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Nativity scene made of coniferous branches dimensions. DIY Christmas nativity scene: master class
The tradition of reenacting the birth of Jesus Christ came to Russia relatively recently, and in European countries, in every house in which Christians live, you can find a nativity scene on holidays. What it is? And how to make a Christmas nativity scene with your own hands?
Meaning of the word
There are many traditions that are passed down from generation to generation. One of them is the installation of a nativity scene for the Nativity of Christ. A nativity scene is a recreation of the scene of the birth of Jesus Christ using various styles and techniques of art (sculpture, origami, theater, etc.) This is also an old Russian word that translates as “cave.” It was in it that Jesus Christ was born, where the Virgin Mary stayed overnight with righteous Joseph.
Christians recreated scenes from scrap materials. In this article you will get unexpected options for creating this craft and a training master class. Christmas nativity scenes first appeared in the West, then they began to be decorated in Ukraine and Belarus, and then the tradition migrated to Russia. Theatrical performances dedicated to the scene of the birth of Christ at Christmas began to be staged in the 17th century during the reign of Alexei Mikhailovich. And in the 18th century, the Nativity scene gained incredible popularity; it became a mandatory attribute of Christmas.
For the people, this craft became a symbol of salvation and protection from evil, a kind of amulet, an ark of salvation. Christians built large nativity scenes with their own hands, which they installed in squares. The design itself was represented by a large box. It had 2 floors, symbolizing heaven and earth. Below there was a hole - the entrance to Hell. This is where Herod falls. On the roof of the structure was the Star of Bethlehem, which with its light announced to everyone about the birth of Christ.
Necessary materials and equipment
To make the Christmas Nativity scene craft with your own hands, you will need some materials and equipment. Decide what material you will make the composition from. The simplest option is paper. In this case you will need:
- paper;
- cardboard;
- PVA glue;
- scissors;
- paints and brushes.
If you decide to make a higher-quality and more thorough version of the craft, you can use wood. Then prepare the following materials:
For those who like modeling, plasticine or clay is suitable. Using modeling material, you can make a Christmas nativity scene composition with your own hands together with your child; for him this activity will be interesting and exciting. Clay is a material for a more professional approach. After finishing the work, the craft must be fired to give it rigidity.
Basis for the nativity scene
Let's consider several options for making a nativity scene. The first one is the most realistic and can be made using the papier-mâché technique. We make the frame of the craft from a cardboard base and begin to paste it over with paper soaked in a solution of PVA glue and water. A Christmas nativity scene made of cardboard can be made in 2-3 hours. The surface of the stage should be rough and uneven, it is necessary to achieve a resemblance to the surface of a stone. After the base has dried, paint it with gray paint. You can make accents in a darker or, conversely, lighter tone.
Making the base for the nativity scene can be done using fabric. To do this, you will need denser material or foam rubber. Please note that the frame of the nativity scene must hold its shape well. The top of the base can be sheathed with a thinner fabric of suitable texture. The shape of the nativity scene can be different: a semicircle with a back wall, a rectangle.
You can make the base for this craft from wood. Plywood is ideal for this type of work. This material is very hard and cannot be deformed, so the nativity scene must be made in a rectangular shape. Make markings on a sheet of plywood and cut out the pieces with a jigsaw. Then you can put together the base elements using small nails, a furniture stapler or special glue.
Figurines for the nativity scene
There are special sets of figurines for the Nativity scene; they can be bought in specialized stores. If you decide to make the entire craft yourself, then they should be made in the same style as the base. If this part of the Christmas nativity scene is made of paper, then the figures can be made using the papier-mâché technique or simply cut out paper dolls, the silhouettes of which can be printed on a printer.
The same plywood can make excellent dolls for a nativity scene. Make templates from paper, transfer them to plywood and cut them out with a jigsaw. Make a stand so that the figures can be placed in the nativity scene. It can be glued to cut-out products using liquid nails. When the blank is ready, you should start painting it. If you are not very good at drawing, then simply glue pre-printed and cut out images of shapes on paper to plywood blanks.
Making dolls from salt dough
Salt dough is an excellent material for making small voluminous figures. To prepare the dough, you need to take 1 glass of wheat flour, 1 glass of fine salt and half a glass of cold water. Mix all three ingredients and knead until a homogeneous mass is formed. The dough should turn out smooth and plastic, all the salt will be evenly distributed throughout the mass and completely dissolved.
