July brought no shortage of great LEGO content from around the globe! If fact, this is our largest Headlines and Highlights round-up we’ve ever published. Here at BrickNerd, we started the month sharing instructions for a chibi-style Toothless model, highlighted some Brickworld blessings experienced by our contributors, looked at how to balance detail in a MOC, and brought some fun into a school day using LEGO!
We also explored the unique history of the Billund airport, looked at the Round 2 and Round 3 Bio-Cup results, and learned some amazing ways to incorporate DUPLO elements into MOCs. We journeyed down under and saw some mesmerizing mosaics at Brixpo 2025, saw how a mirrored look at Minifigure photography really tells an interesting story, and found a frog MOC hidden inside an official tiger art set!
We even compiled an amazing collection of window techniques used in MOCs from around the world, learned another clever way to display LEGO botanicals in your home, and compared some custom creations with official LEGO elements. We looked at an amazing collection of space rockets, the biomechanical design influences shaping the latest Batmobile, and looked at the ever-evolving range of animals from the Harry Potter sets.
In fact, we’ve published so many interesting articles in July that we’ve included an interactive calendar of them at the bottom of this post so you can make sure you didn’t miss a thing. But there are many more fascinating stories to be told from within the LEGO community, so here are some of the best LEGO articles and videos that caught our contributors’ attention throughout the month of July. We applaud the effort that went into each of these features, so click on the headlines or photos to head to each story or video. They are well worth your time!
ABrickDreamer: This Week in Bricks
This week’s episode is titled A Festival of Colors. Naturally, many great MOCs are featured using a wide variety of colors, and we commend the effort that goes into making these weekly round-ups!
Akiyuki Brick Channel: LEGO Omnidirectional Great Ball Contraption
Great Ball Contraptions are generally fascinating to watch. But the engineering behind this module is next-level! I was particularly intrigued by the grid construction providing the correct spacing for the robot modules.
Back 2 Brick: LEGO Masters Open Call Controversy
This video shares the first-hand experience of the recent North American LEGO Masters open call tryouts at LEGOLAND California. The contention is that almost all of the casting was likely completed prior to the event, and that it served as a means to get 100+ AFOLs on site to be unpaid extras for TV filming. (We’ve heard rumors of at least one person getting cast for Season 6 from the event, giving a small dose of validity to the open call if true.)
Badger Bricks: The Technique Every LEGO Builder Should Know – SNOT
While there are no major new SNOT tips, seeing familiar material presented in a new format is great reinforcement and will help many of us better utilize SNOT techniques. And the examples are all so beautiful!
Ben Cossy: The Greatest LEGO Creations In the World (Masterpiece Gallery)
This video takes a close look at the current MOCs in The LEGO House Masterpiece Gallery. I really appreciate an extended look at each model, rather than the rapid-fire montage that you normally see.
Beyond the Brick: Modular LEGO Space Rover with Full Interior
Take an extended look at the interior and exterior of this monumental mobile MOC! Just one of the many highlights from BrickWorld this year, plus see if you can see a few Nerdvember builds in the background!
Blocks Magazine: LEGO Technic Pioneer Sten Schmidt Passes Away
As the years march along, sadly we have lost another former LEGO employee who played a huge role in shaping the products that we know and love. Among his many contributions, he helped develop the Technic beam that is so prevalent today in many forms. I particularly love the photo of Sten in front of the drivable Technic Bugatti in the LEGO Campus.
Brick by Brick Designs: How I Built the Strongest LEGO Circle
Follow the journey to build a strong LEGO circle to incorporate into a turntable. As is often the case, the video is even better by incorporating some of the iterative design process that often goes into successful MOCs!
Brickcrafts: LEGO Hydroelectric Power Plant – LEGO City Update
The power plant is the featured addition in this installment, but there are plenty of other interesting changes and background information shared as well. We eagerly anticipate each new episode to see how the layout progresses.
Bricking Up Brad: The New Era of LEGO Dwarves
This video is a fun look at fantasy dwarves from sets, assembled from available elements, and some background stories from literature. Note: Snow White’s companions need not apply!
Brickset: LEGO and Brickset in 2000 vs 2025
Brickset is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. Congratulations! The site has become a vital resource to the AFOL community. This article takes a snapshot look at the database and range of sets offered then and now.
Cheesey Studios: LEGO Harry Potter – Greenhouse Comparison
We all know how LEGO elements and construction methods have matured in recent decades. But this is an interesting comparison of a similar subject in three versions spanning nearly 20 years, sponsored by BrickNerd!
Nate From the Internet: Printing a Life-Sized LEGO-Style Castle – The Next Level
Here’s the latest update on this monumental 20x castle build. While the castle is coming together wonderfully, the 3D printed horse steals the show in my mind!
New Elementary: Clip-based LEGO Pythagorean Triangles – Escaping the Grid
Hooray! My wish was granted, and we got another article in the “Escaping the Grid” series from New Elementary. Just like going to college, this shows me how much I don’t know. But even if we absorb even a portion of the info, our MOCs will benefit.
