September 29, 2023

Build a Mossy Path using LEGO® Bricks

It’s no secret that I spend a lot of time at the LEGO® Store. I like to periodically check to see if they have any interesting parts on the Pick-and-Build (PAB) wall. On my most recent trip, I was inspired to build a mossy path. You can find the instructions on how I did it below. Most of the parts a fairly common, so it’s likely you have many of them in your collection already. Of course, you can substitute different colors or shades for the parts as well. The only slightly tricky piece in this build is the green 2×1 wedge plate.

NOTE: I found these parts at the Pointe-Claire, Quebec LEGO® Store on March 23, 2023. Part selection will vary by store and date. You might not find the same pieces on your visit or at a different store.

Bricks needed to build a mossy path:

  • 2×6 green plates x 26
  • 2×4 green plates x 27
  • 2×6 brown plate x 7
  • 1×4 green brick x 6
  • 1×2 green brick x 2
  • 2×1 green wedge plate (left side) x 35
  • 2×1 green wedge plate (right side) x 35
  • Optional vegetation
  • Optional round plates

Since I decided to build this mossy path using only elements from the PAB wall, this build does not represent the most efficient use of bricks. However, it is meant more as an inspiration than actual step-by-step instructions. With that said, if you have a baseplate or large plate at home to work with, that will serve you better than the base I’m showing below. But, again, I used what I found on the PAB wall. Consequently, I started by designing a simple base.

Base build for a mossy path
Step 01: Lay out the base you will build on.

Second, I added the brown plates as a new layer to connect all of my green base plates. You’ll notice the center row of base plates falls one stud width short on both the top and bottom. There were no 1×2 plates on the PAB wall the day I visited the LEGO® Store. However, leaving the structure like this gives you an attachment point to link path elements if you build several of these.

Next, you build up the green plates around the sides of the brown path. Start with one layer of green plates on either side of the path. Then add another layer of green plates on top of the ones you just placed. This should bring each side of the path one plate height above the path in the middle.

This technique builds a slightly sunken path for a well-trodden look.

For the fourth step, you line the brown path with 2×1 wedge plates. The actual placement of these does not matter. Line the path randomly to achieve a more natural look. The wedge plates are great for this since they have a grassy quality to them.

Build a grassy path using wedge plates to give it a grassy look.

That this point, the square edge of your wedge plates should be one plate height above the green plates on either side of the build. For the next step, you add one row of 2-stud wide plates right up against each row of wedge plates. Subsequently, add one row of 1-stud wide bricks on the left and right outer edges of the build.

Of course, you want an even slope down to the path. So, next you’ll place another layer of 2-stud wide plates on top of the layer you just placed. In other words, they go in the space between the bricks on the edges and the wedge plates. This should create a step pattern going up one plate height at a time from the path to the left and right edges of the build.

Wedge plates create a jagged edge that looks leafy.

Finally, you randomly add the rest of wedge plates around the slopes of the build. You can fill the slopes with wedge plates if you want. However, I do not have many plates in that shade of dark green. So, I decided to make them thick by the path’s edge, and make them more and more sparse as you move up the slope. This way, if I place this path into a scene, the surrounding area can match the lime green plates I used as my base. Personally, I would choose the regular shade of green as a base over lime green, but I went with that the PAB wall offered.

Of course, you can embellish the path more with additional plant elements and round tiles. These parts were not on the PAB wall on my recent trip, but I have seen them there before. Plus, I am sure most people have these elements at home in abundance. Afterall, you get them as spare parts in many LEGO® sets. I used multiple colors and shades for both the plants and the stones just to mix things up a little. Add a couple of zombies, and you’ve got a lovely day for a walk 😉

Until next time,

-Tom

Build a mossy path and add zombies to it.
My mossy path with a few trees and zombies added for fun.

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