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Lincoln Logs Building Ideas

Created in 1916 by architect Frank Lloyd Wright's son John Lloyd Wright, Lincoln Logs continue to delight children and adults around the world. Inspired by the log cabin that Abraham Lincoln grew up in, Lincoln Logs allow amateur builders to construct small models of structures such as farms or jail houses. Since Lincoln Logs' pieces come in many sizes, it is easy to veer from the included instructions and create your own buildings, villages or figures.

Look at the Different Available Sets
- Lincoln Logs come in a variety of sets. Include older Lincoln Logs sets that you can still find at online marketplace such as eBay, and you will have several pieces at your disposal for your next Lincoln Logs project. Each set has a main focus with a central design. For instance, the Happy Valley Farm set lets you build a special farm and the Lincoln Logs Cabin Bicentennial Edition has instructions to recreate Abraham Lincoln's childhood log cabin. Included in each set's instructions are a few alternative building designs.
  
  To get the most out of your Lincoln Logs building, purchase a few different sets. Look for sets that will work well together. For instance, use Happy Valley Farm, Big Sky Corral and the Stagecoach Station together to create a small farm town.
  
  To add distinctive dimensions to your Lincoln Logs town, search for multipiece bundles of logs on eBay. With the extra logs, create new buildings that work well in your town, such as banks or a school house.
Build Your House
- Since Lincoln Logs offers a variety of sizes, materials, rooftops and decorations, it is easy to create structures not in the given Lincoln Logs instruction manuals. To get a handle on Lincoln Logs design, start with a structure familiar to you, such as your residence. Draw a floor plan of your house to determine how many pieces you will need to create all the rooms. Also consider the height of your house. Since your house probably is not made of logs, the end result will look different than your house.
Create Log Creatures
- Just because Lincoln Logs are usually used to build structures does not mean you cannot build vehicles or even animals with the pieces. To create a Lincoln Logs horse, use a long round log as the body. Tape smaller logs to the front and back of the body to make legs. For the horse's head, use a red chimney piece. A small flat log will work well as the tail. Make a Lincoln Logs stable to go along with your log horse.
  
  With a bit of creativity, you can create anything out of Lincoln Logs. Draw the item you want to create on a piece of paper and then imagine it in log form. In some cases, you may need tape or glue to make it look best. Therefore, you are advised to purchase a set of many pieces in addition to any structure specific sets.

Construction Toys