Since it’s the week before Christmas, I’m sure you’re probably scrambling for something to keep the kids occupied. I’m working all of this week, but fortunately my mom is in town for when the girl’s winter break starts. She’s been asking why she doesn’t have any LEGO Christmas ornaments on her tree. I’ll be sharing The LEGO Christmas Ornaments Book with her tonight so she can make a few of her own while I’m at work.
If you haven’t come across this book, it’s probably because it was just released this year. I didn’t get a hard copy or the book, but did get a PDF version with latest LEGO Humble Bundle. So I dug right in.
Description of The LEGO Christmas Ornaments Book
Let me just say first, I am a fan of Chris McVeigh LEGO designs. He creates awesome builds. (Just Google “Chris McVeigh LEGO” and see everything that comes up. Go ahead. I’ll wait.)
Now you see what I mean? I even purchased a nifty Boba Fett Slave I mini build I gave to Mr. Family Brick a few years ago… I should have blogged about that. Anywhoo…
The author behind the book is enough to ensure it will be awesome.
The full book title is actually “The LEGO Christmas Ornaments Book: 15 Designs to Spread Holiday Cheer”. It has 220 pages.
The description of the book is as follows:
This Christmas, LEGO is moving from under the tree to on the tree! With The LEGO Christmas Ornaments Book as your guide, you’ll make classic globe and barrel ornaments, all out of LEGO, as well as original gingerbread houses, a merry Santa, arcade cabinets, and many more.
Packed with step-by-step instructions for 15 charming builds, The LEGO Christmas Ornaments Book is the perfect family activity this holiday season.
What You Will Find in The LEGO Christmas Ornaments Book
There are 15 ornament builds total for you to try. Each chapter in the book, aside from the introduction, is basically the build instructions for one ornament. In the book, you can find instructions for all of the following ornaments:
- Poinsettia
- Snowflake
- Wreath
- Present
- Christmas Tree
- Gingerbread House
- Barrel
- Ball
- Bow
- Frill
- Lantern
- Arcade
- Computer
- Camera
- Burger
Each section begins with a beautiful photo of the build you will create, followed by a parts list and then the instructions. Chris has given you the part number and count of how many you will need for the build.
After the instructions, you get color variations and/or alternate builds for each ornament.
And that’s pretty much it. Straight to the point!
My Take on The LEGO Christmas Ornaments Book
I love the book. Again, most anything Chris McVeigh I’m on board for and add in Christmas… it’s hard not to immediately love it. If you are a fan of great photography, this also makes an excellent photography appreciation book, as Chris has clearly put effort into the photos of his ornaments.
Bottom Line
So yes, this is an excellent addition to any LEGO library. However, there are a few things you should note about the book.
- You’re probably not going to be able to build most of them from your current LEGO stash. Many of these builds require specialized parts that aren’t very common. This means you will need to purchase a few parts from BrickOwl or BrickLink to complete your ornaments. Or, you can bypass the whole hunt for parts and purchase ornament kits from Chris’s website directly.
- Not all the ornaments are Christmas related. The last four ornaments in the book are just general fun builds that can be strung up and hung on a tree. If you were looking for a full book of ornament builds, this is not it. So don’t be surprised when you get to the end of the book.
- Some of the builds are fragile. I haven’t had a chance to make any of the builds myself, but from other reader comments, they’re having problems with the ornaments breaking apart on their kids. Now, whether that’s do too manhandling them, I couldn’t say… just be aware.
If none of those things bother you enough to purchase the book, you can pickup your own copy of The LEGO Christmas Ornaments Book on Amazon.com.
We highly recommend it!