A few centuries ago, a wonderful Christmas tradition appeared in Russia - a puppet show that tells about the birth of the baby Jesus. In those days, people enjoyed watching actors play scenes from the Bible, and rejoiced in a great miracle all together. If you want to make your kids an unforgettable holiday, then hurry up to make a small home theater, or nativity scene, with your own hands. With it, you can not only decorate your apartment and fill it with magic, but also introduce children to the history of Christmas.
What is a nativity scene?
The old nativity scene was a large wooden box, made in the form of a two-story house. In the upper part of this building were the figures of Mary, Joseph and the baby. On the lower tier, an action took place that spoke of the evil king Herod and his minions. The heroes of such stories often became contemporaries of actors: a soldier, a priest, a gypsy, a peasant, and many other characters. Nowadays, the wonderful tradition of playing such performances is only being revived. You can make a den with your own hands as a whole family, and then gather at his place in the evenings, chat, read books and enjoy beautiful pictures. These gatherings will remain in the memory of your child for many years and will warm him even in the most difficult times.
How to make a nativity scene with your own hands
There are many ways to create a home puppet theater . But for all the ideas you need a big box, which will serve as the scene. It is absolutely not necessary to make it from wood or other heavy materials - shoe or from under household appliances is perfect. Paste the future scene inside and out with film and decorate with foil stars. You can create decoration from natural or waste material, colored paper and Christmas-tree decorations. Hero figures for such a theater are made in various ways. For example, they can be made of paper, clay or use ready-made toys. Some craftsmen create a shadow theater, which is very popular with both children and adults. In our article we will tell you how to make a nativity scene with your own hands out of paper. The process of creating such a theater will be no less exciting than watching the performance itself. And if other family members join in the work, then everyone will remember the fun pastime for a long time.
Nativity scene with their own hands. Master Class
To make the main characters of the home theater, you will need the following materials:
Thin cardboard and paper for drawing.
Scissors and glue.
Paints, colored pencils, felt-tip pens and plasticine.
From cardboard, make small cones that will serve as the basis for the figures of the mother of Jesus, the Righteous Joseph and the Magi. Draw faces on paper, cut them out and gently glue them from the front side. Now you can start painting. Imagine the costumes, make the appliqué, complement with plasticine details. The hands of the heroes can also be drawn separately and glued to the body. Remember that the nativity scene created with your own hands is not an examination in the visual arts, which means that you don’t need to strive for ideal shapes and colors. Turn this process into a pleasure and enjoy the work that brings together and brings your entire family together.
Animal figures
Remember who surrounded the divine baby in the first hours of his life. Sheep and donkey figurines can be drawn on paper and placed on a stable stand so that they can be easily moved. If you can sculpt from clay or dough, then make animals from these materials.
Baby figurine
Doing the Christmas nativity scene with your own hands, do not forget about the main hero of the occasion - the newborn Jesus. To depict a manger, you will need a small box of perfume or matches. Paste the cradle with color film, cut the straw from the brown paper and stick it on top in random order. Draw a baby figure on paper, color and stick it on the box. Establish a manger in the place of honor, and hang a star of Bethlehem above them , which two thousand years ago announced a great miracle to all the peoples of our planet.
Other ways to make a den
Christmas composition made by templates will greatly facilitate your work. It is enough just to save pictures to your computer, print and transfer them to thick cardboard. Be sure to give the silhouettes of the holy family stability using coasters of the same material. To decorate the frame, take a cardboard box, remove one wall and the bottom. The roof of the future den can be made curved, and transparent plastic can be used for the back wall. Glue the lace tape or braid around the perimeter of the front part to cover the uneven edges of the box. After that, you can stick figures to the bottom of the box, and put a star on the roof. Since our work looks somewhat schematic, it will look best in a shadow theater. Place a candle or a small flashlight behind the composition and turn off the light. Now the picture looks mysterious and inspires thoughts about the most beautiful days in the life of mankind.
How to play a performance
After you have made the Christmas nativity scene with your own hands, be sure to come up with several scenarios for the puppet show. If you want to comply with all the canons of ancient Russian performances, then you will have to make some additional heroes. You might want to see in an impromptu cave an angel who announces the birth of Jesus. Or maybe you will draw the evil king Herod, who orders to kill all the babies in the country. In ancient times, children were shown sketches in which a cruel ruler meets with death. She appears to the king in the form of a terrible skeleton and throws him into the underworld. The performance can be accompanied by singing, reading poetry, and after its completion there can be a game of questions and answers. Your kids will be happy to repeat what they learned this evening and will look forward to the next shows.