How can you give your city a fall makeover? Blocks magazine dives into that crispy pile of autumnal leaves with these great tips.
As summer begins to wane, fall is on its way. The fresh cool breeze will be here faster than you can say ‘semester one, here we go’. The greenery will turn to brown, but not before we see some beautiful colours on every tree. You may be thinking of celebrating with one last road trip, or maybe you’re charging to the nearest LEGO store for those new releases. With astounding models like 21342 The Insect Collection and 10318 Concorde now available, you won’t be the only one spending the new season building LEGO models.
It’s also the perfect time for your LEGO city to turn over a new leaf – literally. If you already own a LEGO city, big or small, don’t forget fall is approaching for your minifigures, too. So, what can you do to prepare your LEGO city? Blocks, the monthly LEGO magazine, invites you to explore the fall season early with three simple steps to help you change things up, including for holidays like Halloween and Thanksgiving. Get your rakes ready.
Stock up on coloured leaves and earthy LEGO parts
As they spin through the air and blow with the gusts, fall leaves are always a gorgeous sight. The reds, oranges and yellows that come with autumn are easy to replicate with LEGO bricks, too. Sets like 76989 Horizon Forbidden West: Tallneck and 21338 A-Frame Cabin are perfect examples of how to build trees with leaves in those tones. Notice with A-Frame Cabin how there’s a fallen leaf on the forest floor. It’s just behind the sand-green mushroom.
Another option is 21318 Tree House, which has yellow and dark orange tree limb elements in bulk. Thankfully, grabbing these parts is far less expensive than purchasing any of these three sets. Just go to LEGO Pick a Brick or your favourite online marketplace and grab these in bulk. If you’re feeling inspired by these sets, add these ideas to your city by putting leaves in parks, yards, and even sidewalks. A few Bar, Angled with Stud on End pieces can be used to make a swirling gust of leaves, too. Don’t forget pumpkins, too.
Upgrade your LEGO hobby! If you take out a subscription to Blocks, the monthly LEGO magazine, you’ll get each issue first and at a discount, plus other perks including a free digital subscription and the chance to win LEGO prizes every month.
Add fall- and fall holiday-themed minifigures
Maybe you’re feeling thankful for your massive LEGO city – or maybe, terrifying your minifigures is your game. Regardless, adding fall- and holiday-themed minifigures to your collection is a great way to get into the season. While Halloween and Thanksgiving are both a couple months away, it never hurts to be prepared with ghosts, skeletons, and ghouls. 40513 Spooky VIP Add On Pack from 2021 is inexpensive, making it ideal for amassing skeletons. You should shed those summer shirts, too, and put some hoodies on your generic minifigures.
Creating scenes based around your favourite minifigures is easy as pumpkin pie. Having a Thanksgiving turkey mascot in front of a grocery store as seen in 71034 Turkey Costume from Collectible Minifigure Series 23 can be funny and endearing, but it’s also something you might see in real life. Meanwhile, the monstrous ghouls from Series 14 are still affordable online and attractive for Hallowe’en.
Add the LEGO Group’s seasonally-themed sets
The LEGO Group has made several seasonally themed sets covering fall holidays. Most are far too large to sit alongside minifigures, but a little creativity can go a long way. Thanksgiving is defined by being thankful, often for friends and family. It’s as simple as gathering at a table focused on a turkey, ready to chow down. Just make sure it’s an actual LEGO turkey and not a minifigure disguised as one.
There are a few sets that could serve well as Halloween buildings, like 21341 Disney Hocus Pocus: The Sanderson Sisters’ Cottage or 10273 Haunted House. These would fit well at the top of a hill, in an amusement park, or even as a much-maligned neighbour to your regular townhomes. Spooky vehicles like 9464 The Vampyre Hearse could roar around your city, leaving a blazing trail of green fire pieces behind them. If you’re not enamoured with the LEGO Group’s offerings, these holiday sets can be reworked to work for fall as generic buildings, too – and any of the ideas above can result in a fabulous MOC. That’s the beauty of the LEGO hobby at any time of year.