Make your own minifigures
This page gives a tutorial for creating your own custom minifigures. I've provided step by step instructions, parts lists, and image files for a handful of figures. Below that, the bottom of the page has tables of additional image files for many other custom minifigures. This artwork is copyrighted by me and the source material is copyrighted by the authors of the novels referenced below, so under no circumstances may these designs be used for any commercial purpose whatsoever. You may not modify them or redistribute them without permission. (Sorry for all that, I just want to make sure the authors' rights are respected.)
I think this is all within the usual fan art norms, but if you are an author or represent one and you take issue with this, please let me know at and I will modify this page per your direction.
Overview of the process
The steps involved in creating a minifigure are:
- Order the parts you need, with help from the part lists below. My part lists are set up in the XML format used by bricklink.com, a reputable third-party lego marketplace. Advanced users may find parts more cheaply at Bricks and Pieces, run by The Lego Group.
- Use Brasso (a multi-purpose metal polish) and a clean rag to remove existing print from any pieces that need to be printed on, if blank parts weren't available.
- Use waterslide decals or a lego printing service to apply the designs to the lego elements.
- Physically modify the lego elements by drilling, sanding, or painting. This is rare.
The rest of this page goes over these steps in more detail and then provides designs and part lists for creating specific characters.
Step 1: order the parts
The easiest place to order the parts you need is bricklink.com. This is a large marketplace with thousands of resellers. Their feedback system makes the site reliable so long as you check the feedback of a seller before you buy. First, you need to create an account. Next, you need to set up a wanted list for the parts. The XML files linked below should be cut-and-paste into the XML tab of the wanted list upload page, then each file will create a separate wanted list for each minifigure. (See this page for an explanation of the XML format.) Once you have all the parts uploaded, use the buy page to purchase the items you want.
If you are an advanced user, you can use lego's official Bricks and Pieces site to buy parts. You need to know the exact part number you need, and many minifig parts do not use the same numbering system as on Bricklink. Torsos are element number 76382, plain legs are element number 73200, and beyond that you are on your own.
Tips for saving money: Consider using the search page and price guide (located in the top right of the catalog page for an item) in Bricklink to find alternate parts in the same color. You might select an alternate design that is more common, or replace a blank part with a printed part and then remove the printing with Brasso. Official minifigure capes can be rare and expensive; the Bricklink seller CapeMadness makes standard and custom capes that are generally cheaper than official lego capes and are just as good. You can also change the required part condition from new (N) to used (U), but I advise against it since the arms or legs may be loose or the printing may be damaged.
Step 2: remove existing printing
In some cases, there is no cheap way to get a blank lego element in the color you require. In that case, you can buy an element that already has printing, and remove the printing. This is simple but requires effort. First, dissasemble the parts to be wiped. For a torso, carefully pull the arms off. I do this by putting the arms straight back, grasping the entire arm, and then gently levering it outwards. For legs, it is easier if you have a torso attached to the "hips" portion; then grab a leg on the upper front and back sides and pull laterally. You may want to practice with extra, low-value parts first until you are sure you can do this without damaging the parts.
Now you can use Brasso (a multi-purpose metal polish) and a clean rag to remove the printing. Apply a small amount of Brasso to the printing, then vigorously rub the rag over the printing until it is all gone. It may take a few minutes before you see any change whatsoever, so this can be tiring. I recommend only doing a few parts at once, else you will potentially strain a hand muscle. Make sure you place some newspaper or a magazine underneath the part so that you don't accidentally damage your work surface.
Finally, thoroughly wash and dry the parts and your hands. Reassemble the legs, but it may be best to ship the armless torsos to the printer and reapply the arms when the parts are returned to you. This is because they may remove the arms during printing, and it is best to minimize the number of times that the figure is disassembled. Check with your print company (see next step).
