Monday, January 7, 2013

Christmas Nativity

I know, I know.... I am a little behind posting this Christmas project! But, as everyone knows, Christmas time can be really busy especially if you teach in a parochial school - whew! So, maybe you can bank this idea and do it next year! :)

We do this Christmas nativity every year. I have revised it and revised it until now it is pretty streamlined! Our school purchases paper cups for us from Hobby Lobby and Wal-mart which is wonderful. We ask each parent to provide six (3 inch) Styrofoam balls for their child. We use skin colored Tempera to paint the balls that will be the heads. When dry, we attach the heads to the cups with hot glue. The children attach the eyes with glue and the mouth is a sequin attached with a straight pin. The head pieces are felt and attached to the head with straight pins, too. A small piece of red yarn creates the mouth. School glue does not work for this project; it must be tacky glue. Gold craft stems are pushed into the back of the heads of Mary, Joseph, and the angel to create a halo. The angel's wings are heart shaped doilies and attached with tacky glue to the back of the cup. To create the stable, we use Clementine orange crates. The children cover the outside of the box with pieces of brown construction paper. The children water color a background of Jerusalem and when dry attach it with glue to the bottom of the box. The box sits on its end. A star is attached to a wooden craft stick and taped to the back of the box.

If you would like the background picture of Bethlehem, click on the picture!
Happy New Year! May God bless you with His peace!


4 comments:

  1. This is so adorable! I'm pinning this to use next year! :-) Lauren

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  2. Thanks! As I said we have been doing this project for YEARS! It just seems to get cuter and cuter each year!! :)

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  3. This is so cute! What a wonderful keepsake. I can imagine some of your students -- many, many years from now :)-- telling their kids all about the Nativity they still put out every year.

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  4. You are so right! I teach in a K-8 school and the EIGHTH graders make comments about this project every year! It is one of my favorites! Cindy

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