How to Build My LEGO Holiday House in Seven Steps. No Instructions Needed!

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, KFOLs (Kid Fans of LEGO) and AFOLs (Adult Fans of LEGO), welcome to my Instructables post! I'm hbornstein, and I can't wait to show you how I built my annual LEGO MOC for 2024. For those who don't know, a MOC stands for My Own Creation. Thus, no instructions were used in the making of this build. This year's MOC is a holiday cottage, built with some of my favorite Minifigures. The interior of the cottage is 9x11 studs, which--if you aren't a LEGO expert--is quite small. However, a big part of this build was learning to maximize my space, no matter the dimensions, and I'll teach you how to do the same.

I've been building LEGO since I was three-years-old, and I can't wait to share my passion for it with this community. Whether you want to build your own MOC, or just want to come along for the ride, I hope you enjoy building, and learn something new while you're at it.

Disclaimer: This is not meant to be an instruction manual, it is purely for inspirational and educational purposes. I will try to provide as little exact numbers or precise steps as possible, to allow you to use as much creativity as you can. I must warn you, though. It does get a little complicated during the building of the house exterior and the roof. Other than that, it's a pretty flexible build. Best of luck, builders!

1. White 1x1, 1x2, 1x3, 1x4, etc. bricks
2. White plates
3. White 1x1, 1x2, 1x3, 1x4, etc. studless plates
4. Brown 1x1, 1x2, 2x2, 2x3, etc. plates
5. **Dark grey plates
6. Dark green tree leaves
7. Dark green plant leaves
8. **Green plant leaves
9. **White candle sticks
10. **Candle flames
11. White 2x2 curved slopes
12. White 1x3 curved slope
13. Brown 1x2x2 2/3 windows with curved top
14. Brown lattice windowsills
15. Brown lattice windowsills with curved top (Sorry, the image for this depicts a black windowsill.)
16. Brown 1x4x3 windows
17. **White 1x1 plates with clip
18. **White door frames
19. **Black doors
20. White 1x2 or 1x1 cheese slopes
21. **1x1 Red and yellow transparent studs
22. **1x2 or 1x1 studless red plates
23. **Lantern & 1x1 yellow transparent round brick
24. Brown 1x2 and 1x4 studless plates
25. **Mugs or tea kettles
26. **Grey 1x2 angle bracket plate
27. **Brown 1x3x3 arches
28. Lego white string with end studs (Sorry, the image for this depicts black string.)
29. White 1x4x2 arches
30. Red and dark green 1x1 "flower studs"
31. Your favorite minifigures

**Everything marked with asterisks has a changeable color or is optional.

**Images of the pieces are posted, corresponding to the order in which they are written.

Before we begin, I'd like to note that the dimensions of the house are 12 studs (front) by 10 studs (sides). Photos corresponding with each step are available.

1. Line up a 12x10 perimeter with white bricks. Make sure the perimeter is only three sides. There should be two sides that are 10 studs long, and one side that is 12 studs long. Make sure to leave a 4-stud gap in the middle of the 12-studded wall. This will be used to build the door. Next to that gap, replace the 1x1 brick with a 1x1 brick with side stud.
2. Stack the second layer of bricks, using the same dimensions as the first. I would recommend stacking pieces in an overlapping fashion, as you would with real bricks. This will ensure that the build is stable.
3. Stack the third layer of bricks. As well as leaving a space on the 12-studded wall, leave 4-stud gaps in the middle of the 10-studded walls. Then, place a 1x4 white plate in each gap, followed by a brown 2x4 plate, and a brown 1x4 studless plate atop the side of the 2x4 plate. This step is a bit more complicated, so I especially recommend looking at the photos for reference
4. Stack the fourth layer of bricks, using the same dimensions as the third layer.
5. Stack the fifth layer of bricks, using the same dimensions as the third layer. On the right edge of the left wall, replace that brick with a 1x1 brick with a side stud. Do the same with the second-to-leftmost brick in this row.
6. Stack the sixth layer of bricks, using the same dimensions as the fourth layer.
7. 12-studded wall. Then, place 1x4 brown plates, followed by 2x4 brown plates and white windows in the gaps of the 10-studded walls.
8. Stack the seventh layer of bricks, using the same dimensions as the sixth. Leave a 6-stud gap in the middle of the 12-studded wall.
9. Place a 4x6 brown plate in the 6-stud gap, followed by two 1x6 white plates.
10. Stack the eighth layer, using the same dimensions as the seventh layer, except with a 4-stud gap in the middle of the 12-studded wall. Place two 1x4 white plates In the gap, followed by 2 white 1x1 plates on the sides of the gap, and a 2x2 brown plate In the center.
11. Place 2 white 1x2 slope bricks on the edges of the 12-studded wall. Then, place 2 white 1x3 bricks on the 12-studded wall, leaving a 2-stud gap.
12. Place 2 white 1x2 slope bricks on the edges of the 12-studded wall, forming a trapezoid-like shape with the layer beneath it. Leave the same 2-stud gap from step 9.
13. Place the brown 1x2x2 2/3 windows in the gap, and place a white 1x4x2 arch atop it. Place 1x1 bricks to the sides of the white 1x2 slope bricks.
14. Place 2 white 1x2 slopes on the sides of the arch.
15. Place 2 more slopes on top of the arch, with a 1x2 brick in between.
16. Place the final slopes (phew) atop those of step 13.
17. Place 2 white 1x1 cheese wedges on top of the slope bricks.
18. Place 1x2 and 1x1 cheese wedges on the tops of the 10-studded walls.
19. Attach the brown 1x3x3 arches to the edges of the brown 1x4 plate. Make sure to attach the arches from the bottom of the plate.
20. Attach a dark green "flower stud" to one of the dark green leaves. Then, attach red flower studs to both of the green leaves.
21. Attach the windowsills and doors to their corresponding parts.
22. Attach 1x2 plates to the bottoms of two white 2x2 curved slopes, as well as two 1x3 curved slopes. Place the 1x3 slopes in the center of the 4x6 plate, and place the 2x2 slopes to the sides of it.

