Christmas nativity scene: history and application
The nativity scene is the main symbol of the Nativity of Christ, demonstrating the mystery of the appearance of Jesus. Previously, a nativity scene was a portable puppet theater that traveled from city to city and played Christmas mysteries and scenes from the Gospel before the audience. The dolls in this theater “lived” in a small wooden box, where all the action took place. Here in the manger Jesus was born, and here the wise men came to congratulate the Virgin Mary on the birth of her son.
In the 19th century, nativity scenes were already static. They began to be installed in temples, churches, on the streets and in houses. Today, the Christmas nativity scene is a symbolic reminder of the holiday and its magical miracle.
The symbolism of the nativity scene is complex. The classic box for acting out Christmas scenes consisted of two or even three tiers. The first one depicted satirical and everyday performances from people's lives. And on the second and third - Christmas drama and scenes based on the Bible. Thus, symbolically, the nativity scene was divided into “sky,” “earth,” and “underground” with the help of floors.
What can you make a nativity scene from?
- From paper.
- From papier-mâché.
- Made of wood and plywood.
- Made from plasticine.
- Made from felted wool.
- Made from felt and fabric.
- Made from clay.
- From salt dough.
- Made of wire.
You can also buy porcelain sculptures and decorate them into a home nativity scene. Used as additional material lace, light fabric, flowers, straw. It’s fun to make figures for a nativity scene with children, telling them about the holiday of Christmas. The finished products must be placed in a wooden box and decorated with garlands, cotton wool, pine cones, fir branches, and Christmas candles.
What is a nativity scene?
The Nativity scene is a reproduction of the scene of the Nativity of Christ using various types of art: sculpture, theater and others.
Translated from Old Church Slavonic, “vertep” means “cave.” According to the Bible, on the evening of January 6, Jesus Christ was born in such a place. Fixed Christmas nativity scenes are installed in homes before the holiday. There are also theatrical nativity scenes (puppet and live) for Christmas. The short performances reflect the main moments: the appearance of the baby Jesus, the arrival of the wise men with gifts, the appearance of an angel to the shepherds, the Star of Bethlehem in the sky, as well as the massacre of the infants and the death of King Herod.
Making a Christmas nativity scene out of paper 2021
A nativity scene is a tricky decoration. It symbolizes the spirit of Christmas , its mystery and the annual miracle that we pass on to our children. Beautiful versions of nativity scenes are made from colored paper and cardboard. You can also use paper templates , cut out figures, and then paint them with your child. An ordinary box will serve as a Bethlehem cave, in which you should arrange a creative home nativity scene. And if you attach colored pencils to paper figures, you can act out a biblical scene with your child.
Also, to create a nativity scene, cardboard sleeves are often used to make the figures three-dimensional. Another trend is modern nativity scenes made of foamiran or paper using the quilling technique.
Watch a simple master class on making paper figures , and also print out the templates and try to make a beautiful nativity scene with your own hands.
Figures: what to make from
The main characters are the Virgin Mary with the baby Jesus in her arms and Joseph. The nativity scene cannot do without them.
The easiest way is to place an icon or postcard depicting Christmas in the middle of the composition. This is a win-win option; such crafts always look elegant and touching, although a little strict.
Warn the children! You cannot play with the figures in the nativity scene; they require respect.
What you can make your own figurines from:
- paper. This is the most popular technique, despite the fact that it requires a certain mastery of the art of drawing;
- cardboard;
- plasticine;
- clay;
- salty dough. These three options will require sculpting skills;
- textile;
- household waste (plastic bottles).
Also, entire figures or their individual elements are embroidered, knitted, or made using the origami technique. There are photos of real works of art on the Internet.
Some tips for working with different materials
Paper. Paper figures can be drawn, cut out and glued standing to the base. Sometimes silhouette techniques are used. Such figures are cut out of white paper and not painted. Another option is to make the bodies in the shape of paper cones; they will be quite stable.
Dough, clay. If you use dough or clay, the figures will need to be molded, fired for strength, and then painted. Sometimes they are left unpainted, and the nativity scene turns out to be very unusual, one might say minimalist.
Plasticine. When working with plasticine, pay special attention to the baby's head. His body does not need to be carefully sculpted - it will still be covered in a cradle with a blanket, and his head should look decent. To get curls, you need to take a stack, a piece of hard plasticine and run the sharp end along the entire length of the bar with equal pressure. You will end up with a twisted strip. You can use beads or beads for the eyes, especially if you are not confident in your artistic talents.
Textile. Flat fabric figures will need a cardboard base to mount them on. But you can not put the figures on the floor of the nativity scene, but hang them on long ribbons from the ceiling.
It is better to take ready-made animal figurines, just toys. In essence, their set can be anything, although sheep are still desirable. But you can take horses and cows. Some even install elephants - whoever has what.
Making a Christmas nativity scene is creative and responsible work. If it turns out well, the craft will serve you for several years. It can be displayed at Christmas and then put away until next time. By introducing new details into the craft together with your child, you can refresh it and make it more interesting time after time.
https://youtu.be/f77ljazMxRshttps://youtu.be/fu2jaLMIEv4
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DIY wooden nativity scene 2021
Another popular way to make a nativity scene is from boards, plywood or small branches . A wooden nativity scene is decorated with foil, paper, fabric, and figurines and Christmas decor are placed in it. Such compositions are often found on the streets, in shopping centers, and churches. You can make a nativity scene for your home and place it in a place of honor.
For a step-by-step master class on making a nativity scene from branches, see the photo. Use superglue to fasten the parts. Choose figures and decor at your discretion.
Several more options for a den are made from boards, small logs, brushwood or plywood.
Options for making a nativity scene from scrap materials 2021
When creating a nativity scene, there are no limits to your imagination. pasta, cereals, shells, ice cream sticks and even egg trays when decorating Christmas crafts It turns out very beautiful, creative, and most importantly – environmentally friendly. After all, now more than ever, the popularity of recycling materials is increasing.
Figurines for a nativity scene are a separate creative story that you want to experience again and again, creating the smallest details from plasticine, plaster, clay or felt.
Large nativity scenes are real works of art ; they will become a chic decoration for your home before Christmas. Moreover, you can make this beauty even from ordinary boxes, fir branches and garlands.
How to depict people and animals?
Orthodox and Catholics differ on this issue. The former prefer to reverently replace the holy family with an icon (the wise men, shepherds and animals can be toys, it’s okay!), while the latter allow themselves to use dolls and figurines, as well as homemade toys, to represent Mary, Joseph and Christ. Perhaps the second option is more interesting for creativity.
You can make figures from plasticine, clay or salt dough (dry it at room temperature or in a minimally heated oven, and then paint):
It’s very interesting to make characters for a Christmas nativity scene out of cardboard and paper: draw and cut out. For inspiration, you can look for beautiful pictures and postcards on the Internet.
Well, if you are tired of creativity, use ready-made toy sets for a Christmas nativity scene. For example, Lego has these. You can also use the Sylvanian Families animals, they are cute. At least, definitely no worse than this option:
Have you ever made a home nativity scene before? Share your ideas!
Nativity scene on the street: beautiful ways to decorate the exterior 2021
The nativity scene looks very atmospheric and cute on the street, illuminating everything around with the magical light of Christmas. In central squares, near houses and shops - this beauty is impossible not to notice! But the most honorable place for a nativity scene is in the temple, near the altar.
An inflatable nativity scene or a composition of multi-colored garlands causes great delight among both children and adults.
