How to Build a Nativity Scene: 3 Essential Elements

Building DIY Nativity Scene huts with cork, using artificial moss for the Nativity Scene, choosing lights for the Nativity Scene. In a nutshell: how to build a personalised Nativity Scene with a few impactful materials.

Creating a DIY Nativity Scene isn’t an impossible task. It only requires a bit of imagination, a minimal amount of planning skills, and just enough dexterity to work with cardboard and scissors, straw and moss, paint, hot glue, and some lights. That’s right; only a few materials are needed to build a step-by-step Nativity Scene that’s quick and easy, with some items you can easily find at home and others that are extremely affordable, available in our online store. We have always encouraged our readers to choose economical and personalised solutions, as shown in our guides on how to create a DIY Nativity Scene. Making a Nativity Scene at home can be an exciting experience, especially if children are involved in the process. This setup becomes not only a creative moment but also one of sharing, embodying the true spirit of Christmas, a season of anticipation and unity with loved ones.

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Nativity scene accessories

Useful accessories to make and personalize your Nativity scene.

Today, we’ll discuss how to make a Nativity Scene at home with three essential elements: cardboard and cork to create the base and buildings for your Nativity Scene; straw and moss to enrich the background and recreate a realistic landscape; and DIY Nativity Scene lighting, because at Christmas, there can never be too much light.

This implies an initial planning phase, including choosing where to position the Nativity Scene, deciding what surface to set it up on (a table, a shelf, or even a basket or box), determining how large it should be, whether it should contain only the Nativity or include various scenes and characters, and so forth. When considering how to make a Nativity Scene at home, it can be helpful to draw a sketch of what you want to create so that you have a visual guide to work from. With a few tips and a bit of patience, you’ll discover how to craft an unforgettable artisanal Nativity Scene.

For the Base, Houses, and Huts: Cardboard and Cork for Nativity Scenes

The first thing to consider when setting up a homemade Nativity Scene is the base that will hold it. By base, we mean both the support on which we will place the buildings and characters that make up our setting and the backdrop that will frame the entire scene. In our store, you will find a wide selection of bases and backdrops for Nativity Scenes, with solutions for every need and budget, from rolls of Nativity Scene backdrop paper to panels, and from backdrops painted with a starry sky to Arabic landscapes. Cork panels and sheets for Nativity Scenes are versatile and can be used for many different purposes. Some cork sheets are pre-crafted to imitate the paving of a street, with a mosaic design that looks like uneven, polished stones with deep gaps between them. But with the same cork sheets, as well as other cork sheets that resemble brick surfaces, you can create all kinds of buildings. Cork is a lightweight material, easy to cut and work with. It can be used on its own or glued to a cardboard backing to recreate walls, arches, caves, and anything that can enhance and characterise the Nativity Scene’s landscape. All you’ll need is a sharp cutter and a bit of hot glue to shape the cork and adhere it as you like. This way, you can achieve highly realistic and striking effects.

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For Flooring and Roofs: Straw and Moss for Nativity Scenes

Typically, homemade Nativity Scenes favour natural materials, like wood, cork, bark, rocks, and pebbles. We’ve already seen how cork can be used as an excellent base, both for flooring and for the walls of houses and other architectural elements, as well as for caves and rocky formations. To lend greater realism to the Nativity Scene setting, whether it is a classic scene in Arabic-Palestinian style or a Neapolitan Nativity Scene, natural elements that recreate vegetation are essential. Trees and plants, as well as moss, lichens, and straw, will be very useful both for the flooring of the Nativity Scene and for decorations. In our store, you’ll find practical paper lawn, which are easy to cut and adapt to your Nativity Scene base to achieve a realistic floor effect. Synthetic or natural moss for the Nativity Scene is also essential. We always remind you, however, that moss is a delicate element, vital for soil conservation and the growth of countless plants. In many areas, it is prohibited to collect it, and to avoid fines and issues, it is advisable to buy Nativity Scene moss from authorised sellers. In our store, you will find both natural moss, treated and dried properly, and synthetic moss for Nativity Scenes, ready to decorate the hut and other elements safely. Using artificial moss for the Nativity Scene instead of real moss will also save you the worry of what to do when it’s time to store the Nativity Scene in the attic until next Christmas. In any case, we refer you to our article on how to best preserve Nativity Scene moss from year to year. 

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Nativity Scene Lighting

Nativity Scene lights are usually the finishing touch, yet also essential to make your display truly spectacular. Nothing too flashy is necessary, and flashing, colourful lights are best avoided. The Nativity Scene aims to recreate a realistic setting, capturing the magic of a still, silent night. Ideally, a single string of warm LED lights should be used, which can also be run behind the houses to give the effect of them being lit from within. By using coloured transparent paper, you can also create effects like the glow of a fire. Alternatively, you can choose from a variety of Christmas lights and light decorations available in our store to create customised lighting effects for your Nativity Scene to suit every need.

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Christmas lights 300 warm white LED drop shaped lights

These lights are suitable for indoor use.