LEGO® Christmas decorations: build a wreath, tree, and ornaments
Christmas decorations come out of the box once a year and go back in January. That makes them a strange kind of purchase: you use them for six weeks and store them for eleven months. LEGO® Christmas decorations do something clever with that - building is the first half of the fun, and displaying it is the second. Below, you’ll find which models are available, how many pieces they include, and how to keep them for years to come.
Why buildable Christmas decorations work differently
You hang up a purchased wreath. You build a brick-built wreath first, and with these models that takes an evening. That sounds like a detour, but it is exactly why people keep doing it year after year: unpacking the Christmas box becomes an activity instead of a chore.
Practical advantage: LEGO® Christmas decorations are sturdy and can be rebuilt. Store the models in a dry place away from direct sunlight to limit discolouration and damage. Maintenance mainly involves dusting them occasionally, and the safest way to do that is explained in the article about cleaning LEGO®.
The Christmas wreath
The best-known one is set 40426 Christmas Wreath 2-in-1 from 2020, with 510 pieces. The 2-in-1 in the name is meant literally: you can build two different versions using the same pieces, so you can display it differently one year than the previous year.
A wreath with around five hundred pieces makes an evening’s worth of building, and it weighs enough to deserve a sturdy hook. If you want to place it on a table instead of hanging it on the door, that works too - with the four buildable candles, it makes a classic advent display. Do not use real lit candles with the plastic pieces.
One thing to know in advance: a built wreath is not intended to be weatherproof. Indoors, on a room door or above the mantel, is the safest place, away from heat sources and direct sunlight. You’ll also see the details better there.
The Christmas tree
Set 40573 Christmas Tree from 2022 has 784 pieces and is a multibuild: you can build more than one model with it. As a decoration, it belongs on a cabinet or table, not as a replacement for a real tree but alongside one, or in a home without room for a large tree.
For anyone who would rather design their own model than build a set: a brick-built tree is one of the most rewarding things to build yourself because the shape is forgiving. Green plates in descending sizes on an axle, and you’re done. You can find loose green pieces by size in loose LEGO® pieces, and the article ordering loose LEGO® pieces explains how to search effectively.
Ornaments for the tree
The smallest category is also the most fun to start with. Over the years, LEGO® has released various ornaments: balls, stars and small figures with a hanging loop. Hang them securely and take their weight into account. If an ornament falls apart, you can usually rebuild it.
Set 40604 Christmas Decor Set from 2023 is a good example of this format: 182 pieces, divided among several small models. That set was a gift with purchase in December 2023 - exactly the kind of small set that can be difficult to find afterwards.
| Model | Pieces | Where to display it |
|---|---|---|
| Ornament or star | up to around 50 | On the tree |
| Decoration set | around 180 | On a table or windowsill |
| Wreath | around 500 | On the door or as a table centrepiece |
| Christmas tree | around 800 | On a cabinet |
Candles and table centrepieces
Buildable candles are a recurring theme in smaller seasonal sets, usually in the form of an advent wreath with four candles or a separate candlestick with a transparent orange flame. They look good on a set table, without a real flame near the tablecloth.
Combine them with a wreath or a few ornaments, and two sets are enough to create a well-presented table. A loose minifigure wearing a Christmas hat adds more than you might expect; you can find one at LEGO® minifigures. The seasonal sets themselves are at LEGO® Christmas sets, the complete gift selection at LEGO® Christmas gifts, and the calendars separately at LEGO® advent calendars.
If you’re looking for something from a few years ago, keep in mind that the range changes each season. Some sets remain available for several years, while others disappear more quickly. Older models can sometimes still be found new from remaining stock, or at second-hand. For genuinely old Christmas decorations, look at vintage LEGO®.
Adding lights
Lights can give built Christmas decorations extra atmosphere. The decorative models mentioned above do not come with electric lighting as standard. If you want to add it, you can look for a suitable LED light kit or a compatible light brick.
Follow the manufacturer’s instructions and watch for heat build-up and the wires: a light string running through a built model makes the model more difficult to move. Leave enough room for the wiring so that you do not pinch any wires between the bricks.
From decoration to Christmas village
The step many people take after a few years is moving from separate pieces to a cohesive whole. LEGO®’s Winter Village range consists of winter buildings that you can combine, with approximately one new addition each year. For example, set 10308 Holiday Main Street from 2022 has 1,514 pieces and includes six minifigures; the 2026 set is 11387 Holiday House with 1,354 pieces. LEGO Insiders get early access at LEGO from 1 October 2026; general sales begin on 4 October 2026.
Three of these buildings side by side fill a windowsill, and then it is no longer just a decoration but a village. Everything related to this can be found at LEGO® Christmas village, and the article about LEGO® Christmas sets explains exactly what types of Christmas sets are available.
Storing them until next year
The biggest risk to built Christmas decorations is the January box. Putting everything loose in one container means starting over next year, and that is no small task with a wreath of five hundred pieces. What’s more, the small printed pieces are especially likely to get lost in a box of loose bricks, and they can be more difficult to replace.
What does work: store each model in one piece, in a flat box that is just slightly larger than the model itself, with some paper around it so nothing can shift. Store the box somewhere stable and dry, without heavy items on top. More about boxes, containers and organising can be found in sorting and storing LEGO®.
If you’re missing a piece because something has gone astray, it can usually be fixed with one loose brick instead of a new set. If you’re looking for a complete older set, check second-hand LEGO® - and check that it is complete, because these models contain many unusual pieces.
Get started with Christmas decorations
Choose a building project for your table, tree or Christmas village.
