I was thrilled to take part in The LEGO Group’s Rebuild the World project this year. My little one, Arlo, is just beginning to love building with LEGO, so this collaboration was extra special. I was asked to take simple LEGO sets and reimagine them into new creations. LEGO encourages open-ended play and sparks creativity, which is exactly the kind of play I aim to foster. Since we brought these sets into our home, they’ve been transformed into a garage, a castle, several cars, a village for our train set and—my favorite—these colorful LEGO presents for the holidays.
I’d been wanting to add something fun to our fireplace for the season, and building LEGO presents felt like the perfect idea. If your family already collects LEGO bricks, you likely have more than enough to create a handful of decorative gifts. They work beautifully as holiday decor, a surprise under the tree, or a playful way to fill an empty mantel. Below are easy tips and ideas to help you build your own LEGO presents.
For these builds I used DUPLO bricks since they’re age-appropriate for Arlo, but you can easily use classic LEGO bricks as well. DUPLO makes an excellent starter collection for little hands and larger pieces make for sturdy decorative presents.
Make a Solid Base
Start with larger bricks or base plates to build a sturdy box. You can completely fill the interior with bricks for weight and stability, or create a T-shaped internal support to hold the sides together. A well-built base keeps the present looking clean and prevents it from toppling when you add decorations.
Create LEGO “Bows”
Roof tiles and curved pieces work perfectly as bows. Placing two tiles facing each other mimics the classic bow shape. I often add a small brick beneath the tiles so the bow stands up off the package and casts a little shadow, which makes it more visually interesting.
Add Finishing Details
Details bring each gift to life. Add a vertical stripe of a contrasting color to simulate a ribbon, or layer colors for a striped, color-blocked, or plaid wrapping look. You can design neat, coordinated color schemes or embrace a playful, random rainbow. Little additions—flat tiles, small round studs, or single-brick accents—help each present feel unique.
Photos by Jeff Mindell
No two LEGO presents will be the same, and that variety is what makes this idea so fun. If you want to introduce young children to brick play, a DUPLO starter set is a great choice. Classic LEGO brick sets work well for smaller, more detailed packages. Most importantly, enjoy building—and rebuilding—as you experiment with shapes, colors, and tiny details. The possibilities with LEGO truly are endless.
This post was created in partnership with LEGO. All content and opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the sponsors that help keep this creative work going.