Tag Archives: Building Techniques

Tiny builds, big imagination. Talking bricks with Dan Ko [Interview]

Longtime readers of The Brothers Brick will definitely be familiar with the builds of Jordan Jivkov, better known as Dan Ko, one of the most prolific builders of recent years, who specializes in small models that are packed with personality and wit. He honed his skills as an Iron Builder and continues to show up in LEGO challenges like Brickscalibur and the Rogue Olympics. It’s no surprise he’s been featured here dozens of times since 2020. In addition to sharing his models, Dan has also been generous with sharing ad-hoc instructions for his most popular builds. This month Dan is starting a new venture: a website where Dan can release free digital instructions every week for delightful builds that can be made from a modest collection of parts. We thought this would be the perfect time to catch up with Dan on his site, his journey as a builder, and the state of LEGO fandom.

Click for our interview with Dan and some of our favorites of his tiny builds

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Learn how to master Brick-Bult Water with this free LEGO ebook from Exe Sandbox [Feature]

When it comes to water-building, there are plenty of examples from official LEGO sets that can be adapted for your custom models, but sometimes you want to push your LEGO creations beyond basic designs. Tong Xin Jun (Exe Sandbox) has created an extensive guide full of tips and tricks for creating LEGO water from bricks and is offering it as a free ebook: Brick-Built Water. The builder graciously offered to let us host a copy of the ebook so that others can learn from this essential resource.

For a preview of the free ebook, click here

Minifig Monday: These golden K-Pop Demon Hunter LEGO creations are sweet as soda pop [Feature]

The surprise hit of the summer, with its eye-catching animation and a soundtrack of earworms, is K-Pop Demon Hunters from Netflix and Sony Animation. It has a LEGO connection, as the film’s creator, Maggie Kang, was also head of story for the Ninjago movie. This week on Minifig Monday we round up some creative LEGO takes on the demon-slaying pop idols of Huntr/x and their rivals, the Saja Boys, along with instructions to build your own adorable Derpy the Tiger.

Markus (@Bricks of Maze) gets us started with half-demon Rumi with a minifig-scale build of Derpy. The shadow raven from Elves makes a fitting appearance in the hat that it stole from Derpy.

Natashia (@_motherofcatdragons_) mashes up the idol band with Star Wars for a Jedi take on Huntr/x.

In this reimagined universe, Huntr/x walks the path of the Jedi — seekers of balance, guided by the Force yet never losing the edge that defines the hunt. With lightsabers in hand and instincts sharper than any blade, this is what it looks like when rhythm meets destiny in a galaxy far, far away.

It’s no wonder they’re climbing up the galactic pop charts. Watch out, Sy Snoodles!

Oh-no! Someone is running off with the band’s manager, BB-Y! This could only be the work of…

More sweet as soda pop creations follow

Build your own Star Wars AT-RT Scout Walker with these free instructions from Creativbricks [instructions]

Does the sticker-shock of the 327th Star Corps Clone Troopers Battle Pack have you lamenting that a decent LEGO AT-RT is out of reach? While we found the official LEGO version to be an improvement over past incarnations, this fan design from French builder Creativbricks is even better, and with these free instructions, you can build your own from common LEGO elements.

Free instructions for the AT-RT follow

Vivi explores Alexandria in the latest Final Fantasy LEGO JRPG tribute from Brick Ninja

July 7 marked the 25th anniversary of Final Fantasy IX, and to celebrate, Kevin Wanner (Brick Ninja) recreates the game’s opening in Alexandria out of LEGO. After the sci-fi-infused Final Fantasies VII and VIII, the ninth installment returns to the franchise’s medieval roots and classic character designs, like the black mage Vivi, who Kevin adapts with ease into minifig form. It’s such a charming, immersive scene that feels like it’s lifted straight from a video game, with barely a stud in sight. There’s so much to love, from the dense wolverine-claw grass, to the oval tiled walls, to the curved wall slats on the rightmost building.

Of course, Kevin is no stranger to Final Fantasy-inspired builds. We’ve featured several of his FF7 tributes in the past, but there have been enough recent builds that we’ve missed, that this is the perfect time to play catch up, starting with this spot-on recreation of the expanded cast as minifigures.

