LEGO MOC(My Own Creation) – Beginners Guide

In general, kids enjoy playing with conventional LEGO kits and adore them. Would you like to attempt something more ambitious, though? In contrast to how children often play, adults increasingly enjoy LEGO in a more sophisticated and motivating way as its popularity develops. Most adults would instead make their models, which might not be identical to the original LEGO sets. Imaginative imagery and fictitious figures from fantasy worlds or real-world things and individuals can inspire their designs.

In other words, most adult MOC (My Creation) aficionados can create highly customized and distinctive MOC sets using their imagination. Adult gamers could also adopt a more straightforward strategy by building a replica MOC set that resembles authentic LEGO kits. To recreate different projects, they must gather MOC bricks that closely resemble those in genuine LEGO kits. By altering the sets, adult players can still develop their designs even if they construct MOC sets from pre-existing LEGO models.

This process is exciting, motivating, and joyful. It gives us a fantastic chance to unleash our creativity and fulfil our aspirations, resulting in a wonderful sense of achievement.

You may have heard about LEGO MOC but don't know exactly what it is or where to begin. Today, you're in the proper place! I'll walk you through every aspect of MOC, including what it is and all the hints and techniques you'll need to get going. This article will teach you how to organize your first MOC build and where to get LEGO pieces for MOC. We'll also review where and how to get LEGO MOC building inspiration.

So, let's get started right away!

What is a LEGO MOC?

An active culture of making MOCs has developed under the direction of Adult Fans of LEGO®, or AFOLs.

The acronym for "My Own Creation" is MOC. As a result, LEGO® MOC stands for LEGO My Own Creation, describing creations made by LEGO enthusiasts with authentic LEGO® bricks.

Life-size models of castles and palaces that are on display at LEGO fan conventions and model-building shows are a well-known feature of LEGO MOCs. Instead of being constructed by LEGO's official instructions and original designs, these creations are tailored, individualized, and frequently quite imaginative, reflecting the tastes of each builder. Fans of LEGO MOC can create their own MOC sets that display creative shapes and express original, innovative concepts. These designers also write their own LEGO® instructions to construct their unique kits. All of the LEGO® components and building instructions are included in these kits. To put it briefly, LEGO MOC aficionados can build new models using only their ideas and creativity, stepping outside the bounds of official LEGO sets.

"My" refers to anyone's unique LEGO build, even though it is a part of MOC. Therefore, it is entirely appropriate to use expressions like "your MOC" or "their MOC." Essentially, it refers to nearly any unique creation made with LEGO blocks. These projects show that anything is possible if you have a little creativity and some LEGO® bricks!

What Is a LEGO MOC Set?

Now that we have explained LEGO MOC kits, grasping them will be much simpler.

A LEGO MOC set is a specially created kit depicting an object or concept someone has imagined. Each set is made by a person who is enthusiastic about LEGO bricks and skilled at drawing workable blueprints for others to utilize.

Your creativity is the only restriction when it comes to LEGO bricks. You can make a LEGO version of practically anything with enough time and ingenuity. Subsequently, these inventions can be offered or sold online with blueprints, so other LEGO fans can construct your concepts.

What is LEGO Ideas？

In 2008, LEGO and Japan's Cuusoo Company collaborated to establish a LEGO Ideas website. This platform enables users to publish their creations and use their creativity to make new sets. Players from all over the world then vote for these creations. The most well-liked designs can be official sets sold the following year, with a 1% royalty to the original designer.

Many gifted MOC designers have found a home on the LEGO Ideas website. You can freely peruse a vast array of creative MOC designs on this website and vote for your favourites, which could lead to their inclusion in the IDEAS series the following year.

What is the significance of MOCs in the LEGO world?

LEGO MOCs are extremely important to fans and frequently take precedence over regular sets. Thanks to LEGO MOCs, fans may enjoy LEGO in ways the business never thought possible. Fans have more influence over what they can create and recreate—thanks to the individual bricks, which are significantly more potent than the sets themselves!