Before we begin, I'd like to note that the dimensions of the "Roof 1" part (shown on the left in the first image) are 12x11 studs, and the dimensions of the "Roof 2" part (shown on the right in the first image) are 12x10 studs. These steps could get a bit tricky, so be sure to look at the photos for reference.

Roof 1:

1. Arrange a 12x11 stud platform out of white 2x4 bricks, 1x4 bricks, etc.
2. Place the brown 2x4, 2x3 and 2x2 plates on the entire left edge of the platform, except for a 2-stud-long gap.
3. Attach more of the brown plates on the entire bottom edge of the platform.
4. Place 1x4 and 1x3 brown plates on the entire right edge of the platform, minus a 2-stud-long gap.
5. Repeat steps 2-4, making a second layer of brown plates.
6. Attach white 4x4, 2x4, 1x4 plates and similar pieces to the left edge of the brown plates. The white plates should form a 7x8 platform. Repeat this step to make a second layer of white plates.
7. Flip the platforms so the studs face the ceiling.
8. Place white 1x2, 1x3 and 1x4 studless plates on the top edge. Arrange them in vertical-like patterns, and be sure to use the photos for reference. These will be made to look like frost or snow, so try to arrange them in a random fashion, to make them look natural.

Roof 2:

1. Arrange a 12x10 stud platform out of white 2x4 bricks, 1x4 bricks, etc. Make sure that the bricks along the top edge have studs on their sides.
2. Place the brown 2x4, 2x3 and 2x2 plates on the entire right edge of the platform, except for a 2-stud-long gap.
3. Attach more of the brown plates on the entire bottom edge of the platform.
4. Place 1x4 and 1x3 brown plates on the entire left edge of the platform, minus a 2-stud-long gap.
5. Repeat steps 2-4, making a second layer of brown plates.
6. Attach white 4x4, 2x4, 1x4 plates and similar pieces to the right edge of the brown plates. The white plates should form a 7x8 platform. Repeat this step to make a second layer of white plates.
7. Flip the platforms so the studs face the ceiling.
8. Place white 1x2, 1x3 and 1x4 studless plates overlapping one stud over the top edge. Again, arrange them in vertical-like patterns, and be sure to use the photos for reference.

If you made it this far, congratulations! That means you've gotten through the rigid parts of the build. Now that the basic format of the house is finished, we can start to focus on the creative elements. One of the main reasons this build was tricky was because I had to find a way to maximize the small space I gave myself for the house. As was said earlier, the dimensions of the interior are 9x11 studs, which is very small for a LEGO house.

As you can see, the type of room I chose to model the house after is a dining room. I used candles, a table, chairs and a lamp in this room. However, the main room doesn't have to be a dining room. If any of you want to build a different type of room, I would love to see what you create. And if you want to learn how to make other types of LEGO furniture, scroll down to Step 7: Unused Ideas.

Floor: The floor is pretty simple. Simply create a 9x11 platform out of plates, and attach a second layer. The floor can be any color, but I used a dark grey to allow the table to contrast a bit more.

Table: I used a 4x6 brown platform to start. The legs of the table should be at least 5 or 6 studs high. If you want to be able to fit your Minifigures' legs underneath the table, I would recommend making the legs a bit taller. To make the table's runner, use a combination of 1x1 plates and 1x2 studless plates. When accessories are placed atop the studs, it gives the illusion that the entire runner is smooth, which gives it a nice, clean look. If you want, you could attach the runner in a way that makes it drape a bit over the table, or you could turn it into a tablecloth, instead. Be sure to fill up the table with cups, plates, forks, etc. To make the most of such a small table.

