As a LEGO fan you have several choices for building your own LEGO creations. You might get inspired by an official LEGO set and customize it further, or completely rebuild it. You can also use the loose pieces you already have, and make a completely original design. If you don’t have all the LEGO elements you need for your custom creations, you can use LEGO Digital Designer to work out the details of your model, and when you are done, you can order the missing element online. But what about the times twhen you would like to build something but you are not sure how to start, or you would like to see what else you could make with your LEGO bricks? Today I would like to show you another way you can make new models by taking advantage of the huge amount of instructions shared by the LEGO fan community. 🙂
➡ CUSTOM LEGO INSTRUCTIONS AT REBRICKABLE: Rebrickable.com is one of the best resources for building custom LEGO models. It was created by LEGO fan Nathan Thom, who wanted to see what other sets he could build from his current LEGO collection. His website will show you which official LEGO sets you can build from the sets and parts you already own. But that’s not all…
You can choose from official LEGO sets, or custom models made by many different designers. As far as official LEGO sets, you can build them as they are, or there are also upgrades and alternate builds created by LEGO fans – you can basically upgrade your current sets with cooler details. As far as custom models, there are thousands of them. They all include building instructions, so you can follow along step-by step. There are even some of LEGO’s own designers who upload models at Rebrickable.
Rebrickable is linked from Brickset.com, so if you already maintain your collection there, you can easily see what other models you can build with what you have right now. If you ever want to build something and need a bit of inspiration, or you just want to see what else you could build from your current LEGO collection, Rebrickable is a great place to check out.
➡ CUSTOM LEGO INSTRUCTIONS AT SWOOSHABLE: Swooshable.com was created by Swedish LEGO fan Linus Bohman, who’s focus is on advanced building techniques, custom models, and in general to be a resource for LEGO fans who want to enhance their building skills. The site also includes some very high quality custom LEGO models with instructions. See here: Custom LEGO Models at Swooshable
➡ CUSTOM LEGO INSTRUCTIONS AT LEGO’S WEBSITE: LEGO has its own LEGO Digital Designer community, where LEGO fans can share their creations. Use the search feature to find models that you are interested in. You have to have LEGO Digital Designer already downloaded to open up the models and either customize the further or generate building instructions.
➡ LEGO DIGITAL DESIGNER COMMUNITY AT EUROBRICKS: If you like to build virtual LEGO models, or you use LEGO Digital Designer as a building aid, Eurobricks has a dedicated section for LDD. Eurobricks is one of the largest LEGO fan communities, but because it is set up as a forum, it is not as easy to use as the other sites to find instructions for custom LEGO models. However it is a great resource to learn tips and tricks about virtual building. Members also share their own digital creations, and collaborate on larger virtual models. In addition, Eurobricks regularly runs LDD contests. One of my favorite sections however is the Official LEGO Sets Made in LDD. You can download these models to further customize them. This is very helpful when you are inspired by an official LEGO set, but you want to build it in a different way – for example change the colors, create other variations, or expand on the original model.
I hope these resources will help you when you want to build something but you are not sure where to start, or you just want to see what else you could build from your current LEGO collection. If you need individual LEGO elements to finish up a model, you can use BrickLink.com, or LEGO’s own Pick-A-Brick section.
What do you think? Have you used any of these resources to build alternate versions of official LEGO sets, or custom LEGO models? Are there any other resources you find helpful for building custom LEGO creations? Feel free to share in the comment section below! 😉
And you might also like to check out the following related posts:
I knew about Rebrickable but not the other ones. Cool!
Yeah, there is a great selection of custom models between these resources, so you should never get bored! 😀
I am trying to find someone who could help me build plans for the new high school that is being built on our campus. I thought it would be a good STEM project, but i am having difficulty just getting started. If you know anyone i should contact that would be much appreciated.
Brian, you can use LEGO Digital Designer to first build the building digitally. The software will also give you a parts-list once you are done, which you can use as your shopping list. You can download LEGO Digital Designer at the following link. It is free to use: http://ldd.lego.com/en-us/
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