Your custom LEGO build could be turned into an official LEGO gift with purchase set in a new LEGO Ideas challenge that is asking fans to take inspiration from their hobbies.
The LEGO Ideas Build Your Hobby challenge is open now and running until July 30, 2025. It asks builders to create something representing one of their hobbies outside of LEGO building, with the winning model destined to become an official LEGO Ideas gift with purchase set, in a similar vein as 40788 Friendly Snails and 40789 Flying Moon Car, revealed earlier this summer.
The Build Your Hobby challenge is as it sounds – you have to build something that showcases a hobby outside of the LEGO brick bubble. This could be quite literally anything; whether you have a knack for photography or recently took up underwater basket weaving, it’s all fair game. The only real limitation is that it has to represent you — and actually be a hobby — so it might be better to lean more towards photography than the basket weaving thing.
Either way, you’re not limited in what you build to represent your hobby. You can go for a significant object, a diorama showing you doing the hobby or an abstract interpretation of it. So a penchant for SCUBA diving could be show via goggles, a minifigure on an adventure or a mosaic of the sea. It’s all up to — and about — you.
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Since the winner is destined to be a gift-with-purchase set, there is a hard limit on the piece count – 200 – 250. This is to ensure that the build can be turned into a set of appropriate value. Too small and it’s not a satisfying gift, while too large would prevent it from being made at all.
With those 200 – 250 pieces, you also can’t include any third-party branding or merchandise. So your film camera can’t be a specific model, instead having to be an original interpretation. Same goes for any included minifigures; you can have them, but they can’t contain any pieces from licensed themes, full stop.
As is the norm with LEGO Ideas challenges, the LEGO Ideas team will evaluate all the builds when the challenge closes on July 30. The judging panel will choose up to 15 builds to advance to the fan vote, which will run from August 11 to 20. Results will be shared by September 3.
The lucky winner of the Build Your Hobby Challenge, will see their model become a LEGO Ideas gift-with-purchase set, which will include credit and a bio. Ten complimentary copies will be provided as well. But in addition to that, the winner will also receive:
- 21358 Minifigure Vending Machine
- 10312 Jazz Club
- 21355 The Evolution of STEM
- 21342 The Insect Collection
- 10329 Tiny Plants
- 21346 Family Tree
- 21349 Tuxedo Cat
If you’re interested in participating in the challenge or just taking part in the fan vote, head over to the LEGO Ideas platform.
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