The LEGO® 5x5 Curved Plate

What's this? A chopped-up blue onion? Nope, it's a handful of Plate Round 5 x 5 Macaroni (80015) - a new LEGO® element for 2022, and the subject of today's article. 

LEGO® Chinese Festival review: 80109 Lunar New Year Ice Festival

Tom Loftus (@inthert.lego) completes his LEGO® Chinese Festival reviews with 80109 Lunar New Year Ice Festival. Buying this set? Consider using our affiliate links, New Elementary may get a commission: USA LEGO Shop | Australia LEGO Shop | UK LEGO Shop/for Europe 'Change region'. Products in this article were provided by LEGO; the author's opinions are their own.

The second Chinese New Year set for 2022, 80109 Lunar New Year Ice Festival contains 1519 pieces, 13 minifigures and costs €99.99/ US$119.99/ £89.99. The age mark is 8+. While it releases alongside 80108 Lunar New Year Traditions, which I have already reviewed, It’s probably more at home next to 80106 Story Of Nian, which Lee reviewed in 2021, as it shares the same style of snow-covered rocky landscape. 

So grab your ice skates and wrap up warmly as we explore the new parts, the build and overview of the Lunar New Year Ice Festival.

LEGO® Chinese Festival review: 80108 Lunar New Year Traditions

Tom Loftus (@inthert.lego) examines a 2022 LEGO® Chinese Traditional Festival set, 80108 Lunar New Year Traditions, which is available now in some markets – for local release dates, check LEGO.com. and please also consider using our affiliate links to purchase (New Elementary may get a commission): USA LEGO Shop | Australia LEGO Shop | UK LEGO Shop/for Europe 'Change region'. Products in this article were provided by LEGO; the author's opinions are their own.

LEGO® 80108 Lunar New Year Traditions contains 1066 pieces, 12 minifigures and will cost €69.99/ US$79.99/ £59.99. The age mark is 8+. The set provides a charming holistic view of Lunar New Year, embodies the spirit of the event with the build together format and all for a reasonable price. The only downside being, you have a little detective work to do once you're done.

LEGO® Element Development: the Porsche Bows – Interview with Stephan Breum Steen

Tom Loftus (@inthert.lego) continues our series of LEGO® Element Developer Q&As today with Stephan Breum Steen, Senior Mechanical Engineer in the Novelty Element Development department at the LEGO Group. As explained in the first article, element developers are one of the many, many different roles in the LEGO Group who work together to create each new element. They receive the brief from the product designer or element designer, and when complete the mould developer continues the work. Today, Stephan answers our questions on a particularly curvy element, then Tom provides additional analysis and MOCs. Transcripts were edited for clarity, readability and narrative flow.

Commonly known as ‘Porsche bows’, having first appeared in 10295 Porsche 911, today’s subjects are Left Shell 2x10x2, Outside Bow, W/ Cut in White (6336752 | 77180) and Right Shell 2x10x2, Outside Bow, W/ Cut in White (6336754 | 77182). They have since appeared in 21327 Typewriter in Sand Green (Left 6359067, Right 6359068) and have just become available in Dark Red (Left 6359689, Right 6359690) thanks to 10290 Pickup Truck.

Stephan Breum Steen has been involved in the development of over 100 elements and is one of the marvellous minds who takes a new element design and makes it a reality. It's a process that involves careful consideration of countless factors, but most relevant to us today is how an element will be moulded and how well it fits in with existing LEGO parts.

LEGO® Ideas review: 21329 Fender® Stratocaster™

Eero Okkonen (@eerookkonen) reviews the upcoming LEGO® Ideas 21329 Fender Stratocaster set, which will be available from 1 October 2021 priced US$99/ £99/ €99/ AU$159.99/ CA$139.99. Buying this set? Consider using our affiliate links, New Elementary may get a commission: USA LEGO Shop | Australia LEGO Shop | UK LEGO Shop/for Europe 'Change region'. Products in this article were provided by LEGO; the author's opinions are their own.

Usually, LEGO® Ideas products begin life as projects on the Ideas site, gain 10,000 votes within a given time frame, go through the LEGO Group review phase and are then converted into sets by employees. Gaining the votes - no small task on its own! - far from guarantees the product will be made; in the June 2021 review for example, only one of 25 projects was selected. 

