A forgotten tool, 3D printed and brought back to life by Vulcani Fabrica
In the world of creative play, some tools stand the test of time… others are forgotten. And sometimes, an unexpected rediscovery can change everything.
That’s exactly what happened to me while watching the video “The Genius Tool LEGO Wants to Forget” by Playfool. In it, I discovered a fascinating tool, born from a past collaboration between LEGO and the Japanese brand MUJI, that allows you to connect paper and LEGO bricks.
Without hesitation, I jumped into action with my 3D printing company, Vulcani Fabrica. We recreated a custom hole-punching template perfectly aligned with LEGO studs. And to test it in real life, I ran a workshop with children as part of my work with Digistub, a nonprofit focused on digital and creative education.
🎨 A super-creative workshop for adults and kids ages of 8 and up
Accessible, fun, imaginative… this workshop proved to be a powerful tool for education, storytelling, design—and even for professional use like LEGO Serious Play®.
🔍 The forgotten LEGO x MUJI tool
Around 2010, LEGO partnered with MUJI, a Japanese minimalist brand, to launch a brilliant but low-key concept: a hole punch that creates perfectly aligned LEGO-format holes in paper or cardboard.
How does it work?
Cut a shape (circle, square, wing, etc.)
Punch holes using the tool
Snap it directly onto regular LEGO bricks
Playfool shows it off beautifully in the video, making sails, building façades, robot wings… with just some cardboard and loads of imagination.
🔧 Vulcani Fabrica prints the template
What was missing to fully unleash this tool’s potential?
👉 A precise template to position the holes accurately.
That’s where Vulcani Fabrica came in. We designed and 3D-printed a stud stencil that marks exactly where to punch the holes, matching the LEGO spacing (8 mm between centers).
With this tool, we turned any recycled paper (cereal boxes, colored sheets, packaging) into custom LEGO-compatible pieces.
🛠️ A small tool with a big creative impact.
👧👦 Tested and approved!
The workshop was run as part of Digistub, which promotes access to digital and creative tools for young audiences.
Ages: 8 to 45
Mission: Create LEGO elements from paper and cardboard
Results were amazing:
Origami ball
Articulated cardboard fish
Decorated building brige
Folded paper superhero costumes
The participants quickly made the tool their own. Some even started designing custom decoration kits for their LEGO minifigs!
🎓 A powerful educational tool
Beyond the fun aspect, this workshop revealed strong educational potential, whether in schools, libraries, or makerspaces.
For children (8+):
Fine motor skills development
Spatial geometry learning
Independent or team-based work
Narrative creation (mini-worlds, comics, LEGO theatre…)
For adults:
Workshops in libraries, fablabs, or recreation centers
Low-cost prototyping
A way to introduce LEGO modular logic in subjects like art, science, or languages
🧠 What about LEGO® Serious Play®?
This kit could also be a great addition in professional environments. LEGO Serious Play® relies on creating brick-based metaphors to represent ideas, processes, or roles. By adding paper, you can:
Annotate directly on creations
Add expressive shapes not found in standard LEGO sets
Make icons, banners, symbols
In short, paper becomes a complementary language to bricks—and at a fraction of the cost.
📦 Make your own kit
Want to try it yourself? Here’s what you need:
✅ Basic LEGO bricks
✅ A hole punch (store-bought)
✅ The positioning template (downloadable or or 3D-printed — we can help at Vulcani Fabrica)
✅ Paper, cardboard, scissors
✅ A good dose of creativity
That’s it! You now have a complete, ready-to-use workshop.
💬 What participants are saying
“This is so cool, I can make lego fish move!” — Clément, 24
“I love it because you can invent anything, even stuff LEGO doesn’t sell.” — Phillipe, 45
“Honestly, this idea is genius. Even I want to give it a try.” — Vincent, A curious dad
🚀 Let’s bring this gem back to life
The LEGO x MUJI tool might be forgotten by the brand, but it fits perfectly in today’s creative, open source, low-tech world.
With:
3D printing
Community involvement
And a touch of passion
…we can bring it back to life—and then some.
🎯 Educators, facilitators, makers, LEGO lovers: try this workshop! It’s simple, fun, and incredibly engaging.
And above all:
Don’t be afraid to mix worlds.
Paper + plastic = Magic.
📢 Want to try it out?
Contact me via Vulcani Fabrica or explore our past projects at Digistub.fr
