Upgrading Old LEGO® Sets
28 October 2026
A familiar LEGO® set can be the start of a new building project. By using different shapes, colors, and details, you can give an existing model a surprising new look. You don’t have to completely change the design to do this. Especially with small sets and polybags, a few well-chosen pieces can make a big difference.
We’ll demonstrate this with the LEGO® Santa polybag 30573. This Santa Claus gets a makeover using a combination of newer and different pieces. The recognizable Christmas character remains the starting point, but his appearance gets a fresh update. A fun building idea for the holidays!
Why upgrade old LEGO® sets?
Over the years, more and more LEGO® pieces with unique shapes and connections have been released. Think of compact curved bricks, inverted curves, and small clip-on elements. These allow you to add details in ways that might not have been possible with an older design.
Even pieces that have been around for a while can yield surprising results when used in new ways. So it’s all about the combination: which shape fits your idea, and how can you incorporate it into the model?
An older set makes for a great starting point. The foundation is already there, and you can specifically explore how a different shape or color affects the overall look.
Santa 30573: A Small Polybag with Room for Change
The Santa polybag 30573 was released in 2019 and consists of 67 pieces. Santa is built from LEGO® bricks, which allows you to customize his design piece by piece.
For our version, we’re using six different pieces in black, red, white, and Light Nougat. This combination matches Santa’s recognizable colors while also allowing for different curves and details.
The beauty of such a small model is that every adjustment is visible. Even a different line or a subtle color difference can affect the look of the entire character.
We use these parts for the Santa makeover
For the customized Santa, we combine the following parts and colors:
- - 5841 in black: a 2 x 1 curved roof tile with a cutout.
- - 5847 in red: an inverted 2 x 1 curved roof tile with a recessed stud.
- - 67810 in white: a modified 2 x 2 x 1⅓ brick with a curved top.
- - 5264 in Light Nougat: a 1 x 1 round plate with a clip on the bottom.
- - 78666 in Light Nougat: a 1 x 2 inverted half-arch.
- - 37352 in red: a curved roof tile measuring 1 x 2 x 1.
Below you’ll find the black 5841, the white 67810, and the red 37352 from this selection.
What makes this combination interesting?
This selection brings together different types of curves. The curved parts 5841, 67810, and 37352 offer different possibilities for a model’s exterior than straight bricks. The inverted shapes of 5847 and 78666 make it possible to incorporate a curve on the underside as well.
Part 5264 adds a different type of connection: a small round plate with a clip on the bottom. Such a compact connecting element can be useful when you want to attach a detail to a matching rod.
By rethinking shapes and connectors, you’ll discover more possibilities than if you were just replacing a color. That’s exactly what makes customizing older LEGO® models so much fun.
Want to customize an old LEGO® set yourself? Start small
First, choose which part you want to change. For a built character, you can look at the face, the clothing, or the silhouette. For a vehicle, you can start with the hood or bumper. A small house, for example, takes on a different look with modified roof edges.
- Choose one goal. Decide whether you want a rounder shape, a sleeker finish, or more detail.
- Compare parts. Look at shape, color, dimensions, and how they attach.
- Adjust one part at a time. That way, you can clearly see the effect of the change.
- Check the construction. Make sure the parts fit securely and that moving parts remain free to move.
- View the whole design. Examine the model from the front, side, and back to assess the proportions.
Also take a photo before and after making adjustments. It’s often only when you see them side by side that you realize just how much of a difference a few parts have made.
From Santa to vehicles: more possibilities with polybags
Polybags are straightforward projects for experimenting with these kinds of modifications. The model is compact, and you can quickly compare different versions. Our Santa is a festive example, but the same approach works for small animals, vehicles, and buildings.
An animal can gain more character with a different snout. A car takes on a more modern look with a sleeker body. For a miniature house, different windows or roof details can actually create a classic look.
You decide how far to take it. Sometimes a single modified detail is enough; other times, a small change can evolve into a completely unique version.
Give your LEGO® model a new look with ToyPro
At ToyPro, you can search for individual LEGO® pieces by part number and then choose the right color. This is handy when you want to make a specific modification, such as with our Santa 30573.
Browse the individual LEGO® pieces at ToyPro and discover which shapes fit your next building idea. A familiar model, a few targeted adjustments, and a fresh perspective: sometimes that’s all you need for a surprising result.
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