(CW: HP) LEGO® 75979 Hedwig: Professor's "One Set" MOCs

The Professor (on Instagram) is back today with more of his alternate builds of a LEGO® set: this time he creates 7 new models using only parts from Harry Potter 75979 Hedwig! The products in this article were provided for free by LEGO; the author's opinions are not biased by this. Editorial note: Although views expressed by Harry Potter's creator do not align with that of New Elementary, we continue to cover HP sets. Read about our stance here.

75979 Hedwig immediately attracted me because it mixes classic LEGO® System elements with Technic. I have always liked these sets which combine the best of both worlds, especially when maintaining aesthetics while integrating movement. Before I show you my alternate builds let's take a brief look at the original model and what interesting pieces you get in it.

Which LEGO® sets have the most new parts? December 2020 & January 2021

It's been a while since our last list of the newest LEGO® sets that shows the quantity of new parts each of in them. This edition includes December 2020 as there were so few new releases. Developed in partnership with Toby Mac (from Rebrickable), we show both quantity as well as overall percentage of new elements. So if you like to buy sets knowing they'll contain stuff you don't yet own, use our table as one of your purchasing factors.

LEGO® Disney review & MOCs: 43187 Rapunzel’s Tower

Caz Mockett (BlockHeadUK) takes a look at a 2020 LEGO® Disney set today, 43187 Rapunzel’s Tower. She takes a special look at the new swing piece before using parts from the set in her own creations! Buying this set? Consider using our affiliate links: UK LEGO Shop | UK Amazon | USA LEGO Shop | USA Amazon | Australia LEGO Shop, for other countries 'Change Region'. 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.

43187 Rapunzel’s Tower is part of the LEGO® Disney theme, featuring Princess Rapunzel and Flynn Rider and Rapunzel’s cute little chameleon, Pascal, stars of the movie Tangled. The set is aimed at the 6+ age group and, when built, comprises the huge prison tower for Rapunzel, a garden swing and the Snuggly Duckling Inn. Let’s take a closer look at its unique and rare parts.

LEGO® Super Mario review: 71380 Master Your Adventure Maker Set

Tim Goddard (@tim_goddard928) continues our LEGO® Super Mario coverage today with 71380 Master Your Adventure Maker Set as he lists its new parts, prints and exclusive 2021 Super Mario barcode stickers. Buying this 366-piece set? Consider using our affiliate links: UK LEGO Shop | USA LEGO Shop | Australia LEGO Shop, for other countries 'Change Region'. 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.

‘Master your Adventure Maker Set’ - what an impressive name! In order to use any of the Super Mario sets to their full potential you need the 71360 Adventures with Mario starter set, but this is sort of an additional starter set to space out other expansions you might have purchased and to give a bit of room for your character packs to be displayed or line up an attack against any passing plumbers.

That is not all: it comes with some new play features, a special ‘customisation machine’, a 30 second pipe and some new characters.  We will look at them a bit later but first on to the parts.

LEGO® 71741 NINJAGO® City Gardens interview: designer Markus Rollbühler

The newest LEGO® NINJAGO® set, 71741 Ninjago City Gardens, has been one of the most anticipated sets in recent memory. To learn more about the process of creating the set, Ben Davies spoke to its designer Markus Rollbühler who discusses its design, new elements, secret references and shares a look at several sketch models! Buying this set? Consider using our affiliate links: UK LEGO Shop | USA LEGO Shop | Australia LEGO Shop, for other countries 'Change Region'. New Elementary may get a commission.

New Elementary: Hello Markus, congratulations on the set! The previous two LEGO® NINJAGO® City sets (70620 Ninjago City and 70657 Ninjago City Docks) both also received considerable praise upon release. Was there a sense of pressure when it came to creating a successor to these sets?

Markus: The LEGO® NINJAGO® City set was a phenomenon. When it came out, my friends were so excited for it that we all bought one each and met up and built them together, ending up with 5 or 6 cities on the same table. There are very few sets that have created similar universal excitement, so getting to design the third in this beloved line of modular sets was of course amazing and at the same time very daunting. Naturally, there are high expectations from both NINJAGO fans and the AFOL community on a set of this calibre. Wanting to make sure I designed a worthy addition to this world we had been building, I put quite a lot of pressure on myself. My amazing design team made that disappear quickly though and now I look back on designing 71741 LEGO NINJAGO City Gardens as an extremely joyful time. Getting to work on it was a dream come true!

LEGO® Ideas set review: 21325 Medieval Blacksmith

Today Kev Levell (on Flickr) reviews the construction of LEGO® Ideas set 21325 Medieval Blacksmith, following his parts analysis yesterday. Buying this set? Consider using our affiliate links: UK LEGO Shop | USA LEGO Shop | Australia LEGO Shop, for other countries 'Change Region'. New Elementary may get a commission. Products in this article were provided for free by LEGO; the author's opinions are not biased by this.

In medieval times, a blacksmith was a vital part of any village or town’s existence (as my kids and I discovered in our home learning while stuck in Lockdown 3). They were among a small group of craftsmen that no civilisation at the time could have done without. Usually working in iron and later steel, they would make all manner of things – nails, horseshoes, hinges, weapons, armour and hand tools, among many other practical and decorative things. A blacksmith would also be called upon to mend those same things too.

