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.
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I put together the wooden planks to make what looks like a Manager
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| 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)
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| A complete DIY Nativity Scene |
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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. 
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