It is very easy to sculpt from this plastic mass. The parts are easily connected to each other with a small amount of water. The mass does not stick to your hands. When the figures are ready, simply leave them to dry overnight. In the morning, the color of the products will change, the dough will dry out, and they will turn light white. You can start coloring. For this it is better to take acrylic paints. They are very bright and rich, and when in contact with water they do not dissolve or get dirty.
Crafts from plasticine
Modeling from plasticine is a fascinating activity not only for children, but also for adults. High-quality bright material can make very cute figures for a nativity scene. Plasticine is good because it does not harden and does not lose its properties during modeling. You can make a fireplace with a pot, or make a figurine of the Virgin Mary holding a child in her arms.
When the plasticine modeling work is completed, you need to place the figures in the refrigerator. This material hardens at low temperatures, so the workpieces will become dense and will hold their shape well.
If you love to sew and are good at it, then you can make dolls for the Nativity scene from fabric. It is not necessary to buy the necessary scraps; you can take old unnecessary clothes and make patterns from existing fabric. The texture and color of the textile must match the design of the craft. Choose a plain fabric in beige, burgundy, brown and gray colors. Its shade should not be very bright. Our task is to make a copy of the outfits of that time.
To make three-dimensional dolls you will need padding polyester or cotton wool for stuffing. To make the head, take a circle, sew along the edge with a needle forward stitch and tighten the seam. Fill the resulting bag with cotton and make a knot. For the body, cut two oblong pieces of fabric and sew them together. The rest of the body is made using the same principle. Now we are making clothes for our dolls. You can make hair from threads. We draw the face with permanent markers or acrylic paints.
Dolls and other fabric figures are good if your nativity scene is of decent size. Otherwise, it will be very difficult for you to make small elements from fabric.
Making a composition
The Nativity scene must include the Virgin Mary holding baby Jesus in her arms. Place it in the center of the composition. You can place a child in a manger in the center of the nativity scene, and place other characters around him. The obligatory hero is Saint Joseph. According to legend, baby Jesus was warmed by an ox and a donkey. The figures of these heroes should also be present on the nativity scene.
Sometimes three wise men are added to the composition. It is believed that their worship took place on the Day of Epiphany (January 6). Angels are also an addition to the main cast of heroes; it was they who brought the news of the birth of the Savior to the shepherds. They and the sheep are also worth adding to the scene.
It is necessary to arrange the heroes according to the principle of their importance. In the center - baby Jesus, Virgin Mary, Saint Joseph. Next are the wise men, shepherds and animals, they should be located along the edge of the stage.
Additional decor
For better implementation, the basis for the nativity scene can be decorated with additional decorative elements. At the base you should put dry grass or other material that will imitate it. You can scatter several spruce branches made with your own hands from double-sided colored paper. Along the edges, make small sections of wooden fence. Be sure to build a fire with a pot installed on it. Place brushwood next to it.
A star must be placed at the very top of the composition. You can make it from foil, which will shine in the light. If there are sparkles, then apply glue to the star and lightly powder it with iridescent decorations.
An excellent addition when decorating a Christmas nativity scene would be lighting. You can use a New Year's garland or LED strip as luminous elements. Lay out the backlight so that it illuminates the figures, secure it with transparent tape. Don't forget about the star at the top, it should also shine brightly. A Christmas nativity scene with lighting will look fabulous and realistic. It is advisable to place this composition next to the New Year tree.
Finally
The Christmas nativity scene craft can be a good gift for relatives and loved ones. Its design will bring a lot of positive emotions. Choose a manufacturing material that will be easier for you to use. Particular attention should be paid to small details when designing and decorating crafts. The scene of the birth of Christ should be neat and realistic.
Let this bright holiday give all adults and children real joy, which comes only from childhood! And may she be with us not only on holidays!
Merry Christmas!
I really love Christmas and everything that is associated with it: carols, family gatherings, small Christmas nativity scenes with tiny figures, delicious food, cheerful people dressed up, Christmas stories... I also love more modern things related to Christmas: cartoons and good films based on Christmas stories, Christmas wreaths and decor, finger theater about the birth of little God.