©2021 The LEGO Group

However, the process was different for Ideas set number 37. In spring 2020 the Ideas website hosted a music-themed contest with fan voting. Tomáš Letenay's Fender Stratocaster project was chosen from the rank seven, surpassing band-specific, minifigure-scale and large figure-based projects.

5x5 fest: Tom Loftus' Raya and Sisu Dragon MOCs

Tom Loftus (@inthert.lego) completes our 5x5 fest today! Moving away from the LEGO® VIDIYO elements that have fascinated him so, today he bases his creations on the new parts to be found in a LEGO Disney set.

Today I’ll be showing you two MOCs inspired by elements from 43184 Raya and Sisu Dragon. Coincidentally, both concern liquids which is appropriate given Sisu’s affinity with water.

The eagle-eyed among you will have noticed there’s something missing from the set image. Well there’s a very good reason for that which will become clear as we discuss my first build.

5x5 fest: Tom Loftus' VIDIYO spaceship MOCs

Tom Loftus (@inthert.lego) continues to focus on new LEGO® VIDIYO elements in day 3 of his contributions to our 5x5 fest, incorporating them into original spaceship designs.

As a general rule the larger an element gets, the harder it is to integrate into a MOC, but also true is the fact that any part is a spaceship part. Let’s put that to the test shall we? 

Today I will be taking a closer look at two new elements introduced in the LEGO® VIDIYO theme - though in all honesty a closer look isn't strictly necessary because they’re both huge!

• Plate 4X5X5 1/3, W/ Hor. Fork in Black (6317524 | 65132)
• Box 8X8X2 in Bright Yellowish Green (6317519 | 65129)

Let’s start with that supersized bracket.

5x5 fest: Tom Loftus' VIDIYO canopy MOCs

Tom Loftus (@inthert.lego) continues his daily contributions to our 5x5 fest today, turning his attention to another highly specialised element from the LEGO® VIDIYO range.

Today we’ll taking a look at another element introduced for the LEGO® VIDIYO theme, Box Front 8x8x5 2/3 in Transparent (6317507 | 65128) or the Vidiyo canopy as I’ll call it from here on in.     

Devoid of studs, Technic holes, bars, clips, click hinges and anti-studs, this new mould instead features two previously unseen connection types: Firstly an extended base tab on each side featuring a trio of tiny rounded cutouts, and secondly, a pair of apertures that resemble supersized Technic axle holes. Both of which are intended only for use in conjunction with other Vidiyo elements. For a detailed look at how these work, see Caz Mockett’s review of the Vidiyo BeatBoxes.

5x5 fest: Tom Loftus' turntable snap MOCs

Tom Loftus (@inthert.lego) is our final 5x5 fest contributor, and instead of one long article he divided his creations up. So, to complete this festival of MOCs using new-for-2021 parts, we have an article from Tom every day for the next four days! Be sure to check in.

Turntable, Female, W/ Snap in White (6317514 | 65146) is one of the smallest elements introduced in the LEGO® VIDIYO™ theme.

It immediately struck me as a potentially useful detailing piece. The key word being ‘potentially’ because while it does belong to an existing element family, its system connection points are extremely limited and so remains a rather specialised entry in the LEGO parts catalogue. Today I’ll be proving this little part’s worth by discussing its closest relatives, exploring some unusual connections and combining the two in a micro-MOC.

(CW: HP) LEGO® Harry Potter build review: 76391 Hogwarts Icons Collectors Edition

Tom Loftus (@inthert.lego) completes his analysis of the upcoming LEGO® Harry Potter 76391 Hogwarts Icons Collectors Edition with a look the techniques used in the build. Editorial note: Although views expressed by Harry Potter's creator do not align with that of New Elementary, we continue to cover some sets for their parts. Read about our stance here. Products in this article were provided by LEGO; the author's opinions are their own.

We've already taken a look at the set's delightful elements in Part 1 of our review so today we'll be focusing on the build itself and gosh, what a stunning build it is.

Harry’s Belongings

We start off with a trio of standalone items: Harry’s glasses, wand and one tiny vial of liquid luck - the identifying sticker for which I opted not to apply because who knows when a glow in the dark cone could come in handy. I’d be shocked if anyone building this set can resist the urge to immediately place the glasses upon their own nose - I'm unashamed to admit I couldn't!

