Nativity Craft

Surprise, Surprise... I found this craft on Pinterest!!  It actually turned into two Pinterest crafts in one.  I am so pleased with how this turned out; I think other than my first yarn wreath, this may be my favorite craft I've made. And the best part? I used everything I already had. This craft didn't cost me a thing!

Here is the link to the original: http://www.gingersnapcrafts.com/2011/12/omtwi-finale-block-nativity-set.html  As you can see, hers is a bit more subtle in the colors, but it is quite beautiful. I personally went a bit more Christmasy. I also didn't have the vinyl stencils she was talking about. I'll show you what I did instead.

1. I was going to go to the craft store for some wooden blocks, but I noticed some spare 2x4s the hubby had in the garage. Since this wood isn't really "nice" enough to build something substantial, like furniture, it was actually perfect for this craft. That's the key, if you are buying wood to use, it doesn't have to be expensive. This is a craft that is OK to look a bit rustic and since it doesn't have to be super sturdy (no one is sitting on it), cheap is OK. It did require a bit of sanding, though, and it was on the dry side, so it took a few coats of paint. Truth be told, the edges of the red blocks could use another swipe of the brush.

I had my husband cut out 9 2" blocks, 1 3" block, and 3 5" blocks from his 2x4. For the stable, I needed something a bit taller, so he cut two 12" pieces off of a plank and glued them together. *Please keep in mind that if you do this, it will have to set overnight* He was trying to talk to me in "Home Depot" speak, but I wasn't following. Basically, I was only concerned with the space on the front face, where the images are going to be. As long as that is big enough and the width is wide enough for the block to stand up, I'm happy. After they are cut, sand them to your satisfaction, depending on how "rustic" you want yours to look.

2. Paint the fronts your main color. I chose a cream color, the original project made the blocks different colors. You can do whatever you prefer. Let them dry and if you need another coat, go for it. After the fronts were covered and dry, I painted the sides either red or green (sorry, I guess I forgot a photo of that step.)

 3. This is where second Pinterest craft came in. I used this idea for transfering images onto wood from this blog: http://diddledumpling.blogspot.com/2010/05/tutorial-vintage-looking-painted-sign.html. That tutorial is GREAT, especially if you are looking to create something vintage looking. However, for this particular project, I thought the images came out way too light. I could barely see them. So I just used the image that did make it onto the block as a stencil and filled it in with black paint. The stable I did freehand because that is basically just straight lines.

4. I used puffy paint to write "Oh Holy Night" at the top. I thought of other things too like "For Unto Us a Child is Born" or just "A Child is Born" or "Joy to the World" but I love the song "Oh Holy Night" and I think it is just the most perfect way to describe the Nativity setting.

5. This little star is also something I had in my crafting supplies and just painted it a simple gold color. I used the same gold puffy paint I used for the letters to add little accent lines to the star. Then I just used my trusty glue gun to attach it to the top. You could probably put it anywhere. Since I was putting it right on the top, I made sure to add a little glue to the back for stability.

6. That's it! You're done! It seems like a lot of work, but I actually got it done in an afternoon (well, technically my husband cut out the blocks the night before). It's cute, right?

Happy Crafting and a very Merry Christmas!!!