly good value, with many elements in rare colors, like spring yellowish green, so even if you’re not keen to add another logo to your shelf alongside Star Wars and Marvel, it could be a good parts pack if you’re up for flexing those creative muscles.
Nothing but net and all the details from LEGO are after the fold

LEGO Botanicals 10348 Japanese Red Maple Bonsai Tree – A return to roots [Review]

In recent years, the LEGO Botanicals collection has blossomed in popularity with adult fans of LEGO. When the theme debuted in 2021, one of the first sets to sprout up was 10281 Bonsai Tree. The newest addition, LEGO Botanicals 10348 Japanese Red Maple Bonsai Tree, feels like a return to those roots, with another miniature tree potted for display in your collection, only this time with a different color scheme and an array of elements new to the LEGO parts portfolio. Let’s pull out the pruning shears and see if this might be the next Botanical kit to add to your garden of bricks.

LEGO Botanicals 10348 Japanese Red Maple Bonsai Tree contains 474 pieces and is available from June 1 for US $59.99 | CAN $79.99 | UK £54.99

The LEGO Group sent The Brothers Brick an early copy of this set for review. Providing TBB with products for review guarantees neither coverage nor positive reviews.

Read on for our in-depth review and analysis

Feeling book nook sticker shock? Take a page from Joe Lam’s itty bitty Balrog

LEGO’s Balrog Book Nook set has many Lord of the Rings fans (including our reviewer) feeling as conflicted as Smeagol, simultaneously coveting the brick-built Bane of Durin while gagging (*GOL-LUM!*) at the price. Joe Lam solved this riddle by building a Book Nook small enough for a Took, and readers, we are shook. The itty bitty Balrog’s grimspawn body towers over trophy Gandalf. Joe’s version even folds up like the real deal and is sized perfectly to rest between your matchbooks. If you like Joe’s “The one I can afford” take on the Balrog, his spin on the Luxo Jr. lamp is even more budget-friendly.

Korra unleashes the Avatar in bricks

When the Red Lotus captured Korra, they thought they could end the Avatar cycle once and for all. Too bad for them, Korra wasn’t about to go down without an epic fight. The season 3 finale of The Legend of Korra was a series high, and builder Dan O’Connor renders it beautifully in LEGO. The mosaic mandala is wonderfully crafted from dark green tiles

Dan pairs the minifig scene with a Minilander build as the Red Lotus venom brings out Korra’s Avatar state. The larger scale captures the fiery intensity of the Avatar

Pixel-perfect Sonic tribute brings Green Hill Zone to life with 30,000 LEGO bricks

Over the last three years, builder and video creator Jason (JustBeardy) has been working on a massive motorized LEGO tribute to Sonic the Hedgehog’s Green Hill Zone. Built from roughly 30,000 bricks, the diorama draws on specific gameplay elements of the iconic level, all lovingly rendered in the 16-bit style of the classic SEGA Genesis game.

While the front view of the level is slick and studless with every pixel in its place, a look behind the Technic scaffolding reveals how much mechanical wizardry went into making the scene come alive. Jason would have been done sooner, but needed a new drive train to power so many motorized elements.

Of course, a project like this is meant to be seen in motion, so it’s best to watch the reveal video to appreciate Jason’s most ambitious work to date. And if you’re interested in how the builder solved all the elaborate mechanical functions, there’s a series of 34 behind-the-scenes videos showing the build process from the beginning. Feeling nostalgic for classic Sonic? Jason shares free instructions for Dr. Robotnik’s Egg Wrecker as seen in the diorama.