New Elementary: Old Elementary – Xalax from LEGO Racers
Here’s a look back at a colorful but short-lived theme. While I’ve always assumed the name was pronounced Zalax in English, perhaps the name had an unfortunate similarity to another unrelated product in the US.
R.R. Slugger: Dino Attack vs. Dino 2010
This video is a light-hearted comparison of similar dinosaur-themed sets from different points in time. Depending on your age, you might be saying “I remember that” or “I never knew that.” All part of the channel’s Summer of Slug festivities that BrickNerd supports.
Solid Brix Studios: Building Verbana in LEGO – Start to Finish
This video shows the build process for an interesting Clone Wars gigantic diorama. It was certainly a unique subject and a large-scale model for a “display model.”
SpitBrix: The Rise of LEGO
Many of us are well-versed in the company history. But this is the first of a two-part video series that is well worth watching. While the story is familiar, it is full of many historical photos, many of which were new to me.
SpitBrix: LEGO Sets That Make You Remove Bricks
This is a fun compilation of sets that used bricks for stability/strength during construction and are later removed. I have run into a few examples of this, but didn’t realize there were so many!
StoneWars: When LEGO Discovered Collecting – LEGO Slizer From 1999
While I was vaguely familiar with Throwbots and Bionicle, this short-lived product was entirely new to me. You learn something new every day….
The BrickFan: LEGO Peter Jackson Minifigure Buyer Revealed
While I like to collect a few less common LEGO products (LEGO House exclusives, etc.) I’m not in the same league as this Minifigure collector! Only time will tell whether it was a shrewd investment or a huge waste of money, obtaining one of only a few of Peter Jackson’s official minifigs.
The Brothers Brick: Andrew Redfern on Rebuilding 1200 years of British History with Minifigure Monarchs
Here at BrickNerd, we really appreciate LEGO passion projects. This AFOL has compiled a 300+ page book loaded with elaborate LEGO scenes to illustrate 1200 years of British history! You certainly don’t need to be a history fan or be of British descent to appreciate the awesome MOCs woven into a fascinating story.
The Brothers Brick: LEGO Adventurers Meet Jules Verne Imagination at the Crystal Palace Exhibition
I’m not sure which is more impressive: the massive scale of the Crystal Palace exhibition hall, or the terrific MOCs and story vignettes inside? Let’s be honest, it’s ALL impressive, including TBB’s weekly interview feature.
The Brothers Brick: Engineering for Excellence – the Star Wars builds of Jürgen Wittner
This talented builder has carved a niche of fabulous Star Wars MOCs at a unique 1:16 scale. Larger than LEGO UCS models, this scale allows for even more exquisite detailing!
The Brothers Brick: Zen and the Art of Building LEGO Castles with Cathedral of Bricks
In case you haven’t noticed, here at BrickNerd we are loving how TBB is delving deeper with AFOL interviews and features. (This is the first ever outlet to have FOUR articles in our monthly round-up—congrats!) While the quick look at a MOC will always have a place, many times, there’s an interesting background story as well.
The Race: LEGO Trophies for Podium Finishers at 2025 British-Grand Prix
The LEGO Group has really gone all in on the F1 racing theme for 2025. They raised the bar another notch by building custom LEGO trophies for the British Grand Prix! These will certainly make for a unique item in the driver’s/team’s trophy cases.
Tiago Catarino: How to Sort Small LEGO Collections
While not many of us have the luxury of a (sponsored) 3D printer, it is always interesting to see different perspectives on sorting/storage solutions for LEGO collections.
Tips&Bricks: Cultural Representation in LEGO
Tips&Bricks has recently retooled its website layout. Check out this and all their other great content! Additionally, this article looks at the ever-evolving standards of what is “acceptable” cultural representation. No doubt there are some historical LEGO products that they wouldn’t release today. It makes me wonder what modern products will raise an eyebrow when viewed 20-25 years from now.
Tips&Bricks: Adding Variety With LEGO Clikits
Clikits was one of many LEGO product lines over the years, hoping to tap into the market by appealing to younger girls. The parts can still be useful for modern MOC building despite the limited connections. It’s a little ironic that the hugely successful Friends theme was right under their nose the whole time: solid story-based construction sets using system-based elements.
Tips&Bricks: Brief Overview of LEGO Robotics
This is a great summary of the many product variations and the evolution of LEGO robots. While technology has certainly advanced at a rapid rate, I wish there was more continuity and longevity of these products…
Tomosteen: LEGO Cheese Burger Stop Motion
This video is a very fun and skillful compilation of both LEGO and real-life object stop motion. The individual shots are stitched seamlessly together, so if you need a break and want to relax, click on over.
Toy Photographers: Add Foreground Interest to Your Images
Minifigure photography is one of the community segments where few of us appreciate how much planning, technique and persistence it takes to capture a great image! Here you can learn from some of the best.
If all of those amazing features weren’t enough to satisfy your LEGO community craving, here is an interactive calendar of everything that BrickNerd has published this last month to make sure you didn’t miss a single article.
Did we miss any of your favorite LEGO articles and content for the month? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.
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