Outstanding MOC creation firms may be found all around the world. No LEGO brick should ever be wasted, as seasoned aficionados like those at Chubbybots have often shown through their works. It might become a crucial component of your next LEGO MOC, so you should conserve it.

Categories of LEGO MOCs

MOCs fall into various categories, much like LEGO's product lines. Below, I will give a brief introduction to a few of them.

Technic MOCs

LEGO® Technic components are used in the construction of these MOCs. The LEGO® Technic series builds increasingly intricate and functional structures using various parts. You may build complex constructions like working gearboxes using rods, axles, gears, and mechanical parts!

Architecture MOCs

The micro-scale style of the LEGO® Architecture theme is highly distinctive. MOCs in this category, like this Harry Potter-inspired MOC, use a variety of builds to try and attain the same aesthetic.

Automaton MOCs

Among the most fascinating MOCs are LEGO® Automatons. To construct a "life scene," they frequently blend standard and Technic LEGO® components.

Star Wars MOCs

In recent years, Star Wars MOCs have become increasingly popular. Numerous MOC masters from throughout the world have outstanding creations of their own. In addition to decades of ardent support from die-hard Star Wars fans, LEGO's current policy of reissuing discontinued Star Wars sets is primarily to blame for this trend. Many Star Wars LEGO enthusiasts are disappointed with this behaviour, saying, "If we can't get the products we want, we'll just design them ourselves."

How to build a LEGO MOC?

LEGO MOCs are sets constructed by a large number of LEGO fans. After placing their brick and part orders online, they begin construction. Essentially, a LEGO MOC is built from separate LEGO bricks that the creator designed. You have two options for creating a LEGO MOC: visit websites offering fan-made MOC sets or attempt making one yourself.

Let's look deeper at some pointers for starting a LEGO MOC and how novices can build their own LEGO MOCs before you start.

Learning and Researching Online

First and foremost, it's critical to master the fundamentals of LEGO® MOCs and construction methods. It is very advised to watch construction technique lessons. Additionally, because they demonstrate the MOC construction process more quickly, time-lapse videos and speed builds can be incredibly educational and motivating.

Going to LEGO or model-building exhibits can be fascinating, even if it takes longer. You can ask for guidance on Reddit and the LEGO forums and share ideas with other builders.

Know The Basics: Bricks

Before you can begin to consider how to put the LEGO bricks together, you must first comprehend how they are categorized. First, let's talk about the sizes.

The quantity of studs in the bricks determines their size. One stud broad and two studs long make up a 1x2 brick. For example, a 2x4 brick has two studs wide and four studs long. This is simple to understand. Knowing what kinds of bricks you're utilizing is more complicated. To help you better grasp each type and its function in a build, here are the names of the various types:

  • Bricks
  • Round bricks
  • Modified bricks
  • Technic bricks
  • Plates
  • Modified plates
  • Rods
  • Technic linkers
  • Wedges
  • Technic beams
  • Curved slopes
  • Slopes

Get to Know Your Sets

The first stage in making a LEGO MOC is proficiency with the LEGO sets. As you construct using the LEGO instructions, consider the rationale behind using particular bricks at particular points in time. What impact do they have on the final product's functionality and design? By posing these queries, you can discover the building methods required for making your LEGO MOC.

Alternate Builds – Set Aside the Instructions

You can start learning to make LEGO MOCs now that you've mastered LEGO sets, although the initial step is mostly just exploring. Try making the LEGO set you just put together better. Utilize those pieces to improve the set that is in front of you. Make it more prominent, decorate it, and add new scenarios.

This technique is known as alternate builds. Alternate builds are MOCs that can be created with just the components from a single LEGO set.

I suggest experimenting with several LEGO® Creator 3-in-1 kits to create your LEGO® MOCs. After constructing the three models, try modifying just the components found in the box. You can exercise design flexibility by incorporating approaches from other models into your MOC, which is made possible by this part limitation.

Why Start with Alternate Builds?

In-set MOCs can significantly lessen the challenge of MOC building for LEGO novices for two reasons:

  1. Rare or speciality pieces are used in the majority of LEGO MOC projects. If you haven't seen them, it can be difficult to duplicate these pieces without a blueprint. You can work with in-set MOCs without knowing much about LEGO pieces.
  2. In-set builds use a fixed set of pieces. Familiarizing yourself with the components from a specific set and learning by doing can streamline the building process.

