Beautiful do-it-yourself nativity scene for Christmas. We create a Christmas nativity scene with our own hands: master classes with photos. Nativity scene from paper templates

Christmas decorations or gifts made by children are 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 branches of fir trees. If you don't have the opportunity to buy a Christmas tree, you can cut the lower spruce branches in the forest or make your own Christmas tree from tree branches.

1. Cut several tree branches with scissors or a knife and clean them from knots.

2. Pick up 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 (multi-colored thick ribbons can be used).

4. The Christmas tree pendant is ready, all that remains is to decorate it with toys or garlands.

To create original Christmas toys with children, the simplest materials at hand are suitable - paper, cardboard, glue, scissors.

Making Christmas Angels

“On the night that 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 on their own and then paint them in different colors. Angels can be put on the festive table as figurines. If you sew a thread to the angels with a needle, or connect them with one thick thread, then you will get a pendant or a garland.

Another version of the paper angel figurine

It is enough to print the templates or translate them from a computer monitor, and then cut along straight lines and glue.

Christmas angel pendant

This Christmas pendant is best made with children over 6 years old, as it requires care when cutting out the template.

Print the template on cardboard, colored paper, or transfer it using tracing paper to foil. Using the example of one part, you can first show the child how to cut it out with a clerical knife. Then he will cut the rest of the piece himself.

Asterisks are sewn with a thread to a paper angel according to the marks indicated on the marks.

The angel itself can be attached to the ceiling or decorate a Christmas tree with it.

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 must carry something sincere and warm. 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 hand-made figurines of angels as a gift. In general, handmade gifts were especially valued, kept and passed down from generation to generation, even in wealthy families. We offer today, together with the children, to create such figurines of angels from salt dough. 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 making Christmas figurines:

Flour - 200 g.
. Salt - 200 g.
. Water - 150 ml.

1. Pour salt into a glass plate.
2. Sprinkle flour with salt and mix 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 pieces and add food coloring to it.
7. Then roll out the dough into a layer 0.5 cm thick.
8. Then we lay out the templates on the dough, circle them with a knife. You can use cookie cutters as a template. This stage can be completely entrusted to children.
9. Put the cut out figures on a baking sheet and pierce the dough with toothpicks at the top (if you want to hang it later).
10. We place the finished figurine in a cold oven and gradually heat it up.
11. Bake the figures at the lowest 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.

Create a Christmas Nativity Scene

The Christmas nativity scene can be purchased at the store. However, the creation of a nativity scene on its own can become a kind of family tradition that can unite the family for one common cause. Parents should be creative when creating a nativity scene and think in advance how to explain to the child what the Feast of the Nativity of Christ is, and tell them separately about each character. Also, by sticking figures of characters on pencils, you can arrange a home puppet theater and play out a pre-prepared Christmas story.

To create a crib you will need:

color printer
paper
cardboard
double sided tape or glue

To get started, print the figurines and the 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 stick the figures with double-sided tape on pencils. This Nativity scene can be a kind of theater. It is convenient to store figurines 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 the children with paints or colored pencils. Coloring templates are given below.

Christmas vytynanki

First of all, I picked up two boxes that were supposed to fit one into the other.

This "cranberry" in the photo will soon become an arch in the den.

But before that, I paste over all the details with paper crumpled and impregnated with glue. I dilute PVA glue with water 1/2. The size of the paper should be 1.5 times the area to be glued.

I'm making a ladder. This was done without any plan or sketch, so to speak, "how the hand leads"! Well, the hand trembled, so it turned out such a crook!

And here is the door to which my ladder leads.

And then I cover everything with paper. Don't forget to let it dry thoroughly! After all, when wet, cardboard loses its shape and it is better if each next step is done on a dry model!

Well, the first extension is pasted over and the handrails for the railing are made of wire twisted into a green napkin (the color does not matter, because there is still painting ahead).

After the first fitting, I realized that "the kingdom is not enough" and I really have nowhere to roam!

And therefore, it was decided to glue two small catwalks for animals. And make one more extension in order to balance the big picture!

In parallel with the construction, I make grass. I cut the foam rubber as small as possible. This is not easy for me, because. small pieces stick to hands and interfere with work. Light antistatic treatment did not give a good effect. And I decided to just wet it. Helped! Painted with heavily diluted gouache.

