How To Make A Christmas Nativity Scene
The Nativity Scene represents the birth of Jesus, which originated the Christmas celebrations. In most Catholic homes, all the house is decorated with Christmas decorations and the Nativity, that is usually set up in early December. The tradition says that the members of the household have to set up and give ideas so the Nativity looks spectacular, so you can spend fun time with your family. Below, we'll tell you how to make a Christmas Nativity scene.
The first thing you should do to start making a Nativity Scene, is to find the best place in the house. You can build it in the hearth, on a table, in a place where you usually celebrate Christmas. In this case we've chosen our house entrance.
Once you've chosen the ideal place to make the Nativity Scene, you'll have to lay down the moss around the whole of the Nativity Scene to simulate green fields, be generous with the moss, as there can't be un-filled gaps. You can also simulate a river, that you'll be able to make it out of tinfoil or a waterfall, in this case we can simulate a real waterfall.
Next, you'll have to prepare the background scenery. To do so, we recommend you use cardboard boxes or special cork to simulate mountains. You can make the Manger any way you want, but big enough to add all the necessary figures. You can simulate the paths the Three Wise Men took to get to Bethlehem with sand.
Next, you'll need to add the buildings you think are necessary for your Nativity Scene. What can't be missing is the Manger, which we've decided to make out of the cork we used to make the mountains, but you can buy ready made mangers too. Other buildings could include shepherd's houses, walls, wells, etc. Add what you feel is necessary and what you like.
Now it's time to add the characters in the Manger to the Nativity scene. Let your imagination fly and let all the characters turn to life next to several people and animals: shepherds, sheep, dogs, walkers, etc. What is mandatory is to add the Three Wise Men with their camels, pages, baby Jesus, Virgin Mary, Saint Joseph, the mule and the ox. Baby Jesus is the focus of attention, so he'll be placed in the center of the Manger, lying in the crib. On his left is Virgin Mary, with the ox behind; and Saint Joseph with the mule behind. Another figure you can add is the angel on top of the Manger, it's not mandatory but we do recommend you to do so.
If you want to make your Manger more original, you can use recycled items. Your Nativity scene will be original and sustainable at the same time!
The crib is a very important part of your Nativity Scene. It is where you'll put baby Jesus and it will be the center of the Manger. You can make a crib with many materials, but we're going to teach you how to do a crib with cork. To do it, take a cork from a bottle of wine and cut it in half vertically. You can also make a small vertical cut on the other side of the cork, to prevent it from falling over.
Add accessories to make your Nativity Scene better. You can add lights to simulate fire, a light in the Manger, snow on the mountains, a bridge to cross the river, the star of Bethlehem at the back and on top of the Manger, etc. Another thing you can do is simulate snow with flour and a sieve.
If you want more ideas for inexpensive Christmas decorations for your house, check these articles on how to make Christmas decorations with waste and how to have a sustainable Christmas.
If you want to read similar articles to How To Make A Christmas Nativity Scene, we recommend you visit our Festivities & Celebrations category.
- Buy enough moss to fill the whole Nativity Scene, as it's important not to leave any spaces without filling.
- You can find all the characters for your nativity scene in many specialized shops