For several years now I have been dreaming of buying a beautiful tabletop nativity scene, but I still can’t find one like I imagine. So that there are a lot of figures with which you can play, so that the figures are made in a childishly naive and at the same time restrained manner (without grins and bulging eyes - I came across those too :)
But recently I thought about drawing a nativity scene - a Christmas picture that every child can color in their own way. His parents will help him cut and glue everything correctly. And now your beautiful DIY tabletop nativity scene is ready!
Having started searching, I, of course, found interesting examples, but still decided to draw my own. Unfortunately, due to my growing belly and my daughter, who manages my time arbitrarily, my idea was put on hold. Just today my husband and I finally finished our nativity scene. We hope that he will still have time to please the kids during the Christmastide.
Blank-coloring scene of the Nativity of Christ
The barn and 14 figures can be printed, colored, glued to thick paper, cut out and glued in the right places. The result will be characters that stand on their own.
With such a nativity scene, you can organize a tabletop performance about the Nativity of Jesus Christ. It seems to me that making a nativity scene with a child is a great opportunity to tell him about sacred events, about the birth of an unusual Baby, about who the Magi are and why the star shone so brightly. In addition, by coloring the figures, it will be easier for the child to remember who is where, and what role he played in this story.
A few words about gluing:
The figures need to be folded along the dotted lines so that the rectangle is at the base - the figure will stand on it. Secure the top with a small amount of glue. Cut out three parts with the image of a barn along continuous lines, glue them onto thick paper, fold the edges along the dotted lines, and glue them together. You will get a big house. In order for it to stand stably, you need to bend it along the dotted lines along the beams.
Christmas decorations or gifts made by children can be very simple, but at the same time beautiful and touching. In addition, creating such crafts is a good way to explain the history of the holiday and religious traditions.
For the holiday of the Nativity of Christ, many families decorate a Christmas tree or cut down branches of fir trees. If you don’t have the opportunity to buy a Christmas tree, you can cut the lower branches of the spruce in the forest or make your own Christmas tree from tree branches.
1. Cut several tree branches with scissors or a knife and clear them of knots.
2. Select the branches so that they form a Christmas tree (you can use a template).
3. Tie the branches together with a tight rope or thin rope (you can use multi-colored thick ribbons).
4. The Christmas tree pendant is ready, all that remains is to decorate it with toys or garlands.
To create original Christmas tree decorations with your children, the simplest available materials are suitable - paper, cardboard, glue, scissors.
Making Christmas Angels
“On the night when the Savior was born, the Bethlehem
The shepherds suddenly saw a light in the sky, and a
angel of God"
Christmas angels can be made from paper. To do this, simply save and print the templates below. Children can cut them out themselves and then paint them in different colors. Angels can be placed on the festive table as figurines. If you sew a thread to the angels using a needle, or connect them with one thick thread, you will get a pendant or a garland.
Another version of a paper angel figurine
It is enough to print the templates or transfer them from a computer monitor, and then cut along straight lines and glue them together.
Christmas angel pendant
This Christmas pendant is best made with children over 6 years of age, as it requires caution when cutting out the template.
Print the template on cardboard, colored paper, or transfer it using tracing paper to foil. Using one part as an example, you can first show your child how to cut it with a stationery knife. Then he will cut out the rest himself.
The stars are sewn with a thread to the paper angel according to the marks indicated on them.
The angel itself can be attached to the ceiling or decorated with a Christmas tree.
Gifts for loved ones for Christmas
Christmas is a family holiday and on this day it is customary to exchange gifts. This tradition symbolizes the offering of gifts to little Jesus by the Magi. Christmas gifts should be special. They should carry something soulful and warm inside them. It is known that in Tsarist Russia, noble families always attended the Christmas service, and in the morning, returning from church, they exchanged gifts. As a rule, children received sweets, toys and handmade angel figurines as gifts. In general, handmade gifts were especially valued, kept and passed on from generation to generation, even in rich families. Today we invite you to create these angel figures from salt dough together with your children. Since the dough is fired in the oven, the figurines are stored no worse than clay ones. They can be painted with gouache or oil paints.
Salt dough recipe for creating Christmas figurines:
Flour - 200 g.
. Salt - 200 g.
. Water - 150 ml.
