LEGO Ideas: Fan Designer Projects from Texas Builders to Support 2026

What Is LEGO Ideas and Why Texas Builders Are All In

LEGO Ideas is LEGO’s official fan design platform where anyone can submit an original build — if it reaches 10,000 supporter votes within a set time limit, LEGO’s internal team reviews it for potential production as a real retail set. Texas builders are actively submitting Ideas projects in 2026, including Alamo replicas, Texas Capitol builds, and Longhorn stadium concepts, making this the most exciting year yet for lone-star brick culture.

If you’ve spent time at Brick Bash Texas in San Antonio, browsed the build tables at Sci-Fi Factory in Fort Worth, or attended one of Dragon’s Lair Austin’s LEGO community nights, you’ve probably met builders who dream bigger than their display shelves. LEGO Ideas is the platform that turns those ambitions into something real. Every great fan-designed set you’ve seen — from the Home Alone house to the Seinfeld apartment — started with a builder, a digital render, and a community willing to click “Support.”

For Texas hobbyists, 2026 is a particularly exciting window. More Texans than ever are submitting projects, and the community infrastructure — from regional clubs like TSLUG (Texas LEGO Users Group) to local meetups at Common Ground Games in Dallas — is actively rallying support behind homegrown designers.

How the LEGO Ideas Process Works

Understanding the pipeline helps you support projects at the right moment. Here’s how a fan design moves from “cool build on a folding table” to “actual box on a Target shelf.”

• Submit your build: Designers upload photos, a description, and a parts estimate to ideas.lego.com. Submissions must be original, must not infringe on third-party IP without a licensing agreement, and should target roughly 50–3,000 pieces.
• Gather 1,000 supporters first: New projects need to hit 1,000 supporters before they get real visibility. This is where your local LEGO community becomes a launch pad — sharing in group chats, at club meetings, and across social media.
• Reach 10,000 votes in time: Projects have up to 730 days (two years) to hit the 10,000 supporter threshold. After that, LEGO’s review board evaluates playability, parts count, originality, and mass-market appeal.
• Pass the LEGO review: Not every project that hits 10,000 votes gets made — LEGO typically selects a handful per review cycle. Designers whose sets are approved receive a 1% royalty on net sales and full design credit.
• Celebrate when it ships: Recent wins include the Home Alone set (21330), the Seinfeld apartment (21328), the Vincent van Gogh – The Starry Night (21333), and the wildly popular Medieval Town Square (21350). Each one started exactly like your build — as someone’s passion project.

Texas-Themed Ideas Projects Worth Watching in 2026

Several Texas-centric builds are either active on LEGO Ideas right now or have been circulating in the community as aspirational projects. Whether or not you can find each one live on the platform at this exact moment, these are the concepts that get Texas LEGO fans fired up — and the kinds of projects worth searching for and supporting.

• Alamo Replica: A detailed micro-scale or minifig-scale version of the San Antonio Alamo has been a recurring dream project in the Texas LEGO community. A well-executed Alamo set would pair naturally with LEGO’s existing Architecture and Icons lines.
• Texas State Capitol: Austin’s Capitol building — with its distinctive dome taller than the U.S. Capitol — is a natural fit for LEGO Ideas’ Architecture-style builds. Builders at Dragon’s Lair Austin have mocked up versions that drew serious buzz at local expos.
• Longhorn Football Stadium: A DKR–Texas Memorial Stadium concept with working gate details and minifig crowds has circulated in TSLUG forums. It sits in a strong tradition of sports stadium sets on the Ideas platform.
• San Antonio River Walk Scene: A modular River Walk build — gondola boats, arched bridges, cypress trees, and café exteriors — would translate beautifully into the Ideas format and appeal well beyond Texas audiences.
• Texas BBQ Pit Stop: A roadside BBQ joint with a working smoker detail, picnic tables, and a longhorn weathervane. Several builders in the Brick Bash Texas community have experimented with this concept in microscale.

TSLUG and the Texas LEGO Community’s Role in Ideas Success

Supporting a LEGO Ideas project takes more than one vote — it takes a network. That’s where organizations like TSLUG (Texas LEGO Users Group) matter enormously. TSLUG members have submitted Ideas projects before, and the club’s regional reach across San Antonio, Austin, Dallas, and Houston means a single announcement at a meeting can move a project hundreds of votes in a weekend.

