This project is rated as average for an adult, difficult for a child. A child may need help in cutting and gluing.
Materials needed:
Printer paper, scissors (or craft knife), glue (or paste)
You will make a scene similar to this:
There are six pages to be printed. Each page contains pieces to be cut out and assembled. The pages to be printed are:
Mary
Joseph
First king
Second king
Third king
Manger
1. Print each of the pages.
2. Carefully fold each paper along the dotted line so that when the paper is folded, the images are on the outside and are perfectly aligned back to back with each other. (On the manger page, first cut off the bottom part of the page before folding.)
3. Open the paper and apply glue (or paste) to the back of the images on one side of the fold. (Don't use too much glue. If a heavy coat is used, some glues will cause the paper to wrinkle.)
4. Re-fold the paper and press the sides firmly together.
5. Allow the glue to dry.
6. After the pieces are dry, cut out the figure pieces. On the figures for Mary, Joseph and the Kings, there is a piece with a tab outlined with dotted lines. When cutting around the tab, cut so that the dotted lines are discarded so they will not appear on the finished piece.
The following instructions are only for assembling the figures (f), Mary, Joseph, and the Kings.
7f. Fold the tab on the pieces with a tab. Run your thumbnail firmly over the fold to get a good crease.
8f. Open the tab out and apply glue to one side of it.
9f. Fold the tab back against the piece with the tab and attach it to the front edge of the corresponding figure. The tab should be between the two pieces. You can choose either side of the figure piece to attach the piece with the tab. Which side you choose is not important, but you might want to plan ahead how you are going to arrange the people, and you may want to have the supporting piece somewhat hidden. Press the two pieces together so that you get a good bond. When the glue is dry, the figure may be made to stand by spreading the two pieces apart.
The instructions for the manger (m) are slightly different. The cross bucks are folded and glued the same way that you did the figures.
7m. Each cross buck has two tabs outlined with dotted lines. Cut around the tabs and separate the tabs by cutting along the vertical dotted line.
8m. Fold the tabs down to form a right angle with the cross buck.
9m. The interior of the manger is a rectangle with a dotted line down the center. Cut out the rectangle and then fold it along the center dotted line.
10m. Apply glue to the tabs on each cross buck. (You may find it easier to apply the glue to the bottom of the inside piece.) Then glue the inside of the manger to the cross bucks. You can position the cross bucks to suit yourself so that the manger will stand on the legs.
11m. Cut out the babe in swaddling clothes.
12m. Place the baby in the manger. You may want to put some lining in the manger (e.g. Easter grass) to simulate hay. If you have a suitably sized baby doll, you may want to substitute it for the paper one.
You may want to color some of the pieces. But remember that poor people such as Mary, Joseph, and the baby would probably be dressed in plain cloth. The kings might have colored robes and colored crowns. Perhaps the gifts would have color also.
With all pieces complete, arrange them in a manner that is pleasing to you. You may want Joseph to be holding a staff. If so, you can make one from cardboard or two thicknesses of paper; or you can go outside and find an appropriate sized twig. You can then glue the staff to his hand.
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