On January 1st, LEGO released many new sets across multiple themes. Even with standouts like Blacktron and a new Modular, I get more excited about Creator 3-in-1. Recently, the Creator 3-in-1 theme has seemingly had one of the best waves each year, with each one filled with details and functions you would never expect. These sets have already proven quite popular among AFOLs not only for the parts they provide but also for the builds themselves, which push the boundaries of a set (and a MOC).

Of course, the appeal of Creator sets is getting multiple sets in a single box. Having one set that is designed to be rebuilt into two other models is a great value compared to buying three sets. This also encourages your own building, taking that same set or any other set and rebuilding it using only those pieces into your own MOC, called an alt build.

In a similar vein, I decided to do this with all the Creator 3-in-1 sets that were released on January 1st, provided by LEGO. But instead of just one making an additional alt-build with one set, I paired them up and combined two sets to see what would be possible, making four double models out of the eight-set wave.

Surprising Spider + Space Robot

The cheapest set coming in at $13 US, 31159 Surprising Sipder, well, really surprised me. Although small and repetitive with the leg construction, the function they included in the abdomen is quite fun. A neon yellow string that can be pulled out and reeled back in with a spool really completes the set.

In contrast, 31164 Space Robot might be the weakest link of this wave—but it still is not a bad set. Coming in at $25 US, it’s a bit pricy for the size, but you have to consider all the tread pieces included, as well as a light brick. The build itself is pretty simple and is definitely a fun addition to the long line of creator robots from past years.

I paired these two sets up partially because they were all that was left after matching up the other sets. I also thought the colors matched up decently, so I figured it could work. After breaking down each set into a pile of pieces, I wasn’t sure how well this MOC would come out. But as it began shaping up, I ended up really liking it. Starting the combo model, I looked at the oddball pieces that I felt needed to be included: the tread pieces, the light brick, and a splash of neon yellow.

Looking at the rest of the pieces, my first idea was a snowmobile. I started with the treads and worked that into a frame, trying to use the large white pieces to form the base shape for the body. They ended up working well, and the seats came together to bring the rear section together.

The front end proved much trickier to make work—trying to fit a light brick function into such a narrow space was not easy. But it worked out in the end. After using almost all the SNOT pieces left, I was able to cover up the light brick fans and create the sharp nose shape of a real snowmobile.

A final addition was adding the neon string for a bit more of a color pop, which ended up fitting quite well along the large curved domes. The fist combo build was a success!

Race Plane + Typewriter with Flowers

Next up I built another pretty simple set, 31160 Race Plane. It comes in at the cheaper end at $15 US. Nothing really stands out with this one, except that it comes with a display stand! It is a nice touch and allows for easy display and play.

Initially, 31169 Typewriter with Flowers looked like a display piece instead of something to play with. After building it, though, it has many play features including keys that rattle as you tap them, the paper tray slides, and the lever and wheel on the end both move. On top of this, the set comes with stickers so it can look like you’ve actually typed out a phrase.

At a price of $30 US, it’s a bit more expensive than expected, but it is a unique Creator set compared to the rest of this wave. It also includes some fun building techniques and new parts.

The plane and typewriter basically paired themselves together—blue and pink are a great color combo, and being the only two noncharacter or creature sets, they had great chemistry from the onset. Figuring out what to make out of them was another story. My brother had the idea to make an ice cream shop out of them, so that’s what I went with.

Making walls without many bricks ended up being tricky but not impossible. The walls went up first built with plate and tile to fill up the whole space. The front window and counter came next, helping the walls stay in place and making sure the forefront of the model looked good. After the roof was on I used the remaining prices to flesh out the interior with a menu board and ice cream cones ready to be served.

I really tried to focus on color blocking on this model as best I could, reserving dark blue for only the roof, pink for the walls, and white for the counter and highlights. Even if I wanted to deviate from this, the amount and shape of the parts in each color kept me pretty locked into this separation of colors. I saved as much tan and green from the actual building itself to make a small beach scene with a tree next to the build.

With that, it was onto our next combo build!

Playful Cat + Panda Family

Although a relatively simple set, 31163 Playful Cat has a lot of fun aspects to it. To start having three side builds is quite cool for a Creator set, seeing as they are very different colors than the cat itself (and a good way to essentially use colors used in one of the alternate builds in the main model). Though it was somewhat weird to see so many pieces used for side models in a cheaper set, being only $25 US—I would have expected most of those pieces to go into the cat itself.

The second-largest set at just over 600 pieces is 31165 Panda Family. It’s quite a large creator set for only $40 US. Recreating the roundness of a panda in LEGO form was quite the task for the set designers, though with so many new rounded pieces that have come out in the past few years it seems to have been made easier.