Kevin’s Final Fantasy LEGO tributes continue…

Picture Perfect – Life in LEGO Polaroids (Guest Feature)

This started as a quick contest entry. Just one little diorama for the LEGO Ideas “Picture Perfect Memories” challenge. I thought I’d build a single model—frame it up like a Polaroid, submit it, and move on with my life.

Instead, I made six.

And who among us hasn’t gotten carried away and spent the whole night building? For me, there was something satisfying about having small ideas in my head that I could actually finish. Each one took a couple of hours. Nothing sprawling. Just compact moments, built quickly and intentionally.

I like building small. It forces you to be economical, which I think can be more impressive than going big. It also lets you focus on what really matters—telling a story.

Each of these builds is based on something that happened in my life, or something close to it. They’re impressions. Memories, simplified and captured in plastic. And in sharing them, I hoped to set a kind of template—something other people might follow to build their own.

Take a look at the story behind each of the six Polaroid vignettes and maybe be inspired to make your own

Run-down never looked so good [Building techniques]

This public market style bike shop by adotnamedstud uses the metal gate element to attach shingles along different angles for a great weathered look. The addition of a small utility pole, a satellite dish, and rooftop foliage adds visual interest. I also like the compact tool drawer in front, made with modified tiles.

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.

Take this stunning LEGO Blade Runner 2049 concept Spinner for a spin

Sometimes you’re just in the mood to watch 163 minutes of brooding intensity, existential dread, and wondering if your friends are replicants. GolPlaysWithLego can surely attest to this as evidenced by this impressive LEGO concept LAPD Spinner from Blade Runner 2049. Its hard angles and utilitarian feel bring scenery to mind of rainy, dark cityscapes, quirky characters, and talking; lots and lots of talking, with occasional bouts of fast action and stunning scenery. A Spinner this slick deserves a closer look. And if you’re inspired to make a 2049 spinner of your own, we also include free instructions for Gol’s compact take on the iconic vehicle.

Click to see things you people wouldn’t believe before they’re lost in time like tears in the rain

May the 4th – TBB’s Top Ten LEGO X-Wing MOCs [Feature]

In celebration of May the 4th, we’ve scoured our ~~Jedi~~ archives to appreciate the hundreds of Star Wars fan models featured on this site over the years. On the cusp of our 20th anniversary, those archives run deep. (You heard that right. If the Battle of Yavin was happening right now, The Brothers Brick would have been founded right around the time Senator Palpatine was kidnapped by General Grievous!) There is one Star Wars vehicle that has been recreated and shared by adult fans of LEGO more than any other – the X-Wing Fighter. Just as each Jedi must construct their own lightsaber, creating an original X-Wing design is almost like a rite of passage for builders. Here are 10 of our favorite designs from builders who regular readers of the site will definitely recognize. We even have free instructions for the model featured in the cover.

Cut the chatter, Red two. Let’s see those X-Wings!

Pull up a seat and apprecaite this next-level LEGO furniture [Building Techniques]

LEGO modular interior decor can be pretty cozy, but this next-level furniture setup by Oshi Builds could be straight out of a high-end design catalog. The builder employs a mix of familiar and new techniques while drawing on a very on-trend color palette to make a move-in-ready living room ensemble. Just look at those bowl chairs, formed from flower petals, and that console with bucket handles tucked away and slim legs held in place by rubber band. The only drawback to the room is there’s not much space for displaying one’s LEGO collection. We’re going to need a few more of those wonderful bookshelves.

How to wring iron elegance from unlikely elements [Building Techniques]

In celebration of spring’s arrival, Flatland Brick shares a charming LEGO build of a gardener tending to the season’s first blooms. The real star of this scene is the wrought iron bench. The builder draws on some clever parts for the ornate metalwork, such as umbrellas for the armrests, minifig hands for the rear legs, and a samurai headpiece for the back. The cleverest techniques are hidden until you flip the build around.

Link treads are used to hold the wooden slats in place at a subtle angle. They also offer connection points for the antennae that hold up the horns! LEGO kicked off the trend of finding unusual black elements to use as wrought iron in the earliest modulars, turning screwdrivers, harpoons, and skeleton feet into railings. Flatland Brick shows how much room there is to innovate, especially with parts like the tank treads that offer unconventional anchor points.