And then she crushed the wet one more.

Several centuries ago, a wonderful Christmas tradition appeared in Rus' - a puppet show that tells about the birth of the baby Jesus. In those days, people enjoyed watching actors act out scenes from the Bible, and rejoiced at the great miracle all together. If you want to arrange an unforgettable holiday for the kids, then hurry up to make a small home theater, or nativity scene, with your own hands. With it, you can not only decorate your apartment and fill it with magic, but also introduce children to the history of Christmas.

What is a vertep?

Ancient nativity scenes were a large wooden box, made in the form of a two-story house. In the upper part of this building were figures of Mary, Joseph and the baby. On the lower tier, an action took place that told about the evil King Herod and his minions. The heroes of such stories often became contemporaries of the actors: a soldier, a priest, a gypsy, a peasant, and many other characters. In our time, a wonderful tradition of playing such performances is only being revived. You can make a nativity scene with your own hands with the whole family, and then gather at it in the evenings, talk, read books and admire beautiful pictures. These gatherings will remain in the memory of your child for many years and will warm him even in the most difficult times.

There are many ways to create a home. But for all performances, you will need a large box, which will serve as a stage. It is absolutely not necessary to make it from wood or other heavy materials - shoe or from under household appliances are perfect. Paste the future scene inside and out with foil and decorate with foil stars. You can create decorations from natural or waste material, colored paper and Christmas decorations. Figurines of heroes for such a theater are made in various ways. For example, they can be made from paper, clay, or ready-made toys. Some craftsmen create shadow theater, which is very popular with both children and adults. In our article we will tell you how to make a nativity scene with your own hands out of paper. The process of creating such a theater will be no less exciting than watching the performance itself. And if the rest of the family members join the work, then everyone will remember the fun pastime for a long time.

To make the main characters of the home theater, you will need the following materials:

    Thin cardboard and paper for drawing.

    Scissors and glue.

    Paints, colored pencils, felt-tip pens and plasticine.

From cardboard, make small cones that will serve as the basis for the figures of the mother of Jesus, Righteous Joseph and the Magi. Draw faces on paper, cut them out and carefully glue them on the front side. Now you can start coloring. Depict the costumes, make an applique, add plasticine details. The hands of the heroes can also be drawn separately and glued to the body. Remember that a do-it-yourself crib is not an exam in fine art, which means that you do not need to strive for ideal shapes and colors. Make this process a pleasure and enjoy the work that unites and brings your whole family together.

Animal figurines

Remember who surrounded the divine infant in the first hours of his life. Figures of sheep and donkeys can be drawn on paper and placed on a stable stand so that they can be easily moved. If you know how to sculpt from clay or dough, then make animals from these materials.

baby figurine

Doing it with your own hands, do not forget about the main hero of the occasion - the newborn Jesus. To depict a manger, you will need a small box of perfume or matches. Paste the cradle with colored film, cut straw from brown paper and stick it on top in random order. Draw a baby figure on paper, color it in and glue it to the box. Install a manger in the most honorable place, and hang over them, which two thousand years ago announced a great miracle to all the peoples of our planet.

Other ways to make a paper crib

A Christmas composition made according to templates will greatly facilitate your work. It is enough just to save the pictures to your computer, print and transfer them to thick cardboard. Be sure to give the silhouettes of the holy family stability by using coasters made of the same material. To decorate the frame, take a cardboard box, remove one wall and bottom. The roof of the future nativity scene can be made curved, and transparent plastic can be used for the back wall. Glue openwork tape or braid around the perimeter of the front part to close the uneven edges of the box. After that, you can glue the figures to the bottom of the box, and place a star on the roof. Since our work looks a little sketchy, it will look best in Place a candle or a small flashlight behind the composition and turn off the light. Now the picture looks mysterious and evokes thoughts of the most beautiful days in the life of mankind.