Try anything you can come up with. Take a seat and consider the stages involved in making something. Before creating unique designs, you must first practice this ability. Continue honing your skills until you feel comfortable assembling LEGO bricks to produce worthwhile pieces because practice makes perfect. Create better, bigger, more colourful, or embellished scenes.

Use Your Knowledge to Design Your Own Sets

Replicating actual objects, as painters, illustrators, and other artists do, is another strategy. You can make these into buildings, cars, plants, characters, or anything else. After that, you'll need to construct something comparable but different using LEGO bricks from earlier sets. Let's say you want to recreate what an alternative wizarding school may look like, but you have a lot of sets with Harry Potter themes. Create something completely original with components from the Harry Potter kits.

Remember that all creative endeavours begin with a rough patch, so your initial builds may not be stellar. All you have to do is keep moving forward, dismantle it, start anew, hone your actions, and give each brick you lay more careful thought. You will eventually produce a MOC that brings you pride.

Using your knowledge of LEGO sets, you should have some ideas for creating something unique that incorporates some of your favourite themes or styles while still looking a lot like the LEGO sets you've been constructing. The next step is to duplicate these trends while creating your unique designs. Imagine what LEGO might produce if not constrained by design, and then build it.

Final Stage: Completing Your Design

You are no longer considering LEGO sets, how to improve them, or even how to construct anything in the LEGO aesthetic. Instead, you create your unique concepts or search the internet for ideas, design a set, and build it yourself. Remember that everything is achievable with LEGO with careful planning and a little trial and error!

Design software or human labour can be used to create MOCs. Allow me to present both approaches to you.

Building LEGO MOC Without Design Software

You'll need a sizable supply of parts if you design by hand. It's also important to remember the kinds, numbers, and locations of the parts you have on hand. Additionally, as aesthetics play a significant role in a MOC's success, you should modify the colour scheme as you go along in the early stages of creation. After these prerequisites are satisfied, you must carefully design each component by hand. Naturally, creating both digitally and manually simultaneously is recommended to keep track of your design in case you wish to make adjustments later.

Building LEGO MOC With Design Software 

There are now two primary software choices for making LEGO MOCs. One is LEGO Digital Designer (LDD), the official LEGO software, and the other is Studio, a fan favourite created by the well-known parts seller BrickLink.

LDCad, LDView, MLCad, and LPub3D are other frequently used programs. Whatever program you decide on usually takes two weeks of practice to get better at utilizing it.

LEGO Digital Designer

One of LEGO's official products is LEGO Digital Designer. Due to its straightforward interface and ease of use, this software is still a favourite among novice MOCers even though LEGO no longer provides updates.

Bricklink Studio

The Bricklink website developed a program called Bricklink Studio. It provides many features to meet the demands of fans of MOC (My Creation). Given that LEGO promotes MOC projects, it is anticipated that the software will receive increased support following the acquisition of Bricklink.

Bricklink Studio, available for free, is perfect for creating MOCs. It lets you import pre-existing MOCs and design and build virtually. Several LEGO components can be used during design. When finished, the software lets you buy the required bricks through the Bricklink marketplace and automatically creates building instructions.

Every adult LEGO fan (AFOL) is aware that LEGO® pieces may be costly. You can digitally build your MOC, export parts lists, and even make instruction manuals with apps like Bricklink Studio, saving you a lot of money. Don't be afraid to test it out—the best part is that it's free!

LEGO MOC Inspiration

As previously stated, there are numerous approaches to developing MOC concepts. In addition to LEGO® forums and YouTube videos, LEGO aficionados can congregate on websites like Eurobricks, Discord, and Telegram groups. These sites offer the most recent LEGO news, discussion threads, and many MOC builds. They are vital websites for LEGO aficionados because they are visited by experienced LEGO builders and provide a forum for communication with other LEGO enthusiasts. Bricksafe is another excellent website that offers many downloadable instructions, a lot of content, and a high level of usefulness.