1. Pour salt into a glass plate.
2. Add flour to the salt and stir the mixture.
3. Add water to the resulting mixture in small portions so that there are no lumps.
4. Add water in small portions.
5. The dough should be plastic.
6. At this stage, you can divide the dough into parts and add food coloring to it.
7. Next, roll out the dough into a layer 0.5 cm thick.
8. Then we lay out the templates on the dough and trace them with a knife. You can use cookie cutters as a template. This stage can be completely entrusted to children.
9. Place the cut out figures on a baking sheet and pierce the top of the dough with toothpicks (if you want to hang them later).
10. Place the finished figures in a cold oven and gradually heat them up.
11. Bake the figures at minimum temperature in the oven, for an hour on one side, and for half an hour on the other.
12. When baking, it is better not to close the oven lid completely.
13. After drying, you need to cool the oven and only then remove the figurine from it.
Creating a Christmas nativity scene
The Christmas nativity scene can be purchased in the store. However, creating a nativity scene yourself can become a kind of family tradition that can unite the family behind one common cause. Parents should approach the creation of a Christmas nativity scene creatively and think in advance about how to explain to their child what the Feast of the Nativity is, and tell them separately about each character. Also, by gluing character figures onto pencils, you can set up a home puppet theater and act out a pre-prepared Christmas story.
To create a nativity scene you will need:
color printer
paper
cardboard
double-sided tape or glue
To begin, print out the figures and nativity scene on a color printer. Glue them onto cardboard and then cut out the resulting figures. Bend the nativity scene in half in the middle.
It is very convenient to glue the figures onto pencils with double-sided tape. This Christmas nativity scene can be a kind of theater. It is convenient to store the figures in cups.
If you do not have the opportunity to print the figures on a color printer, then you can color the black and white figures with paints or colored pencils with your children. Templates for coloring are given below.
Christmas vytynanki
Nativity scene - a reproduction of the scene of the Nativity of Christ. Therefore, on the eve of the holiday, a topical Christmas composition, made with your own hands from cardboard or thick paper, will be a relevant craft.
The templates available in the master class will help you create a nativity scene, which can later be used to decorate your home interior. A nativity scene can be made for a kindergarten or school, because with its help you can acquaint children with the theme of the Nativity of Christ, the Bible and tell the story of the origin of the holiday.
How to make a Christmas nativity scene with your own hands
Making a Christmas composition is very simple, as the templates make it easy. All you need to do is download, print, cut out the paper templates and transfer them to cardboard. Then it’s a matter of technology... But since we present the work in the form of MK, let’s still figure out how to make the craft step by step, with a description and photo.
Necessary materials:
- cardboard - soft and dense;
- paper - 3 sheets of A4;
- openwork braid - 1 meter;
- universal glue or glue gun;
- twine or knitting thread - 6 cm;
- transparent plastic, which is used for the front of packaging of children's toys or souvenirs in boxes.
- scissors (wallpaper knife);
- sample: , .
We print out the templates from paper, transfer them by tracing them onto cardboard, and cut out the necessary elements.
Moreover, all elements must be made of thick cardboard, which does not bend and holds its shape well, but the roof must be flexible, so to make this part of the craft, thin and flexible cardboard is needed. This MK used colored cardboard of golden color, hardness 180 units.
These are the cardboard blanks you should get.
We begin assembling the base of the nativity composition.
We take a blank for the bottom of the future nativity scene, place it widthwise on a piece of transparent plastic packaging and make plastic bends along it. This will be the back wall of our nativity scene. Its width should be equal to the width of the base, that is, 15 cm.
Now you need to take the “walls” and glue them to the bottom, as shown in the photo.
We glue the back wall made of transparent plastic.
Front view.
And attach the roof.
The base is almost ready. All that remains is to make a beautiful and discreet decor, for which you will need nothing more than openwork linen or braid.
Using a glue gun, attach it around the perimeter of the front of the nativity scene. You can also paste over the top of the back wall in front and the perimeter of the back of the craft (but this is optional).
All that remains is to glue the faces of the saints and the symbol of Christmas - the Star of David.
The pre-cut cardboard blanks need to be slightly modified, namely to make them stable. To do this, take pieces of cardboard and attach them to all three figures as shown in the photo.
The cradle of Jesus is ready, now the rest of the figures are in turn.
Glue them to the nativity scene.
