Constructing and outdoor nativity scene is one of the most fun activities of the season. It brings the family together and doesn’t require exceptionally elaborated artistic qualities. To construct your outdoor nativity scene you need the following materials:
• 7-10 wooden crates: Depending on the size you to make your nativity. Usually used for carrying fruit. Look for them at your local grocery store. These will be used to give your nativity it’s basic structure.
• Brand Kraft Paper Roll: You can purchase this at Office Depot and most office supply stores. Approximately 12″ wide.
• Brown and black shoe polish: 1 can of each. Found pretty much anywhere.
• 10 Burlap or canvas sacks: Usually used for potatoes or other vegetables. Found at most grocery stores or farmer’s markets.
• 1 bucket load of gravel: You can also use sand instead. You can find gravel in most House & Garden stores.
• 12 pine tree branches: The idea is to use these for decoration. They are used to simulate miniature trees so how many you’ll really need will be based on your discretion.
• Decorative artificial grass: Check out your local nursery or you can also find this online at ‘Amazon foliages. The amount will be up to your own discretion. This is placed last for decorative purposes only.
• 5 cardboard boxes: The boxes don’t have to be in such good shape because they will be used for minor structures and are therefore not visible.
• Nativity Figures: Here you want to find and invest in a good quality nativity set. Keep in mind that you will use it every year.
• 2 old comforters.
• 2 rolls of duct tape and masking tape
Procedure:
1. Basic Structure: The basic structure of your outdoor nativity set is made up of the wooden crates. You want to pile them up to form a pyramidal shape but with a flat top. Almost like a mountain. You can take some of the crates apart and use nails to reattach and reshape some of the crates. You want the base to be somewhat sturdy. Strong enough to hold your nativity set.
2. Minor structures: Using the cardboard boxes you can now create your minor structures. Your outdoor nativity scene needs at least one cavern shaped structure. Take the boxes apart and make an arch on the top of your pyramid. The arch will be the caverns door. Now using some more cardboard and tape, give the cavern some depth (like a grotto).
3. Filling in the spaces: Use as many old comforters as you can spare to fill in the spaces left from using the wooden crates. Some of the corners can be too edgy or pronounced. The comforters let you round the edges out to give it a more natural look.
4. Cover it all: Use the brown and black shoe polish to color the brand Kraft paper. The paper roll is usually a tan color to start off with, so this should make it a sort of brown-black camouflage color. Then use that paper to cover all of your structure up including the grotto.
5. Cut the burlap sacks and spread the out: After cutting the edges of your burlap sacks, you should be left with wide shrouds of burlap. Place them randomly over you nativity structure. You want to cover most of it up. You can use masking tape to hide the corners of the burlap. Now your nativity should start looking like an actual mountain.
6. Decorate your structure: Use the gravel to create a winding road that leads up to the grotto. This will be the path that your wise men (not the same as wise guys) will be placed on. Use the artificial grass as well. Place abundant grass in different places. The artificial grass should be easy to fixate because it can be easily tangled on the burlap. You can now also use the pine branches to simulate trees.
7. Finally, and optional decoration technique is to place a light in the grotto where the Holy Family will go. Directly over the manger. Tiny Christmas light can be placed randomly over your mountain. Although if you want to place the light it’s best to put the under the burlap sacks to hide the cables. Once this is all done you should have a pretty fancy looking outdoor nativity scene.
