[Alt-Build Contest] Praying Mantis Garden Escape [10311 Orchid Botanical Collection]

The_Star_Wars_Shop · January 26, 2025

Here is my entry for the Alternate Build contest using one copy of LEGO 10311 Orchid to create this scene of a praying Mantis escaping a garden filled with dangerous tools.

This build depicts the following:

A praying mantis
A manual grass cutter with spinning blades and wheels!
White hibiscus flower with stem and fallen pedals
A handheld cultivator/ garden fork
A pair of yellow garden scissors/shears (Functional, it can be opened and closed )

My main focus was to create a dynamic scene which leaned into playability, but also looked nice and cohesive. I started with the mantis, then, I figured that the blue and gray parts could be used on garden tools to make them appear as a part of a set or collection, similar to how brands will make all their products a certain color.

The unorthodox combination of unique parts in this set meant that I had to use parts in new ways to make stable connections that also looked how I wanted. I managed to use roughly 85-90% of the included parts, I never realized how most botanical sets are essentially disguised techinic sets haha.

The large quantity of technic parts forced me to build with a completely different mindset since I typically build with mostly system parts. It was difficult for me to make something stable that resembled a mantis, but I've gained a new appreciation for technic's usage for structural stability and dynamic components.

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you enjoy the build!

Link to full Flickr Album (with videos!): https://www.flickr.com/gp/dexbricks/nAyKTnXj7T