LEGO® Ideas parts review: 21325 Medieval Blacksmith

Kev Levell (on Flickr) today reviews the 2164 pieces in 21325 Medieval Blacksmith, the new LEGO® Ideas set priced US$149.99/ CA$199.99/ 146.99€/ £134.99/ AU$249.99. Buying it? Consider using our affiliate links: UK LEGO Shop | USA LEGO Shop | Australia LEGO Shop, for other countries 'Change Region'. New Elementary may get a commission. Products in this article were provided for free by LEGO; the author's opinions are not biased by this.

The LEGO Group is taking us on a journey in time. Back to Medieval times and, by association, back to the Classic Castle sets of the 1980s.

21325 Medieval Blacksmith is beautiful: this isn’t just a half-timbered house with a characteristically charming second-storey overhang, oh no, there is much more to it. The three floors are packed with authentic-looking details and clever features.

Old Elementary: Eero Okkonen's gentle LEGO® curves

Finnish LEGO® builder Eero Okkonen (now on Instagram!) kicks off his new series of articles with us today where he will look at unusual parts he likes to use in his models and reveals some techniques.

I thought it might be interesting to briefly present several LEGO® pieces I like to use in builds that are not necessarily rare but are maybe a bit forgotten, along with examples of older MOCs of mine. To kick things off, two parts from the early 2000s that sport gentle curves: Windscreen 9 x 3 x 1 2/3 Bubble Canopy and Wedge 4 x 3 Cut Back with Cutout.

LEGO® review: 40460 Roses & 40461 Tulips

TobyMac reviews 2 seasonal sets from LEGO® Extended Line today; 40460 Roses and 40461 Tulips. Buying this set? Consider using our affiliate links: UK LEGO Shop | USA LEGO Shop | Australia LEGO Shop, for other countries 'Change Region'. 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.

Today I’ll be looking at 2 new LEGO® sets released in January 2021: 40460 Roses and 40461 Tulips. At first glance they appear to be smaller versions of the 10280 Flower Bouquet that Thomas Jenkins reviewed recently. I’ve built that set myself, and I was pleasantly surprised by the overall build experience and end result, so I’m curious if these 2 smaller sets will bring some of the same colour and joy as well.

LEGO® Technic review: 42125 Ferrari 488 GTE 'AF Corse #51'

Zachary Hill (@zacharyphill) reviews the 2021 LEGO® Technic 42125 Ferrari 488 GTE “AF Corse #51” for you today. 

Nothing compares to the intensity of the FIA World Endurance Championship. 24-hour long races, mid-race driver changes, and multiple car classes sharing the track are a monumental challenge for any team. Race team AF Corse and racecar builder Ferrari have had an incredibly successful partnership in endurance racing, while The LEGO Group and Ferrari have enjoyed similarly astounding teamwork bringing over 50 co-branded sets to fans since 1997.

The new LEGO® Technic 42125 Ferrari 488 GTE gives racing fans the biggest Prancing Horse set ever with 1677 pieces, over 300 more than previous record holder 8653 Enzo Ferrari 1:10. At 48 cm (18¾”) long this model breaks the 13-year hiatus since the last 1:10 Ferrari model. This set is now available priced at US$169.99/ CA$229.99/ £169.99 / €175.45.

Inside the LEGO® Element Design department: Interview with Marinus Jasperse, Senior Designer

You may recall Marinus Jasperse, Senior Designer on the LEGO® Element Design Team, from his recent article when he pulled apart a 1980s DUPLO phone! Following this, Tim Johnson caught up over a video call with Marinus in his 'home office', to gain a deeper insight into how the element designers at The LEGO Group are structured and operate. This transcript has been edited for clarity, readability and narrative flow.

New Elementary: Hello, Marinus, thanks for your time this morning! 

Marinus: Let me just start by saying, that is always very thorough research you guys do on elements. In some cases you even manage to surprise us like, “wow – there is a connection there!” So very, very thorough.

That's what we like to hear, we're hoping we're surprising people, especially TLG employees! So when did you begin at the LEGO Group and what has your journey there been? 

I started in October 2015, in the Platform team. Back then they were developing the roller coaster track so I came half-way into that project and what an awesome project it was to start with, creating such a unique subsystem! I’m part of the Element Design Team too now; about a year ago I made the decision to move over and go a little more into Downstream. 

10 years of new LEGO® NINJAGO® pieces

Ben Davies (@ProfBrickkeeper) celebrates the 10th anniversary of LEGO® NINJAGO® today as well as spotting new moulds in 4 sets just announced for March 2021. Buying Ninjago sets? Consider using our affiliate links: UK LEGO Shop | USA LEGO Shop | Australia LEGO Shop, for other countries 'Change Region'. New Elementary may get a commission.

2021 marks a major milestone for LEGO® NINJAGO®, which celebrates its 10th anniversary this year. Although the theme was originally intended to only last for three years – from 2011 to 2013 -–popular demand from fans led to Ninjago becoming an “evergreen” theme alongside the likes of City, Space, Castle, Friends and Star Wars.

