A few years ago, when My Little Man was a preschooler, we made this nativity together. Its construction requires only a few materials, but that translated to a very independent – and exciting! – project for him.
Every year since, this nativity takes center stage on our kitchen table, and My Little Man loves moving it around and talking about how it was made. I’m amazed that he still remembers, because he was quite small, but he’s excited to put it out each December.
The bonus side for us moms? I found these flowerpots at The Dollar Tree as a package set and I had all of the other materials on hand – making this a very affordable and memorable project.
Want to make your own simple nativity set? Here’s how!
You’ll need:
- 3 small flowerpots
- scraps of cloth
- scraps of a neutral-colored yarn, like tan, brown, or cream
- glue
- scissors
- 3 small balls, like bouncy balls or ping pong balls
- a piece of balled-up paper
Here’s what you do:
- Flip two flowerpots upside down. These will be Mary and Joseph.
- Wrap the three balls in the yarn.
- Glue one ball each to the bottom of the upside-down flowerpots. These will be the heads of Mary and Joseph.
- Choose scraps of cloth to wrap around Mary and Joseph and more to cover their ‘heads.’
- Put the balled-up paper in the bottom of the third pot.
- Wrap the last ball in yarn.
- Swaddle the yarn-covered ball in cloth.
- Place the swaddled baby Jesus in the ‘manger.’
There you go! A super simple nativity that your children will remember for years – but will take only minutes to make.
Do you have a favorite Nativity?
What are your thoughts?