7 DIY Nativity Scenes

With Christmas fast approaching I am brainstorming ideas for DIY'ing the Nativity Scene. In the past years I have created various nativity acts. For instance in 2008 I used ordinary wooden planks purchased for just S$ 2 a piece from the Daiso Store in Singapore and created a very simple DIY Nativity Scene. I also bought brown & black paint & a green mat from the same shop. 

I put together the wooden planks to make what looks like a Manager

And this is the completed set

I then spray painted the wooden boards using the brown paint as the base and the black paint to add age to the manger. I added small grey gravel to make a pathway & I cut out the green mat and pasted it on either side of the gravel to give it a grassy effect. I purchased a small clip-able battery light which I then used as a focus light on the main subject of the theme (Baby Jesus)

The completed Nativity Scene - 2008

In 2009 I created a scene using soft white clay to fabricate a 'White Christmas'. I used a simple cardboard box to build a stable & added a light under the roof to enhance its appearance. I also cut out a Star on the cardboard to which I filled with small LED lights. You will notice them as you keep reading. 

Thermocol was used as the base for my DIY project

I added the remains of the green mat from last years project (yeah I stored them) and bought a few smoother pebbles from the same shop (http://www.daisoglobal.com/). I also bought a few plants to enhance the appearance of the scene. 

Remember the Devil is in the details of your project

I placed a green creeper hanging down from the roof of the manger and made a thin paste of the white clay dripping it on the creeper and the other plants to give the viewer a close impression of snow falling onto a rooftop, the stones and on the plants. 

A complete DIY Nativity Scene

Notice the light on the roof of the hut, it changes colours

In 2010 I did nothing as I went home to spend Christmas with family. 

In 2011, I worked on a "Straw" theme - I managed to source straw in Singapore and created a theme using the basic black clay & hay. I added a few pillars wrapping them with brown & green coir.  I also added green dust in some places as grass. 

  

Took some small sticks & made a fence of it.

I created a backdrop for the sky and clouds out of chart paper and formed a couple of layers with it. I hid the LED lights in between the sheets of paper. I purchased stars from 'Spotlight' & some shiny paint for effects on the sky. 

Each year, the project grew bigger & better. I was inspired by the scene from at 'Church of Saint Ignatius', Singapore.

The Scene from The Church of St. Ignatius, Singapore

In 2012 I used sandy brown clay as a basis for the nativity scene. I also used medium sized pebbles to give the nativity scene a rocky effect. 

Minor details add effect - notice the fresh leaves on the well

I created a well to denote "Living Water" which represented Cleansing & Purification.

And I placed a Shepherd near a warm fire signifying Light & the presence of the Holy Spirit.

The Shepherd keeping himself warm by the fire

In 2013, the DIY theme was "Ice Age". The first job was to add lights as the foundation to the landscape. I stuck them on the chester draw using double-sided tape. I bought some marbles & different pieces of gravel that is used as a base for the fish tank. I placed a thin layer of glue on the chester drawer & pasted the stones & marbles on them. For the shed, I got a basin from a local shop, pasted some clay on it and dusted coloured sand to it. For the backdrop I used light blue paper & stuck felt paper for clouds. I used the stars from the past year & kept it simple so that the focus would be on the ice & the nativity scene. 

This is how I created the ice effect

Before I knew it, Christmas 2014 was round the corner and I was wondering what to come up with. I went to my by now you know is my favourite place to shop (Daiso) and wandered about for inspiration on my Desert Team. 

As I was walking down the aisle, I came across two bamboo baskets and there was a lightbulb moment, I knew immediately what I should do with them. I came across fine beige gravel which fitted perfectly with into the theme. I then found a wooden rectangular holder which was perfect to use as a water trough. To go with the trough I found water absorbing polymer beads that I could use as water and give it a bubbly appearance. I also found a wooden holder to put in what looked like logs.  

I got to work with the base. Used what I like working best with, soft clay and spread it along the table to form a base. I then burnt the straw baskets to give the Manger a run down look. I also burned the water trough before using blue clay to give it the water effect. I did the same to the holder for the logs and tied a bunch of sticks together with coir and put them in the holder. I would have preferred to use sand however since I could not, I used the gravel and spread it across the area. Here are some pics of the completed set. 

5_DIY_Nativity_Scenes