Step 3: apply the designs
The easiest way to create your own characters is to download the designs and then send them to a custom lego printer such as Bricksanity, minifigs.me, or MinifigFX. Prices will typically be $5-$7 per part plus shipping. Bricksanity is based near London, UK. They are very flexible; you can provide the parts or have them do so; they are flexible in how they print (e.g. arm printing or printing on multiple sides of a minifigure), and they take large or small orders. However, the owner is quite busy and this can sometimes delay orders. Minifigs.me is based in Sheffield, UK. They are the most streamlined service in that everything is done through their website, they have a large staff allowing each to focus on his/her tasks, and orders are filled promptly. However, they only print using the somewhat limited options on their website, and I've had three items mis-printed from them. I'd recommend them if you are new to this and was a very explicit process to follow, but they are not ideal for advanced users. MinifigFX is based in North Carolina, USA. Their quality is a little bit lower, but their prices are also lower and they are flexible in what they print on. If you are in the US, you will also save money on shipping (shipping parts between the USA and UK is around $11 each way). I'd recommend them if you are on a budget.
A cheaper option is to use waterslide decals. The cost will be about $1 per letter size page of decal paper, plus the cost to use a high-quality color laser printer, plus the cost for various solvents and top coats if you want to improve the finish a bit. You can buy packs of decal paper from Amazon (I use the brand with the unfortunate name of "Blinggasm") or from decalpaper.com. In the USA, packs come in multiples of 10 sheets for $1/sheet. There are two options: "clear" and "white." "Clear" will let the part underneath show through wherever you don't choose to print; however, lighter colors will not show up well, especially if the decal is applied to a dark lego element. "White" paper has a white backing so lighter colors show up better, but you must print everything that doesn't need to be white, so you have to do your best to match the underlying part color in areas that don't need any special printing. There will also be a thin white line around the edge due to the small vertical face on the edges of the decal. Ideally, use laser printing so the ink won't run when it gets wet. To apply the decal, cut it to the size of the part, dip it in water for 5 seconds, wait another 5-10 seconds, then gently slide the backing off and apply the backless decal to the part. It definitely takes practice, so I recommend printing multiples of each design to allow for mistakes.
You can improve the quality of your decal work by using micro set, micro sol, and a top coat such as micro flat. Use a paint brush to apply a layer of micro set immediately before you apply the decal. After it is applied, use a different brush to apply micro sol to any parts of the decal that you want to be more flexible (such as around the edge of a lego element); it will greatly reduce the structural integrity of the decal and mold it to the part. Finally, 24 hours later, use a third brush to apply a later of micro flat as a top coat to protect the decal, and give it another 48 hours to dry before you handle it.
Guides for specific minifigures
Rand al'Thor (book 1):
|
|
Mat Cauthon (with Foxhead):
|
|
Perrin Aybara (bearded):
|
|
Mat Cauthon (as Tylin's Toy):
|
|
Queen Tylin Quintara:
|
|
Loial:
|
Now that you have some practice, you can use the designs below to make additional figures.
Designs for Wheel of Time Lego Characters
The designs below are intended to depict characters from Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time. This artwork is not endorsed by Robert Jordan, his estate, or the Bandersnatch Group.
For each design below, download the file in the "Printable PNG file" column, not the "Example" column. The latter shows how it will look when printed, the former has blank areas to allow the underlying part to show through. These files are sized for 600 dpi.
Character | Part Description | Apply to: | Printable PNG file | Example (after printing) |
Moiraine | Head with jewel | Light flesh head | head-moiraine.png | |
Loial | Head with long eyebrows | Light flesh head | head-loial.png | |
Ba'alzamon | Head, flames | Light flesh head | head-baalzamon.png | |
Sammael | Head with scar | Light flesh head | head-sammael.png | |
Sea folk #1 | Head, chain with 4 medallions | Dark flesh (reddish brown) head | head-seafolk1.png | |
Sea folk #2 | Head, chain with 3 medallions | Dark flesh (reddish brown) head | head-seafolk2.png | |
Sea folk #3 | Head, chain with 2 medallions | Dark flesh (reddish brown) head | head-seafolk3.png | |
Lanfear | Torso, scoop-neck dress | White torso | torso-lanfear.png | |
Graendal | Torso, low V-neck dress | Green torso | torso-graendal.png | |
Matrim Cauthon | Torso with foxhead | Reddish-brown torso | torso-mat.png | |
Berelain | Torso with strapless gown | Blue torso | torso-berelain.png | |
Grolm handler | Torso: armor with three eyes | Green torso | torso-grolm.png | |
Aviendha (Altara) | Torso with oval cutout; snowflakes | Blue torso | torso-ebou-avi.png | |
Elaine (Altara) | Torso with oval cutout | Green torso | torso-ebou-ela.png | |
Nynaeve (Altara) | Torso with oval cutout; Lan's ring | Blue torso | torso-ebou-nyn.png | |
Queen Tylin | Torso with oval cutout; marriage knife | Green torso | torso-ebou-tyl.png |
Designs for Characters from Brandon Sanderson's works
The designs below are intended to depict characters from Brandon Sanderson's novels. This artwork is not endorsed by Brandon Sanderson or his company, Dragonsteel Entertainment.
