Build a LEGO set

LEGO sets for adults have become a quiet, popular way to spend an evening. You follow the booklet, one step at a time, with a podcast on, and at the end there’s a little thing on the shelf that you made. There’s nothing to decide while you build, which is much of the appeal in winter, when you want something calm that still has a finish line.

Choose a set you’d keep

Think about the finished thing before the building. Where will it go, and will you still like it in a year?

• Choose by subject. Flowers, a plant, a little house, a street or a scene from a book or film you love. The adult lines, marked 18+, lean towards display pieces like these.
• Choose by size. A smaller set is a good first one. It fits in an evening and leaves room for a second.
• Choose by shelf space. Measure the spot first. A set looks much bigger on your table than in a photo.
• Choose by budget. The catalogue’s band is a small treat, so aim for a set at that level and skip the huge ones. Prices vary a lot, so compare shops, and check whether your library or a friend might lend one.

Reading the box is helpful. It lists the piece count, the finished size and an age mark. The piece count is a rough guide to time: more pieces, more evenings.

Set up

1. Clear a table. Use a flat, clean one where you can leave the build overnight.
2. Use a tray. A baking sheet with a rim, or a large plate, keeps pieces from rolling away.
3. Good light. A lamp over your shoulder makes small details and dark pieces easier to see.
4. Pick the podcast, or the music. Anything you can follow without looking.
5. Keep a few small bowls for sorting and spare pieces.

Build it, one bag at a time

Most sets come in numbered bags that match sections of the booklet.

1. Open only bag 1. Tip it onto the tray, and don’t open the next until the booklet tells you.
2. Follow the booklet in order. Each step shows which pieces to add. Check that you have the right shape and colour, especially for similar dark colours.
3. Press pieces firmly until they click. A loose piece is the most common reason a step doesn’t match the picture.
4. Check before you continue. Compare your build to the picture at the end of each section.
5. Take breaks. Stop at the end of a bag, not the middle.
6. Finish with the last details, like stickers or small decorations, if the set has them. Apply stickers slowly and straight.

What goes wrong

• A piece is missing. Look under the table, in the bag and in the box first. Most sets have a few extras, and the LEGO website has a way to ask for replacements.
• You used the wrong piece. Go back a step or two. A separator tool, often included, helps, and so does a thin, blunt tool like a butter knife handle. Pull gently.
• Dark pieces look the same. Check in good light and compare with the booklet.
• A sticker is crooked. Take your time, and use tweezers if you have them.
• You run out of evening. Leave it on the table and carry on tomorrow. Put it in a box or on a tray if the table is needed.
• Pets or small children. LEGO pieces are small and can be swallowed, so build where they can’t reach.

After it’s built

Put it somewhere you’ll see it. Dust it with a soft brush now and then, and keep it out of direct sunlight, which can fade some colours over time. If you enjoyed it, the next one doesn’t have to be bigger. Keep the booklet, since it’s useful if you ever take the set apart.

Make it a winter evening

Choose an evening when it’s dark by five, put a winter playlist or a podcast on, and open the first bag. You don’t need to finish it tonight. A little more each evening is part of the pleasure.