Riding the nativity scene as a family
The little ones wait with anticipation and impatience for the moment of setting up the nativity scene. This activity is usually carried out with the family and the children enjoy collaborating with the elderly and riding the nativity scene as a family. In addition, by putting the nativity scene, children can express themselves creatively and parents can take advantage of spending time with their children and share the experience of building something together.
A tree for the scenography of the nativity scene
Materials: Let's start with something that can give a lot of play to the nativity scene, the scenery: the trees. We will use a branch, moss, white glue, cardboard and some sand.
1. To make a tree the best thing is to look for a cutting with enough ramifications, we choose one that looks like a small tree and we paste it on a cardboard base
2. We stick the pieces of moss on the branches of our tree in a way that seems natural.
3. We hide the pedestal by glueing some sand and other pieces of green sponge with white glue, and it is ready for our Bethlehem.
The wooden cart, indispensable in a nativity scene
Materials: For this car we will use balsa wood, it is very easy to find in modeling or DIY shops. It is very light and can be cut with a cutter without difficulty.
1. We cut out a rectangle of wood, the size will depend on the scale of our crib, but more or less the length must have one and a half times the size of our figures. We also cut the four sides and several narrow strips.
2. With a compass we draw the wheels and cut them carefully with the cutter. We also cut some narrow strips that we will glue transversely on them to decorate them.
3. With a sharp pencil, we draw lines simulating the tables and the holes of the nails in all the pieces, better if they are a little irregular so that it accentuates the rustic aspect.
4. Paste the sides to the base of the car, forming a box.
5. Cut four strips of 1 cm. that have the width of our car, and we paste them on others forming a ribbon. We stick the wide ribbon under the box and then stick two long narrow strips. We also stick two narrow strips on the wheels.
6. With Judea bitumen, varnish or even with furniture repairing liquid, we dye all the pieces and remove the excess with kitchen paper. Care must be taken not to soak the wood so that it does not deform.
7. With a pin we puncture the wheels on the ribbon, and we have the car finished. We can load it with straw, firewood, coal or whatever we can think of. With this same technique we can make many accessories, such as cribs, doors, stalls for the market, etc.
Bread to decorate the nativity scene
Materials: we will need a polymeric clay tablet, Fimo type, Sculpey or similar, in ocher color. We knead for a while so that it softens and we make a strip and cut long pieces.
1. We pinched the corners to give them the shape of bars, with the back of a knife we marked diagonal slits imitating those of the bread.
2. We can also make round loaves making small balls, crushing them lightly with your fingers until you give them a loaf shape and marking the lines.
3. We bake the bars following the manufacturer's instructions, usually 15 min. At 130 degrees.
The last element of the nativity scene, a well
Materials: We take a fourth part of Fimo-type modeling dough in white, black, gray and brown. Soften separately and then put together without mixing, so that the veins of the different colors make them look like stone.
1. We make balls of different sizes and crush them forming cobblestones.
2. We cut the toilet paper cardboard tube in half, or if our crib is large, we make a roll of cardboard and on it we stick the balls we had made, while crushing them, so that they look like stones. We adhere to each other until we reach the top and cover all the cardboard.
3. We bake the piece following the manufacturer's instructions. When it's cold, we take out the cardboard, we give a layer of white glue inside the piece
Using these techniques, we can invent many more complements. Let the imagination fly and let's make this project an opportunity for the whole family to do their bit in the decoration of the nativity scene.
Mª Isabel Zuazúa