(CW: HP) LEGO® Harry Potter parts review: 76391 Hogwarts Icons Collectors Edition

Tom Loftus (@inthert.lego) takes a look at the new, recoloured and printed parts you'll get in the recently revealed LEGO® Harry Potter set, 76391 Hogwarts Icons Collectors Edition. Editorial note: Although views expressed by Harry Potter's creator do not align with that of New Elementary, we continue to cover some sets for their parts. Read about our stance here. Products in this article were provided by LEGO; the author's opinions are their own.

Launching 2 September 2021, LEGO® 76391 Hogwarts Icons Collectors Edition contains 3010 pieces, 3x 20th anniversary of LEGO Harry Potter minifigures and will cost €249.99/ US$249.99/ £229.99/ 1999 DKK/ AU$399.99/ ¥29980/ NZ$449.99/ CA$349.99. The age mark is 18+.

[EDIT: it will now launch on September 15th in the US, Canada, and Mexico, rather than September 2nd as originally planned due to a shipping delay in the US. The set will be available for online only pre-order at LEGO.com beginning September 2nd. The product will be available in LEGO Retail stores on September 15th. ]

We’ll get to the build in Part 2 of our review but for the moment, it’s all about the parts!

LEGO® Trolls World Tour review: 41258 Vibe City Concert

Today Tom Loftus (Inthert on Flickr) completes our LEGO® Trolls World Tour coverage – that we began back in April 2020! – with a review of the parts in 41258 Vibe City Concert. If you're buying this set from USA Amazon, consider using our affiliate links - New Elementary may get a commission. The products in this article were provided for free by LEGO; the author's opinions are not biased by this.

The explosion of colour that is the LEGO® Trolls World Tour theme concludes with its final encore: 41258 Vibe City Concert. With 494 pieces, five weird and wonderful minifigures and an original retail price of US$59.99 / £54.99 / 58.48€ it is the largest set to come from this theme.

LEGO® Friends review: 41430 Summer Fun Water Park

A new-for-2020 family of parts we've not yet examined are the large tubes. Inthert (on Flickr) rectifies that today by reviewing one of the sets containing them: LEGO® Friends 41430 Summer Fun Water Park. Buying this set? Consider using our affiliate links: USA LEGO Shop at Home|UK LEGO Shop at Home. New Elementary may get a commission. The products in this article were provided for free by LEGO; the author's opinions are not biased by this.

Friends sets are well known for their abundance of vibrant hues, spot-on colour blocking and innumerable details. 41430 Summer Fun Water Park is no exception. This bundle of joy has 1001 pieces, four Minidolls and is priced at US$99.99/ £89.99 / 97.47€.

LEGO® Ninjago MOCs: 70687 Spinjitzu Burst - Lloyd

Recently Inthert took a look at the parts in LEGO® 70686 Spinjitzu Burst - Kai, in particular the strange new plate with 4 handles. Now, Aron Gerencsér (@_pohaturon) focuses on the other new mould present in these Spinjitzu sets and uses it in his own creations. The products in this article were provided for free by LEGO; the author's opinions are not biased by this.

Occasionally the LEGO Group releases a highly specialised part designed, very pointedly, to fulfil a specific role in a play feature – with versatility taking the back seat. Naturally, we then do our absolute best to subvert that specific role and find other uses for them. 

One such part is Function Element W Hinge, aka Energy Burst with Wide Clip (Design ID 66960) appearing in three dual-moulded colour variants throughout this year’s Ninjago Spinjitzu Burst sets. I was sent 5 copies of 70687 Spinjitzu Burst - Lloyd, each including 4 of them in Silver Metallic with Transparent Bright Green (Element ID 6322846), giving me 20 of these to mess around with!

LEGO® Star Wars 75290 Mos Eisley Cantina: Thomas Jenkins' Alternate Build & MOCs

Following his examination of its parts and review of the build, Thomas Jenkins (on Instagram) takes LEGO® Star Wars 75290 Mos Eisley Cantina in a different direction today with some original creations of his own! Plus, a look at the changes LEGO recently made to the click hinge family. Buying the Cantina? Consider using our affiliate links: USA | UK. New Elementary may get a commission. The products in this article were provided for free by LEGO; the author's opinions are not biased by this.