How to put on a show

After you have made a Christmas nativity scene with your own hands, be sure to come up with several scenarios for the puppet show. If you want to comply with all the canons of old Russian ideas, then you will have to make a few additional characters. You might want to see an angel in a makeshift cave announcing the birth of Jesus. Or maybe you will draw the evil King Herod, who will order to kill all the babies in the country. In ancient times, children were shown scenes in which a cruel ruler meets death. She appears to the king in the form of a terrible skeleton and throws him into the underworld. The performance may be accompanied by singing, poetry reading, and after its completion there may be a game of questions and answers. Your little ones will enjoy repeating what they have learned this evening and look forward to the next performances.

Master class on making a Christmas nativity scene


Author: Ilya Goncharov, 5th grade student of the Tubinskaya secondary school
Head: Veshkina Valentina Sergeevna, teacher of the ORKSE MOU "Tubinskaya secondary school"

Description: the master class is intended for students in grades 1-4, primary school teachers, creative parents, teachers of additional education, teachers of the ORKSE.
Purpose: Nativity scene can be used to act out the story of the birth of Jesus Christ in the classroom or at home, in the study of the history of the feast of the Nativity of Christ.
We used the layout at the extracurricular event "Christmas Nativity Scene", where children with disabilities acted out a wonderful story of the Nativity of Christ for younger schoolchildren in a puppet show. The ability to see, examine, play the image helps students studying in the auxiliary correctional program to better perceive and remember what they saw at the event.


Target: creating a nativity scene layout
Tasks:
develop imaginative thinking by making a layout
develop regulatory skills: plan activities, gradually implement what has been planned, bring what has been started to the end
educate interest in history, search activities
Materials: cardboard box, fabric scraps, furniture stapler or large office stapler, rods, secateurs, scissors, needle, thread, PVA glue, adhesive tape.
Safety precautions when working with scissors (secateurs):
1. Scissors must be well adjusted and sharpened.
2. Store scissors in a specific place (box or stand).
3. When using scissors, be as careful and disciplined as possible.
4. When passing the scissors, hold them with closed blades pointing away from you.
5. Scissors during operation must be placed on the right, with closed blades.
6. When cutting, the narrow blade of the scissors should be at the bottom.

In the Christian world, there is an old tradition - to put a nativity scene in the house or decorate on the street for Christmas. The nativity scene is a model of the Bethlehem cave with dolls inside. Someone buys it in a store, someone prefers to make it himself.
The Cave of the Nativity, or the Holy Nativity scene, is located under the pulpit of the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem.

The birthplace of the Savior is marked on the floor with a silver star and an inscription in Latin

"Jesus Christ of the Virgin Mary was born here." In a semicircular niche, sixteen lamps are glowing behind a star. A little further away is the Aisle of the nursery - the place where the Virgin Mary laid Christ after birth. The manger-feeder for animals, which the Virgin used as a cradle, was taken out in the seventh century to Rome as a great shrine. And the niche where the manger stood was overlaid with marble.
Nativity scene - reproduction of the scene of the Nativity of Christ by means of various arts (sculpture, theater).


Scientists suggest that the first panoramas depicting the Cave of the Nativity appeared in the 13th century in Italy, and later became very popular throughout Europe.
In Russia, theatrical nativity scenes are known - short puppet shows with a Christmas story. To act out the performance, a special two- or three-story portable box-house was made, where the Christmas story was played out.


It is known that at the end of the 18th century in St. Petersburg a dynasty of vertepschikov was formed - the Kolosov family, who for almost a century kept the tradition of performing performances.
Nativity scenes flourished in the 19th century, when they became popular not only in central Russia, but also in Siberia. After the revolution of 1917, the Christmas nativity scene, along with the New Year Tree, were strictly banned as "religious agitation." Only at the end of the 20th century did the restoration of the traditions of the nativity scene begin. Folklorist Viktor Novatsky carefully examined the crib boxes and restored the text of the performance. His version of the action is considered a model.


Progress:
1. At the cardboard box, cut off the lid and turn it on its side.


2. With pieces of fabric we wrap the walls of the box and the base - the floor of the cave.


3. From the outside, we also cover the walls of the box with a fabric using a stapler or a needle and thread (the choice of tool depends on the thickness of the cardboard).


