How to customize the LEGO® Ideas Tales of the Space Age set

When the worlds of space and art collide, extraordinary things can happen. Add LEGO® bricks to the mix, and the result is our newest set: LEGO Ideas Tales of the Space Age.

Whether you’re fascinated by triumphs in space exploration, the positioning of the stars or just how vast the universe is, this LEGO set is one that all space fans will relish.

Inspired by 1980s sci-fi myths, movies, books and retro posters, this eye-popping set features four 3D space postcards that can be hung on your wall.

It’s also a chance to get creative and tell your own stories. We asked space fans to customize the LEGO set to create their own unique space scenes and the results are out of this world...

Want more? Check out the best space sets for adults...

Interplanetary spaceships

For Eleanor, space has always been a big interest. “As a child I remember getting a miniature LEGO International Space Station set. I would watch videos and find pictures and try to learn about it.”

When approaching this LEGO customization project, Eleanor found inspiration in realistic designs and spaceships of the future.

“One of the things I really like is the concept of interplanetary ships. A lot of rockets right now are just getting into orbit, but we don’t really have anything that can carry large loads of people in between planets. A lot of proposals for this type of thing are long trusses with massive fuel pods and sometimes radiators over a hundred meters long, so, my design is inspired by those.”

In the design, Eleanor has built a ship orbiting Mars.

“I’ve used a dull color palette, because Mars’s atmosphere is relatively dull in its shading, so it’s a contrast to the brighter colors of the original set.”

On the top right, you can see two kinds of 2x2 round pizza tiles used to recreate Mars’s moons. Genius!

Inspired by LEGO bricks

Oscar Gomez is a huge space fan and he’s lucky enough to live in Houston, Texas, home to the NASA Johnson Space Center. “There’s something inside all of us to go and explore the stars and new worlds.”

When Oscar saw the LEGO set, he built it following the instructions first.

“It’s a real piece of art. It conveys distant worlds waiting to be explored and shows a very optimistic view of the future.”

When brainstorming for his custom design, he wanted his scene to emulate the same minimalistic style with a bright color.

Funnily enough, his inspiration came from another LEGO set – the Blacktron Cruiser (40580). He took the color palette from that and reimaged it in his LEGO space scene – and even included a mini version of the Blacktron Cruiser in the design.

“I was young when I got into space, but LEGO sets played a very big part in that. I had classic Space sets from the 90s.”

Follow him and his wife Zahaira on their LEGO adventures @coupleofblocks.

It’s all in the stars

Daneen comes from a family of creatives and her design was inspired by constellations.

“I remember doing a lot of stargazing and the constellations that are already in this LEGO set just called out to me in this project. When I saw that I could modify Ursa Major into Cassiopeia or recreate Orion, I was like ‘OK, I need to do that’.”

For the bottom half of the design, Daneen looked closer to home for inspiration. In fact, it’s right outside of her window: Mount Rainier, Washington State’s biggest mountain, which can be seen from the city on a clear day.

To create her design, Daneen used roughly 90% of the LEGO elements that came with the set, which shows you don’t have to have an extensive brick collection at home to get inventive.

“Creativity is driving innovation and just taking old things and adapting them to new purposes and moving things around.”

A sentimental space

Inspiration comes from a lot of different places and for Steve Laughlin, it’s his family.

Steve started his studies as an aerospace engineer and has always been interested in technological advancements when it comes to space.

His idea is based on nostalgic space imagery from the 60s and 70s and memories of space in pop culture.

But of course, he put his own spin on it.

“Tying that in with the things I talk to my daughter and wife about, I wanted to show my family’s perspective on space and what we want to do, or what we hope to see happen sometime in the future.”

“It’s relaxing to build and play with the elements and put it all together. To see your vision coming to life, it’s extremely satisfying.”

So, as you can see, these stories of space are beautiful, varied and personal. The postcards can be displayed individually or separately, and we hope you enjoy the possibilities that the LEGO Ideas Tales of the Space Age can bring.