Daily life can also serve as a source of inspiration. Consider the items you come across daily, on holidays, while conducting business, watching TV or movies, or playing video games. Are you a car enthusiast? Take a look at the cars on the road. Do you have an interest in architecture? Take a stroll and look at the buildings in your neighbourhood. Are castles or spaceships your thing? Examine the designs in the films and television series you enjoy the most. Consider the parts in your collection that could make that shape and ask yourself, "How can I build that shape with LEGO bricks?" You may soon wake up in the middle of the night with a brilliant idea you must implement!

Before making your MOC set, review other AFOLs' (Adult Fans of LEGO) creations online and at LEGO conferences. Take inspiration from their works. Or sign up for a LEGO Users Group (LUG). Share images of your builds on the internet. Even if you believe that your creations are "not good enough," remember that there are always others who haven't accomplished as much as you and may find your work genuinely remarkable. To get ideas, look at other people's builds.

When viewing someone else's creation, ask yourself, "How did they do that?" Reverse engineering someone else's work is a fantastic way to learn new and improved methods and hone your critical thinking abilities. When presenting your products, try to give credit where credit is due because imitation is the purest form of flattery.

Recall that the design process is iterative. At each stage, ask yourself, "How can I make this better?" and then take action. Few works of art are flawless from beginning to end. Dead ends may frequently arise, forcing you to step back and attempt alternative strategies. There is always room for improvement.

MOC Builders

Official LEGO kits primarily offer pieces and new building techniques to MOC makers, who do not have complete models to display. Instead of official LEGO sets, their creations fill their LEGO worlds.

Every MOCer creates its themes and narratives. Their designs are available on their websites or niche MOC websites like Rebrickable. The most recent MOC designs and instructions are often updated on these platforms, which serve as international gathering places for MOC builders. For many MOCers, browsing these websites every day has become second nature. Anyone looking for additional inspiration should check out these locations.

In the hopes of their creations becoming official LEGO® sets, some LEGO® MOC designers submit their constructions to the LEGO® Ideas program. But because it's a complex and time-consuming procedure, most people either sell their instructions online or maintain it as a hobby.

LEGO®-compatible companies like CaDA and Mork also approach many well-known MOCers to license their sets for official release. These kits are far less expensive than purchasing each component of an MOC separately.

Buying LEGO MOC

Where to buy LEGO MOCs

If you're not a designer, the best option is to order pre-made MOC (My Creation) kit instructions from one of the several websites that sell them.

You can buy MOC instructions and recreate the MOC using platforms like BrickLink, Rebrickable, MocsMarket, buildamoc, Custombricks, and WeBrick. This can act as inspiration for your inventions.

These websites offer many MOC sets, such as houses, vehicles, buildings, and movie scenes. Our exceptional LEGO MOCs are made possible because the bricks or parts that comprise them are usually not as well-wrapped as those produced by LEGO.

Where to buy LEGO pieces for MOC?

After the instructions are ready, ensure you can locate the precise bricks needed. Although purchasing LEGO bricks in bulk can often appear overwhelming, many excellent internet retailers can simplify finding the parts you require for your LEGO MOCs.

Buildamoc

BuildaMOC.com specializes in LEGO fans' MOCs (My Creations). Every kit includes real LEGO bricks and comprehensive building instructions. Each MOC is packaged separately and cannot be returned.

One-Stop Service

BuildaMOC streamlines the process and spares you the trouble of finding parts independently by providing all the authentic LEGO® pieces and comprehensive instructions you require.

Simplified Purchasing Process

Purchasing an MOC usually necessitates searching several websites for the required parts, which is expensive and time-consuming. You can place all of your orders with BuildaMOC at once. It will be simple to begin building immediately because all the parts and instructions will be included in a single package.

Rebrickable

Rebrickable is a website designed to provide instructions for LEGO MOC (My Creation). Although it does not directly sell LEGO bricks, it does offer comprehensive parts lists and cost estimates. On Rebrickable, you may find many MOCs created by other LEGO fans. You can build these creations by following their instructions and gaining confidence and experience.

