Valentine's Day is approaching, and if you're seeking a unique gift for someone special, you might opt for classic chocolates and flowers. Alternatively, for a creative twist, consider the LEGO Pretty Pink Flower Bouquet. This set requires no watering to stay vibrant—just some time to assemble and a vase to display it in.
This bouquet belongs to LEGO's Botanical Collection, introduced in 2021 as part of the brand's lifestyle evolution. LEGO has innovatively blended its sets into home decor, gaining popularity among adult enthusiasts.
Adult LEGO fans can now showcase their creations prominently, whether by hanging them on walls or, with the Botanical Collection, placing them on windowsills or as table centerpieces.
The Pretty Pink Flower Bouquet comes in six bags, plus a seventh containing long rods for stems. It includes no stickers or printed tiles but features a detailed instruction booklet.
LEGO encourages builders, particularly for these crossover sets, to explore digital instructions online. These allow rotation and zooming for a clearer view, making the set more approachable for newcomers or those wary of its complexity as a Valentine's Day gift.
Each bag represents different flowers, including daisies, cornflowers, eucalyptus, elderflowers, roses, ranunculus, cymbidium orchids, a waterlily dahlia, and a campanula. The instruction booklet intersperses building steps with brief descriptions of each flower in English, French, and Spanish, offering insights into their history. For example, the Cymbidium orchid is described as:
"Cymbidium orchids, recorded since Confucius' era around 500 BCE, are the oldest known cultivated orchid species."
The waterlily dahlia, or Dahlia nymphaea, is noted as: "Symbols of elegance, waterlily dahlia blooms unfurl like a dazzling firework display."
Unlike typical LEGO sets with interlocking bricks, this bouquet uses hinges to create petal effects, with pieces clamping at single points to mimic natural extension. Petals are layered or angled to form each flower's shape, introducing novel building techniques for seasoned LEGO fans.
For instance, crafting the rose involves folding petals upward in an overlapping pattern, requiring careful staggering to avoid overlap conflicts. This demands thoughtful planning in a medium known for precision.
Misplacing a petal can disrupt later steps, leading to alignment issues that require backtracking. Such errors, which occurred multiple times during assembly, highlight the need for careful attention to petal orientation and spacing.
Traditional LEGO builds start with a sturdy foundation before adding details like curved elements or decorative tiles. However, the Pretty Pink Flower Bouquet lacks this base, focusing entirely on aesthetic pieces. This makes the final model delicate, designed for display rather than play.
While less practical, this fragility enhances the bouquet's charm, making it a stunning visual piece worth the tradeoff.
LEGO Pretty Pink Flower Bouquet, Set #10342, retails for $59.99 with 749 pieces. It's available at Amazon and LEGO Store.