From a Star Wars icon to more of a deep cut from the Star Wars universe…

Alternate build using parts in Mos Eisley Cantina

Tan Leader standing by!

My goal with creating an alternate build was to make something as different as I could from the original model.

LEGO® Ninjago review + MOCs: 70686 Spinjitzu Burst – Kai

A rather odd LEGO® Ninjago element caught our eye this year, so we sent it to two members of our team to review and build MOCs with. First up: Inthert (on Flickr) reviews 70686 Spinjitzu Burst – Kai. If you're buying this set, consider using our affiliate links: USA LEGO Shop at Home, USA Amazon, UK LEGO Shop at Home, UK Amazon. New Elementary earn from qualifying purchases. The products in this article were provided for free by LEGO; the author's opinions are not biased by this.

Ninjago has always been known for introducing new elements, but the latest mini-wave of Spinjizu Burst sets have raised the bar – or should that be levelled the bar? More on that later but first let’s take a look at the build of one of the three Burst sets currently available: 70686 Spinjitzu Burst – Kai.

October LEGO® Article Digest

We published so much in October – 15 articles across 17 posts, plus another 10 for our Patreon supporters – we figured a bit of a catch-up might be good in case you missed any!

New LEGO® sets now available

• LEGO Ideas set 21324 123 Sesame Street was reviewed over two posts by Tim Johnson, and it is available to purchase as of today! If you're buying this set, consider using our affiliate links to LEGO Shop at Home in the USA or UK. New Elementary earn from qualifying purchases. 
• Now that The Mandalorian Season 2 has aired, LEGO Star Wars 75318 The Child is available too! Check out our review by new contributor Zachary Hill, or head straight to purchase via our affiliate links: USA LEGO Shop at Home, USA Amazon, UK LEGO Shop at Home, UK Amazon. 

Forbidden Elementary: Sticker sheet cardboard box

Inthert (on Instagram) returns today with a wholly (and holey) different idea for a New Elementary post. Welcome to Forbidden Elementary, where we look at elements that aren't elements. Heresy!

Designed to withstand even the most enthusiastic play, the average LEGO® brick doesn’t typically require individual protective packaging. However, some of the more fragile, non-standard elements like rubber bands, string and cloth pieces need exactly that and so are placed in small cardboard boxes to keep them safe from factory to consumer.

This particular specimen comes from the Speed Champions polybag 30342 Lamborghini Huracán Super Trofeo Evo which was available for free with qualifying purchases from LEGO in June and August 2020. Unusually, it does not contain one of the vulnerable element types listed above; instead it protects the tiny sticker sheet from getting crumpled in the bag. Before diving deeper into the wonderful potential of cardboard LEGO elements, let’s take a brief look at the model itself because without it, I wouldn’t have embarked on this bizarre endeavour.

LEGO® Star Wars review & MOCs: 75253 Droid Commander

Victor Pruvost (leewanlego on Flickr) returns today with a fresh look at an unusual set from last year: LEGO® Star Wars BOOST 75253 Droid Commander. Plenty has been written about it already so Victor takes a deep dive into its parts before using some to create original models of his own. The products in this article were provided for free by LEGO; the author's opinions are not biased by this.

Today we’ll take a break from our 2020 set reviews by focusing on a set released a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away… Okay, not so long ago, actually, because we’ll be taking a look at 75253 Droid Commander, a 2019 Star Wars set containing 1177 parts, many of which are definitely worth taking a look at!

LEGO® Monkie Kid review & MOC: 80007 Iron Bull Tank

We turn to Inthert once again for our next LEGO® Monkie Kid review: 80007 Iron Bull Tank, and he has also reimagined the set by using it as a base to create his own version! The products in this article were provided for free by LEGO; the author's opinions are not biased by this.

Just one of the many enemies the Monkie Kid & co. will encounter, the Iron Bull Tank consists of 470 parts, includes 4 minifigures (although one is rather large to be deemed ‘mini’ – no offence Sandy!) and is priced at £39.99 / $49.99 / 43.86€.