On the Rebrickable website, you can look through and download instructions for various themed MOC kits, including Star Wars, sports cars, and well-known structures. These guidelines will guide you through the building process step-by-step. Rebrickable also provides handy tools to locate and compare pricing from other online LEGO stores, even though MOC set elements must be bought separately.

Rebrickable demonstrates LEGO's limitless potential. You can make your MOCs or replicate different designs. Visit the Rebrickable website to start your LEGO creative journey and obtain free, paid MOC instructions.

Webrick

For MOC (My Own Creation) fans frequently irritated by exorbitant prices and subpar buying experiences, Webrick is a LEGO substitute brand. Webrick provides quick, easy, one-click ordering services through our expert international logistics centre. With compatibility rates above 90%, Webrick parts, which come in more than 2,000 parts in various colours, may be used with most MOC sets, including ones with over 10,000 pieces. Most of the elements customers require for their MOC sets are readily available on the Webrick website.

Webrick is dedicated to providing strong solutions facilitating quick and easy part ordering. Its one-click matching tool supports multiple parts list formats, including Rebrickable.csv, Bricklink.xml, Studio.csv;.ldr;.xml, and LEGO Digital Designer.lxf; BOM;.dr. This allows users to upload their parts lists and check stock availability quickly. To notify clients and assist them in planning future purchases, Webrick offers a shortage list for items out of stock.

The matching tool's primary attributes consist of:

  1. Timeliness: Conventional buying practices frequently entail protracted back-and-forth correspondence between buyers and sellers, usually taking several days. Webrick's matching tool enables instant ordering and provides search results in seconds.
  2. Convenience: Consumers no longer have to look for MOC parts by hand. They may efficiently finish their orders and save time and money by just importing their parts list and pressing the purchase button.

Thanks to the extensive selection of parts and other accessories on the Webrick website, customers may buy most of the parts they want for their builds in one location. Webrick's matching tool is ideal for helping you fulfil your building goals, whether you've found a MOC set you've always wanted but missing specific components or need to replace or restock damaged pieces.

BrickLink (Studio) 

With BrickLink's help, you can create the ideal MOC (My Creation) and ensure you have all the bricks you need for your design.

Start by using the Studio tool in BrickLink. The Studio helps you produce something that is both visually beautiful and useful by letting you make your own sets and making you think about the kinds, sizes, and colours of the bricks. After finishing your design, you may use BrickLink to create a wishlist telling you where to purchase the missing components.

Checking your inventory is a brilliant idea before making any purchases. Many of the components from sets you've constructed throughout the years may already be in your possession. To make it easier to determine whether you already have the parts you need for your MOC, break apart and sort the bricks by size and kind (rather than colour) after using and displaying certain sets.

Once you've acquired every brick from your inventory or via BrickLink, you can begin constructing your MOC to check if everything goes according to plan!

LEGO MOC on eBay

If you want to purchase a completed Lego MOC, it's worth looking into online marketplaces like eBay. There, Lego fans occasionally sell their MOCs. It's crucial to remember that these enthusiasts usually sell privately, so you won't be able to return or exchange anything.

Lighting for LEGO MOC

Lighting is the last thing you need to do to maximize your MOC! Another great MOC idea is to add lights to your Lego constructions. It's the ideal method to draw attention to them and show off your inventiveness to visitors to your house. MOCs are remarkable, we assure you, but a glowing MOC is just gorgeous!

How has LEGO MOC affected your lifestyle?

This pastime enhances your creative life in many ways. You may not know how to construct a LEGO MOC or where to find parts, but you soon learn a lot from everyone you meet and master the craft. Finding your love is the first step, and after that, it's about developing your abilities and making them flawless through practice.

Many fans had modest beginnings but, with perseverance and determination, accomplished incredible feats in life. For instance, Justin Chua, well-known for Lioncity MOCs, started taking off modest LEGO MOC commissions before transforming his hobby into a lucrative side gig.

Okay, that concludes today's introduction. It's your time now. Would you like to know anything else about LEGO MOC? Have you previously constructed your MOC? Please feel free to share your opinions and leave a remark!