For each design below, download the file in the "Printable PNG file" column, not the "Example" column. The latter shows how it will look when printed, the former has blank areas to allow the underlying part to show through. These files are sized for 600 dpi.
Character | Part Description | Apply to: | Printable PNG file | Example (after printing) |
Bloodsealer 1 | Head, neutral expression | White head | head-bloodsealer1.png | |
Bloodsealer 2 | Head, fierce expression | White head | head-bloodsealer2.png | |
Nalan (Nale, Nin) | Head, scar on cheek | Reddish-brown head | head-nalan.png | |
Wan ShaiLu 1 | Head, glasses | Light tan head | head-shai.png | |
Wan ShaiLu 2 | Head, glasses, fierce | Light tan head | head-shai-fear.png | |
Wan ShaiLu 3 | Head, no glasses, scuffed | Light tan head | head-shai-scuff.png | |
Shaizan of the Fist | Head, no glasses, scar | Light tan head | head-shaizan.png | |
Telrii (Elantris) | Head with port wine stain birthmark | Light flesh head | head-telrii.png | |
Omin (Elantris) | Torso with jade Korathi pendant | Dark bluish grey torso | torso-omin.png | |
Seinalan (Elantris) | Torso with jade Korathi pendant, embroidery | Blue torso | torso-seinalan.png | |
Dakhor monk | Torso with bone ridges (front) | Light flesh torso | torso-dakhor-front.png | |
Dakhor monk | Torso with bone ridges (back) | Light flesh torso | torso-dakhor-back.png | |
Dakhor monk | Torso with bone ridges (arms) | Light flesh torso | torso-dakhor-arm-right.png torso-dakhor-arm-left.png |
Designs for Characters from Jim Butcher's works
The designs below are intended to depict characters from Jim Butcher's novels from the series The Dresden Files. This artwork is not endorsed by Jim Butcher or his representatives.
For each design below, download the file in the "Printable PNG file" column, not the "Example" column. The latter shows how it will look when printed, the former has blank areas to allow the underlying part to show through. These files are sized for 600 dpi.
Character | Part Description | Apply to: | Printable PNG file | Example (after printing) |
Harry Dresden | Torso with black western shirt and silver pentacle amulet | Black torso | torso-dresden.png | |
Michael Carpenter | Torso with Templar jersey over plaid shirt | Red torso | torso-michael.png | |
Thomas Raith | Torso with black vest over black mesh shirt | Black torso | torso-thomas.png | |
Johnny Marcone | Head with green eyes | Light flesh head | head-marcone.png | |
Bianca | Head with makeup, fangs | Light flesh head | head-bianca.png | |
Bianca | Torso with black dress, deep vee | Black torso | torso-bianca.png |
Legal stuff
The artwork on this page is copyright 2017-2021 by Richard Martin. The source material is copyright by the respective authors as noted above.
Feel free to download the images on this page and to use them for non-commercial purposes. If you wish to re-post them online, you may do so as long as you give me credit by either citing me (Rick Martin) as the artist, linking to this site, and/or linking to my Facebook page or my Twitter account.
I am not affiliated with Robert Jordan, Brandon Sanderson, Jim Butcher, or their representatives in any way.