LET’S BUILD TOGETHER

Rainbow hot-air balloon

61 pieces 18 steps · One little step at a time.

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A little before you begin

The balloon and basket form one fixed sculpture. The white supports are part of the model.

It does not float or fly. Carry it underneath the basket and upper body together.

The basket is for a small paper passenger; compatibility with other brick figures is not assumed.

Build away from the screen

Save or print the guide, including every step, the parts list and play ideas. For an offline copy, download the ZIP, extract it and open index.html. No bricks included.

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01

STEP 1 OF 18

Lay a brown 4 × 4 plate flat.

Lay a brown 4 × 4 plate flat. New additions are shown in their original colours; earlier pieces are lighter.

02

STEP 2 OF 18

Stand two brown narrow wall bricks down each side of the basket, end to end.

Stand two brown narrow wall bricks down each side of the basket, end to end. New additions are shown in their original colours; earlier pieces are lighter.

03

STEP 3 OF 18

Close the back and front gaps with one brown wall brick across each end.

Close the back and front gaps with one brown wall brick across each end. New additions are shown in their original colours; earlier pieces are lighter.

04

STEP 4 OF 18

Stand a white narrow wall brick in the middle of each side wall. These are the visible supports for the balloon.

Stand a white narrow wall brick in the middle of each side wall. These are the visible supports for the balloon. New additions are shown in their original colours; earlier pieces are lighter.

05

STEP 5 OF 18

Lay a yellow 4 × 4 plate over the supports, lined up with the basket floor.

Lay a yellow 4 × 4 plate over the supports, lined up with the basket floor. New additions are shown in their original colours; earlier pieces are lighter.

06

STEP 6 OF 18

Put three yellow 2 × 6 plates side by side over the yellow square. They project one row or column beyond it on every side.

Put three yellow 2 × 6 plates side by side over the yellow square. They project one row or column beyond it on every side. New additions are shown in their original colours; earlier pieces are lighter.

07

STEP 7 OF 18

Put a red square at each corner of an eight-column-wide balloon. Each square overlaps just one corner stud of the yellow platform.

Put a red square at each corner of an eight-column-wide balloon. Each square overlaps just one corner stud of the yellow platform. New additions are shown in their original colours; earlier pieces are lighter.

08

STEP 8 OF 18

Add two red curved-bottom bricks along the back and two along the front, rounded ends pointing outwards.

Add two red curved-bottom bricks along the back and two along the front, rounded ends pointing outwards. New additions are shown in their original colours; earlier pieces are lighter.

09

STEP 9 OF 18

Add two red curved-bottom bricks along each remaining side, rounded ends pointing outwards. Keep the middle empty.

Add two red curved-bottom bricks along each remaining side, rounded ends pointing outwards. Keep the middle empty. New additions are shown in their original colours; earlier pieces are lighter.

10

STEP 10 OF 18

Put a blue square above each red corner.

Put a blue square above each red corner. New additions are shown in their original colours; earlier pieces are lighter.

11

STEP 11 OF 18

Join the blue corners with a blue 2 × 4 brick along each side. Keep the middle empty.

Join the blue corners with a blue 2 × 4 brick along each side. Keep the middle empty. New additions are shown in their original colours; earlier pieces are lighter.

12

STEP 12 OF 18

Put a yellow square above each blue corner.

Put a yellow square above each blue corner. New additions are shown in their original colours; earlier pieces are lighter.

13

STEP 13 OF 18

Add two yellow curved-top bricks along the back and two along the front, rounded ends pointing outwards.

Add two yellow curved-top bricks along the back and two along the front, rounded ends pointing outwards. New additions are shown in their original colours; earlier pieces are lighter.

14

STEP 14 OF 18

Add two yellow curved-top bricks along each remaining side, rounded ends pointing outwards.

Add two yellow curved-top bricks along each remaining side, rounded ends pointing outwards. New additions are shown in their original colours; earlier pieces are lighter.

15

STEP 15 OF 18

Put three blue slopes down each side, high edges facing the middle. Start one row in from the back edge.

Put three blue slopes down each side, high edges facing the middle. Start one row in from the back edge. New additions are shown in their original colours; earlier pieces are lighter.

16

STEP 16 OF 18

Add two blue slopes across the back and two across the front, high edges facing the middle.

Add two blue slopes across the back and two across the front, high edges facing the middle. New additions are shown in their original colours; earlier pieces are lighter.

17

STEP 17 OF 18

Close the opening with three red 2 × 6 plates across the balloon, side by side.

Close the opening with three red 2 × 6 plates across the balloon, side by side. New additions are shown in their original colours; earlier pieces are lighter.

18

STEP 18 OF 18

Centre a yellow round plate over the three red plates. Finish with two yellow double-curved bricks side by side, running back to front.

Centre a yellow round plate over the three red plates. Finish with two yellow double-curved bricks side by side, running back to front. New additions are shown in their original colours; earlier pieces are lighter.

THE LAST STEP OF THE GUIDE

Room for a little more imagination.

Choose three places your balloon could visit. Draw a tiny paper passenger for the basket. Find the matching colour bands around the balloon.

Tell us how your build went

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Part and software credits.