We cut out a star from cardboard, on top of which we decided to stick a paper one, glue a thread and a cardboard square to the star, which will help better attach the craft to the ceiling.
And now the fun part - experimenting with candles.
In the first photo we placed a candle in front of the nativity scene and got the following effect.
Now we place it inside the product. That's better. This option is, in principle, optimal, since customs involve carrying a nativity scene along the street during Christmas carols. If handled correctly, the candle will not go out...
If the Christmas composition will be in one place in the room, then the option with a candle behind it is the most optimal.
IMPORTANT! An open flame is always unsafe, especially when it is located near flammable materials. This is exactly what our craft is made from. Therefore, you should not leave a craft with a burning candle unattended in order to avoid disastrous consequences.
But overall, enjoy the holiday and the craft. After all, the evening is about to come when Jesus Christ was born a long time ago!
One of the Christmas traditions is the nativity play, a puppet show of the birth of Jesus Christ. To perform such a performance, you need nativity scene- portable puppet theater. The Land of Soviets will tell you how to make a Christmas nativity scene with your own hands.
Traditionally, the Christmas nativity scene is a two-story wooden box in which decorations and figurines of heroes are located. Even if you don't plan to put on a puppet show, a nativity scene will add some holiday cheer to your apartment. Plus, you can use it to tell your child the story of Christmas.
And it is absolutely not necessary to make a Christmas nativity scene out of wood, the main thing here is not the material, but the symbolism. A paper nativity scene may turn out to be no worse than a wooden one made according to all the canons. The main thing is that you made it yourself. In addition, you can also involve a child in making a paper nativity scene.
Try to do Christmas nativity scene out of the box: We think that you will certainly have an unnecessary shoe or candy box at home. The box will be the base (“stage”) of the nativity scene, which represents a manger. If it's too deep, you can trim the sides a little. The bottom of the box will be the back wall of your nativity scene.
To start Cover the box inside and outside with colored paper. The outside color can be any color; it is better to cover the inside with brown paper that imitates the walls and floor. To decorate, cut out stars from colored paper or foil and cover the Christmas nativity scene with them inside and out. You can also use other decorations for the nativity scene, for example, fir branches, pine cones, “rain”, etc. For greater credibility, the “floor” can be strewn with “straw” made from colored paper cut into thin strips.
Now you need make action figures- Mary, Joseph, baby Jesus and the wise men who brought gifts. By the way, there does not have to be three Magi: their exact number is not indicated in the Gospel, so there may well be more of them. The three wise men-kings - Balthazar, Caspar and Melchior - are a Western European tradition; in Orthodoxy they are not considered kings, and their exact number is not counted.
So, to make figures for a nativity scene, you need to take thin cardboard, paper, scissors, glue and paints (pencils, felt-tip pens). Roll and glue a cone from thin cardboard- this will be the body for the figurine. Color the body: draw clothes, arms. You can make an applique instead of coloring. Draw the character's face on paper, carefully cut it out and glue it to the front of the cone (we will consider the gluing seam to be the back of the cone). You also don’t have to draw the hands, but cut them out and glue them on.
To make a baby Jesus figurine, you will also need a matchbox- it will symbolize the manger. Cover the boxes with colored paper. Cut yellow or light brown paper into thin strips and glue it on top of the box in a random order - this will be straw. Glue a paper-cut and painted figurine of the baby Jesus onto the “straw.”
Don't forget to put in your Christmas nativity scene and sheep figurines. The easiest way is to draw them on paper by drawing a small “stand” on the bottom (as in the picture). Then cut out the sheep along the outline along with the “stand” and bend the “stand” so that the sheep can stand. Or if you have small toy sheep, you can just use them.
If desired, you can make figures for the nativity scene from or even. All in all, use the technology that you know how to use and love to work with.
Don't forget to make the Star of Bethlehem too which announced the birth of Jesus. The easiest way is to cut out two star blanks from cardboard, glue them together, after placing a rope between them (if you plan to hang the star on the ceiling of the nativity scene) or a stick (if you want to put a star). And then cover the star with gold or silver foil.
A Christmas nativity scene will bring the holiday spirit into your home.. Don't miss the opportunity to make a Christmas nativity scene with your own hands and, together with your household, remember the history of the bright holiday of Christmas.