With such a long lifespan, it’s not surprising that Ninjago has been a breeding ground of exciting elements for LEGO builders, and will surely continue to be into the future. In honour of Ninjago’s 10th anniversary, I’ve decided to highlight a selection of the most notable (and versatile) elements introduced by the theme, and take a first look at some of the upcoming elements coming in new Ninjago sets in March 2021.

What new LEGO® pieces were released in December 2020 & January 2021?

We love keeping you up to date with what new LEGO pieces are available for you to use in your building and so it is high time for another of our lists created by Toby Mac (on Rebrickable) revealing elements recently added. We skipped this last month as December was a quiet month for new releases so those few are included here, along with the absolute avalanche of January releases! There might also be a few pre-December ones that sneaked through.

Unfortunately it seems most if not all new parts are currently unavailable from Bricks & Pieces; at a guess I imagine this is because it is High Season for the LEGO Group. But whenever you're buying from LEGO including Bricks & Pieces, please consider following our affiliate links to get there; USA, UK or AU. New Elementary may get a commission.

LEGO® Ideas review: 21323 Grand Piano

Today Tim Johnson reviews LEGO® Ideas 21323 Grand Piano, the 3662-piece set based on the Ideas submission by Donny Chen. Buying this set? Consider using our affiliate links: UK LEGO Shop | USA LEGO Shop | Australia LEGO Shop, for other countries 'Change Region'. 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.

Released in August 2020, 21323 Grand Piano is an unusual and remarkable LEGO® product. For the few of you still unaware of it, let’s start with the quickest of rundowns. Measuring 58 x 38 x 16 cm (23 x 15 x 6 in) and weighing over 6kg (13 lb) in the box, this is a faithful LEGO representation of a working grand piano. Lids flip open, the stool rises, the keys strike strings – and it kinda plays music too; a Powered Up electric motor can be activated by a phone app to make the keys move while music plays on the phone.

LEGO® Chinese Festival 80106 & 80107: new parts & Lee's alternate builds

Lee (cityson) finished his reviews of the 2021 LEGO® Chinese Traditional Festival lineup and got straight onto designing his own MOCs with the parts! Buying this set? Consider using our affiliate links: UK LEGO Shop | USA LEGO Shop | Australia LEGO Shop, for other countries 'Change Region'. 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.

After a close examination of sets 80106 Story of Nian and 80107 Spring Lantern Festival on their own, it is time to take them apart and make something new with the awesome selection of LEGO® parts - as the festive banner suggested, “Out with the old, in with the new” (辭舊迎新)! However, before diving into the MOCs I created, let’s have a comprehensive look at all the noteworthy parts in these two incredible sets.

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® Star Wars review: 75274 TIE Fighter Pilot Helmet

Today Tim Johnson reviews LEGO® Star Wars 75274 TIE Fighter Pilot, one of the 2020 'helmet' sets. Buying it? Consider using our affiliate links: UK LEGO Shop | UK Amazon | USA LEGO Shop | USA Amazon | Australia LEGO Shop, for other countries 'Change Region'. 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.

In March 2020 The LEGO Group released a series of ‘helmet’ sets under the 18+ branding featuring designs from Star Wars and Iron Man. I eschewed the perhaps more iconic Stormtrooper and Boba Fett for the sleek TIE pilot fighter, depicting John Mollo’s design from the original film in 1977. 

Before the build, let’s take a look at its parts which are fairly standard for the most part – in fact, quite a nice aspect to the inventory is its prevalence of simple elements. Well over half of its 724 pieces are plate or some kind of useful modified plate!

Part 66956, Wedge 2x2 Pointed with Stud Notches: analysis and MOCs

Zachary Hill (@zachary.p.hill) explores a new LEGO® part from 2020 today, as well as briefly reviewing the set he first received it in, 75280 501st Legion Clone Troopers. If you're buying from LEGO Bricks and Pieces, consider using our affiliate links: USA, UK or AU. New Elementary may get a commission.

Introduced in the autumn 2020 wave of new LEGO® sets, Wedge 2 x 2 Pointed with Stud Notches (66956) combines two existing wedge slopes into the first curved slope with five corners. This new mould has been thoughtfully designed to be more than the sum of its parts; with its pointed nose and unique underbelly this POOP offers builders a sharp take on slopes.

LEGO® Technic review & MOC: 42123 McLaren Senna GTR

Aron Gerencser (Pohaturon) kicks off 2021 by reviewing LEGO® Technic set 42123 McLaren Senna GTR™ – and then building something quite different with some of its parts! 

Alongside really big licensed LEGO® Technic cars like the Chiron and the Sián are the smaller - but still sizeable - licensed cars intended to be more affordable. while still bringing accuracy and build quality that both kids and adult collectors will appreciate. 42123 McLaren Senna GTR is the latest of these cars. Let’s see if we have a champion on our hands, or if it should have made a pit-stop before primetime. 

This 830 piece set costs 49,99€/ US$49.99/ £44.99/ AU$89.99/ CA$69.99 and is available from today, 1 January 2021.