Skill Level
Intermediate
Time to Make
1 hour
Adult Supervision
Yes
Top Tip
If you prefer, leave off the front section on the base so the stable scene is more open. Try making some shepherds and an angel to add to your scene.
How to Make
- Use sandpaper to smooth out any rough edges on the wooden parts of the bird feeder.
- Pin the two side parts and the front part to the base. Cut 2 cm off the ends of four craft sticks so that they fit on top of the roof.
- Cut the ends so that the sticks fit together in the centre. Cut two craft sticks for the sides of the house and three shorter pieces for the window frame. Check that the ends fit together neatly, cut or sand the angled ends if they need adjusting and then glue them in place.
- The slits near the base must not be covered. Paint the house and base a dark brown or use a different colour if you wish. Paint the inside of the window frame a dark blue colour and leave it to dry. Paint over the base and the shape of the house with a lighter colour to create a wood effect.
- Paint a night scene with stars in the window. Use the centre part of a matchbox to build the nativity scene. Cut a craft stick into 4 pieces, sand the ends and glue them to the sides of the matchbox as legs. Leave the glue to dry and then paint the cot. For Mary and Joseph, paint the heads of two wooden figures in a light colour.
- Let them dry and then paint the bodies in light colours. Leave them to dry again.
- For the headbands, cut 1 cm x 6 cm self-adhesive felt strips, peel off the protective film and stick the strips around the heads. Add a felt belt around Joseph's centre. For the headdresses, fold 15 cm x 15 cm squares of tissue paper in half, spread some glue on the top of the heads and fold the tissue paper so that there are creases on the sides.
- Stick the tissue paper to the bodies with a little glue to keep the headdresses in shape.
- Colour in the faces with a thin brush or thin felt-tip pens. Stick a felt beard on Joseph.
- For the baby, crumple a 15 cm x 15 cm square of pink tissue paper into a 3 cm long piece. Cut 3 x 1 cm wide strips from a white self-adhesive felt sheet. Peel off the protective paper and wrap the felt strips around the baby to wrap it.
- Carefully colour in the baby's eyes with a thin brush or a thin felt-tip pen. Stick the painted base part and the house shape together so that the 3D shape is stable. If the slits feel tight, sand the ends of the base so that the pieces fit together easily. Cut some raffia with scissors to make the strands smaller. Coat the base inside the hutch with glue and then press the raffia for the straw onto the top. Add some raffia inside the cot.
- For the donkey, draw a simple head and body shape (the legs are not visible) on the backing paper of the grey self-adhesive felt. Cut out the felt shape and add a black felt mane and eyes as well as thin coloured strips for the bridle. Glue the donkey to the back of the stable. For the donkey's feathers, cut some wooden sticks into 5 cm long pieces that fit onto a 3 cm x 12 cm strip of cardboard. Glue the sticks to the cardboard, colour them brown and leave them to dry.
- Bend the sticks at both ends and glue them to the sides of the base, leaving a small gap between the strip and the sturdy background. Make a lantern from a small yellow felt rectangle with thin black felt strips and stick it onto the stable. Place the figures and the cot in the stable and stick a glittering star on the roof.
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