Here’s how Texas builders are organizing their support efforts in 2026:

• TSLUG club meetings and exhibitions: Members share active Ideas links at regional meetups, including displays at events like Brick Bash Texas in San Antonio and BrickFair Texas gatherings.
• Dragon’s Lair Austin community boards: The Austin store’s LEGO community space has become an informal hub for Ideas project announcements and local builder showcases.
• Sci-Fi Factory Fort Worth events: Fort Worth’s pop-culture hub hosts LEGO-adjacent build nights where Ideas campaigns regularly pick up new supporters from the wider geek community.
• Texas Fandom Fest vendor floors: LEGO builders regularly table at Texas Fandom Fest, and many use those appearances to promote active Ideas campaigns to a broader convention audience.

If you’re a Texas builder with an active Ideas project, getting your campaign in front of these communities is the single most effective thing you can do to accelerate toward 10,000.

Why Voting for Fan Ideas Sets Matters

Every vote on LEGO Ideas is a signal to LEGO’s product team about what the adult fan community values. Supporting Texas-themed projects isn’t just regional pride — it’s shaping the future of the hobby. When Seinfeld and Home Alone succeeded, they proved that pop-culture nostalgia sells. A Texas Capitol or Alamo set could demonstrate that regional Americana has just as strong an audience.

Beyond the cultural argument, supporting Ideas keeps fan designers motivated. Many of the builders submitting Texas projects are the same people running workshops at Common Ground Games in Dallas or teaching kids to build at Coral Sword Houston events. Their Ideas campaigns represent real creative labor — the least the community can do is spend 30 seconds creating a free LEGO account and clicking Support.

Always verify project status before sharing: Ideas campaigns expire, and a project active today may have closed or been approved by the time you read this. Check ideas.lego.com directly for current supporter counts and deadlines.

FAQ

What is LEGO Ideas?

LEGO Ideas is LEGO’s official crowdsourcing platform where fan designers submit original brick builds for potential production as real retail sets. If a project earns 10,000 community supporters, LEGO’s team reviews it for possible manufacture. Successful designers receive design credit and a 1% royalty on net sales. Past hits include the Home Alone house, the Seinfeld apartment, and the Medieval Town Square.

How do I vote for a LEGO Ideas project?

Visit ideas.lego.com, create a free LEGO account (or log in with an existing one), find the project you want to support, and click the “Support” button on the project page. Each account gets one support per project, and you can support multiple projects simultaneously. Sharing the project link to LEGO communities — like TSLUG forums or local store boards at Dragon’s Lair Austin — is the fastest way to help a campaign grow.

Has a Texas builder ever gotten a LEGO Ideas set made?

As of 2026, no Texas-themed LEGO Ideas set has been officially produced and released at retail, though Texas builders have submitted projects and several Texas-adjacent concepts have gained community traction. The Ideas platform is global and competitive — thousands of projects vie for a handful of review slots each cycle. That said, the Texas LEGO community is growing, TSLUG participation is strong, and 2026 looks like the most promising year yet for a Texas concept to reach the review stage.

How many votes does a LEGO Ideas project need?

A LEGO Ideas project needs 10,000 supporter votes to advance to LEGO’s official product review. Projects have up to 730 days (two years) to reach that threshold from the date of submission. Reaching 10,000 does not guarantee production — LEGO reviews all qualifying projects from a given period and selects only a small number to move forward. The earlier milestone of 1,000 supporters unlocks greater platform visibility and is often the hardest initial hurdle.

Can I submit my own LEGO design to Ideas?

Yes — any LEGO fan can submit an original design to ideas.lego.com for free. You’ll need a LEGO account, photos or renders of your build, a written description, and an estimated piece count. Designs must be original (no direct copies of existing sets), must not use unlicensed third-party intellectual property, and should fall within reasonable parts-count limits. If you’re based in Texas, connecting with TSLUG or attending events at Brick Bash Texas before you launch can give your campaign a meaningful head start on its first 1,000 supporters.