4. Makes a "hayloft" from a free cover, fastening the cardboard with tape.


5. We lay dry grass on the roof of the den (you can decorate with spruce needles and tinsel).


6. Carefully cut the rods with secateurs.


7. We lay the rods on the roof of the nativity scene, smearing them with glue.


8. With thin twigs we decorate the "entrance" of the cave; using a needle and thread, we fix the "poles" to the fabric.


9. You can make a manger out of twigs by folding the branches into a “well” and fastening them together with a thread.


10. We prepare a sheaf of hay from a bunch of grass, tying it in a knot and cutting off excess straws.
The Christmas crib is ready.


Figurines of Mary, Joseph, baby Jesus and animals can be made from paper, plasticine, salt dough.
Thank you for your attention.

The easiest way to make a Christmas nativity scene is paper. You can make it in the company of a child, using paints, scissors and thick sheets from which paper figures are cut. This option does not need a master class, so we will not consider it, but will give recommendations on how you can create a Christmas nativity scene with your own hands of more complex designs.




How to make a Christmas nativity scene from plasticine? Master Class

To work on creating a cave and figurines of den participants, you will need the following materials:

  • plasticine (hard and soft),
  • board,
  • stacks,
  • wooden skewers,
  • lace handkerchief,
  • narrow golden ribbon
  • wicker mat or pieces of matting,
  • toothpicks,
  • cake stand or pizza wrapper,
  • star.

The baby figurine is molded without anatomical features, since most of it will be hidden under a blanket (handkerchief). The visible part - the head - is made of plasticine with a special study of details. To create beautiful curls, you need to run the sharp end of the stack over hard plasticine with the same pressure along its entire length, then the cut out strip will turn out to be in the form of a spiral. You can not sculpt the baby's eyes, but make them from beads. The finished figure must be wrapped in a lace scarf and tied with a ribbon bow.


The cradle for the baby is made from a piece of hard plasticine, into which four straws are stuck (a skewer broken into pieces) that act as legs. We make a pillow in the cradle from soft plasticine. The side walls are made of mats, which also need to be fixed to soft plasticine.


The nativity scene itself is made of wooden skewers in the form of a hut. To do this, on a plate, which will be the basis of the composition, 3 sticks are installed, interconnected using hard plasticine. Each of the straws should be equidistant from the next one. After that, the walls are completed by filling the space between the skewers. One side remains open. We take soft plasticine and fasten it over the entrance (open side). Attach a star to it.


If you don’t have such a large plate as in our master class, then you can make a small fence instead of a hut by fastening mats and toothpicks together with soft plasticine and installing the resulting structure along the edge of the base.


We make animal figures and a bird from plasticine, fastening the parts together with toothpicks. We also make paws from toothpicks. We tie a rope to the bird, which will need to be tied on the top of the hut. We make eyes from beads.

Finger puppets. Master Class


Do-it-yourself Christmas nativity scene can be made in the form of a finger theater. To do this, you need pieces of multi-colored felt, fleece and beads to decorate the eyes. Figures are made in the size of 5-6 centimeters. All characters, including the Magi, are attached to the nativity scene with Velcro. The design itself is made of cardboard, sheathed with fabric, and closed with a button.

With wooden figurines. Master Class

You can make a nativity scene with your own hands from a whole shoe box and a lid from another one. The box plays the role of a cave, and both covers are located in the lower and upper parts (horizontally - to accommodate the Magi, vertically - to attach the angel). The boxes are fastened together with a stapler and glue.

The cave is painted with black paint, the covers are glued with sheets of colored paper. The sheet of paper for the top cover is purposefully creased for greater aesthetics. Straw is also placed in the cave, on which the characters land.


Wooden dolls can be made independently, or you can buy a ready-made version and dress them up according to the images. Outfits can be sewn from fabric or glued from paper. Animals can also be taken factory (from children's toys). An angel is attached to the top cover. Gifts are molded from plasticine and added to the composition. To make a projection of a star, you can cut out its outline from an empty egg from a Kinder and project it onto paper using a flashing light from a children's toy.


Crochet characters


You can use crocheted dolls in any of the presented nativity scenes. This will require cotton yarn of various colors and a small hook. The eyes of the characters can also be crocheted or dark beads can be used. The cradle can be made from pieces of yarn laid in the form of a nest, on which a crocheted baby fits.