Candles: The candles are actually one of my favorite parts of the build. They make the table look a lot more festive, which is certainly nice to have when making a holiday-themed house. To make, simply attach a candle stick into a green leaf, and attach a white 1x1 circular stud to another leaf. Attach a candle flame in both to finish.

Chairs: I tried to make these chairs in the simplest way possible, seeing as most LEGO chairs were too large and too complex for a small space like this. To make them the way I did, start by attaching a 1x2 grey plate and an angle bracket plate to a brown 2x2 plate. Then, attach brown 2x3 studless plates to the angle bracket. Then, attach 2x2 grey plates to the top edges of the 2x3 studless plates.

Lamp and Stand: The lamp and stand help to add a lot of depth to the house, so I definitely recommend building them. I made the stand about 3-4 studs tall, but the height can be pretty flexible. If you're feeling creative, feel free to make the stand square-shaped.

The base was pretty easy to build. Its dimensions are 18x22 studs. To build, simply arrange white plates to fit those dimensions, or the dimensions of your choice. To give the build some depth (and to help connect plates), layer more plates around certain areas of the base. I layered the corners, and the studs directly surrounding the house, to give it a subtle incline. If you want, attach some dark green leaves with flower studs, to give the illusion of holly.

Hence the name, this step is completely optional. However, I would recommend adding some details of your own, to give your house a little extra style and charm. Again, if you want to find some more details that were not used in this build, scroll to Step 7.

Lights: Attach the 1x1 plate w/ clip to all seven of the end studs. Make sure to attach them so the clip is facing downwards. Then, add transparent circular studs to the plates. I used yellow and red, but the color choices are endless. Be sure to make it your own by using bright colors and vibrance.

Vines: If you used the dimensions that I did, grab four dark green tree leaves, and attach red circular studs to certain spots on the leaves. Make two groups of two vines, and attach them together. On one of the leaves, attach a dark green plant leaf to the bottom of its top point. Then, place one set of the leaves to the front of the house, and place the other set of leaves on the side of the house, using the side studs provided. Angle the leaves to make them look as though they are connected. If this is getting confusing, be sure to check the photo references.

Fire Pit: If you want to use the same method as I did, build the fire pit atop a 4x4 circular grey plate. Then, add grey circular studs to the sides, and add black, hollow, circular studs in the middle, and attach flames. If you want to make marshmallows to accompany the fire pit, attach a round, studless, circle to two hollow, circular studs. Then, attach this to a brown rod. The marshmallows don't have to be white, though. I used a black marshmallow to represent those who like their s'mores burnt to a crisp (me, included)

Lantern: Using the side stud on the right edge of the front, attach a 1x1 plate w/ clip. Attach the lantern piece to it, and attach a 1x1 yellow transparent round brick inside of it.

1. Using the side studs of the "Roof 2" part, attach the "Roof 1" part via the studless plates. Then, place the roof atop the house, with the 1-stud-long gap connecting with the roof.
2. Attach the house to the base. If you made an incline for the house, attach it there. Then, slip the floor and furniture within the walls of the house.
3. Attach the fire pit and the Minifigures. If you built any outdoor furniture, now would be a good time to attach them.

The following ideas were not used in the build, but I figured I'd include them in case you needed any other inspiration. Feel free to use any ideas you see here, or any ideas that were used in the actual build.

Snow Cone Stand: This part was scrapped because I did not have the space for it. It doesn't require any rare pieces, so it's a good aspect to add if you're a beginner. You could also just make the snow cones themselves, and use them as accessories for Minifigures

Telescope: This part was scrapped because I did not have the space for it. I was considering adding a balcony to the roof with this telescope, but I didn't think it fit with the build very well. If you want to build a balcony, use 2x2 hinge pieces to make your base, attach them to your roof, and build up from there.

Weather Vane: Again, this part was scrapped because I did not have the space for it. If you want to make a roof, I would recommend incorporating this weather vane into it. However, it uses a fairly rare piece selection, so make sure you have an extensive collection of LEGO if you want to build this.

Presents: This part was scrapped because I did not think that it fit very well with the build, because of its vibrancy.

Bookshelf: This part was scrapped because I did not have the space for it. Though I think it fits very well with the build, so if you think you can build it, I would highly recommend giving it a try.

And there you have it, builders! The 2024 LEGO Holiday MOC! Thanks so much for joining me. If you have any constructive criticism to give, please comment below. This is only my second Instructable, and I still have a lot to learn. Anyways, hope you enjoyed the ride, and keep on creating!