Honestly, the panda feels like the spiritual successor to 31154 Red Fox and 31129 Majestic Tiger. My favorite use of a newer piece is actually for the eyes, which are not regular technic tow balls but are the 1x2 plate with tow balls on both ends—a genius use of this piece for eyes.

Combining the cat and the panda was based mostly on their colors. Black, white, and gray had me thinking of one animal only—a wolf (so much so, that it was my first idea when I received all the sets). I started with the head and ended up stealing and upgrading the way the Panda’s eyes were done in the set. Using the 1x2 plate with tow balls on both sides and resting the balls in 1x1 round plates gives the eyes a pop of color and separates them from the black behind them.

After I finished the head, I didn’t make any progress on the rest of it. So taking some of BrickNerd’s advice to beat builder’s block, I let it sit on my desk until all the other combo models were completed. Revisiting it with a fresh mind helped a lot, as I finished the rest of the model in a single day.

I was scared that I wouldn’t be able to pull off the mix of gray and white transition colors between the back and stomach. But in the end, I found a perfect gradient along the side of the body, which really helped tie the mix of colors on the legs together.

Creating the curve effect on the tail was another hurdle. I knew I wanted to use the 1x2 fur pieces to match the wolf’s back, but I didn’t have any hinge pieces. There were lots of 1x2 round plates, though, so I used those as hinges to give that curve and sense motion.

Overall what was the toughest combo build and took the longest amount of time turned into one of my favorites that I made.

Cute Bunny + Medieval Dragon

I had high expectations for some of these Creator sets, and I didn’t give much thought to 31162 Cute Bunny—but it surprised me. It is definitely one of my favorites this wave. Overall, it’s an amazing build, simple but very posable, and has great shaping. Despite the rear legs being built all together with no joint besides the hip, it’s able to easily balance which allows for lots of different poses and keeps it very sturdy. It comes with lots of new parts in good colors too and, at a price point of $20, it is sure to be the sleeper hit of this wave.

In comparison, 31161 Medieval Dragon will clearly be the most popular set from this wave; the dragon is undeniably a beautiful set, and the alternative models really elevate it. Green and red are very iconic dragon colors, but not only that, the red does double duty as the main color of the phoenix alt build. This is an amazing feat that hasn’t happened often in the Creator line when a bigger set’s alt build is drastically different in color than the primary set.

Combining these two opposite sets is really the idea that started this whole article. Seeing the rabbit and dragon next to each other, all I kept thinking about was how well they would combine together to make a larger dragon, a killer rabbit, or maybe a dinosaur.

After seeing all the dark red wedge plates in the dragon’s wings, I realized that a stegosaurus was the answer I was looking for. Of course, I started with the head using the new and very unique 2x2 half-round curved slope for the mouth. Its legs came next actually, since creating sturdy but mobile knees was a focal point for me. Being limited in joint options, the rear legs use a 5-plate tall stack of alternating 1x3 and 1x5 round plates to achieve the bend. The friction from the large stack makes a strong enough knee for the model to just stand on its rear legs.

The tail quickly came together which led to working on the back to ensure all the fins would line up well with the tail. (The correct terminology for those “fins” is actually “plates,” but that is a bit too complicated for a LEGO article, so I’ll continue to call them fins for ease of understanding.)

While I would have preferred a few more fins, I used all the wedge plates of those sizes up so I had to work with what I had. Finally fleshing out the body to wrap up the model, I used most of the remaining green to fill in the sides and the round tan elements from the bunny to cover the belly.

The final stegosaurus, complete with a spikey thagomizer, turned out well just like I envisioned when I began this project creating Creator combo models.

Creator Combo Models

I’ve always been a huge fan of Creator 3-in-1 sets and what they represent. Obviously, LEGO encourages creativity and they want to see kids make their own things with their parts. Creator 3-in-1 is at the forefront of demonstrating that it’s not about how many parts you have but the creativity you use them with. They give you instructions for three models and then hope you continue onto a fourth model of your own, giving everyone a start in MOC building (and hopefully turning casual fans of LEGO into full-on AFOLs).

Taking it a step further and combining to of the the sets, I feel gives a decent look into what goes into designing Creator sets. You have to look at the parts and consider the colors, shapes, and textures, which will generally dictate what you’ll be able to build well with them. This allows for the most overlap when it comes to parts and hopefully provides an easier design process. Essentially, you have to look at LEGO elements beyond what they are usually used for.

This project really reinforced the core value of LEGO to me: it’s not just about following instructions but about finding your own creative path. Whether you’re an AFOL or a casual builder, Creator 3-in-1 sets invite you to see beyond the instructions, challenge the limits of your imagination, and rediscover the joy of building. So who knows, maybe your next favorite MOC might be waiting in the pieces of a set or two that you already own.

DISCLAIMER: These sets were provided to BrickNerd by The LEGO Group. Any opinions expressed in this article are those of the author.

What other two sets should be combined? Let us know in the comments below!

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