How to make your own wood nativity

I had a request to make a wooden stable for my sister-in-law’s Willow Tree nativity figurines, and I loved the challenge of coming up with a simple design that would fit her set. I made the entire nativity from scrap wood we already had around the house.

The finished stable is approximately 14 inches wide at the base, with an interior about 10 inches wide and 11 inches tall. It’s a great size for Willow Tree nativity figurines, but the design is simple enough to adjust for just about any nativity set.

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Materials

• Rough-cut pine board for the base
• 7/8″ × 7/8″ wood strips
• Tongue-and-groove cedar or other thin boards
• Wood glue
• Finishing/brad nails (1 inch length)
• Wood screws
• Wood stain

Tools

• Miter saw
• Table saw (if needed to rip the frame pieces)
• Brad nailer
• Drill (this is my favorite drill combo set)
• Clamps
• Sandpaper
• Tape measure

Cut List

 

Step 1: Cut The Base

I started with a rough cut pine board that I already had in the garage. The piece was 7.5″ wide, 7/8″ deep, and I cut it down to 14″ long using a miter saw. You can use whatever type of wood you want, but I liked the look of the rough cut board to give the nativity a rustic feel. I also got Tony to cut some wood strips on the table saw that were 7/8″ by 7/8″ by about 14″ long.

Step 2: Cut the frame pieces

Next I cut down the frame pieces. For the supports I cut a 45 degree angle on one end using the miter saw. I cut the total length at 6 1/4″. The roof frame pieces I cut a total length of 10″, with a 45 degree angle at each end.

Step 3: Sand all pieces

I did a light sand to all the pieces first using 80 grit sandpaper, and finishing with 150 grit. It doesn’t really matter what grit sandpaper you use, but the purpose is just to remove splinters and to break the corners. I wanted to leave the wood a little bit rough, so just a very light sand is all that’s needed.

 

Step 4: Put together the frame

I put the frame together using wood glue and a couple of small finishing nails with a brad nailer. My recommendation is an 18-gauge brad nailer for this type of finish work because the nails are smaller and less noticeable. I also love using battery-powered tools. They make such a difference when you’re moving around from project to project. Just make sure your nails aren’t too long, or they’ll shoot right through the other side.

 

Step 5: Attach frame pieces to the base

I fastened the frame pieces to the base by pre-drilling a hole from the bottom of the base, adding a dab of wood glue, and screwing up from the bottom using a drill and wood screws. This way there are no visible screws and makes the whole frame very sturdy.

Step 6: Roof and back wall

For the roof and back wall, I had some scrap tongue and groove cedar pieces. Tony picked these up at a yard sale about ten years ago. We’ve moved them from house to house, and finally I found a use for them.

I cut the pieces 11 inches long for the back wall, and glued and clamped them together. The glue didn’t hold very well, but it was enough that I could measure and cut the shape of the back wall and roof pieces. After cutting I lightly sanded all the rough edges.

Step 7: Stain

I stained all the pieces separately using a white rag and Minwax dark walnut stain. The two types of wood stained a slightly different color, but I think it gives it a nice contrast.

 

Step 8: Nail back wall and roof pieces

Attach the back wall pieces using some wood glue first. Then use some small finishing nails and nail the roof and wall pieces into the frame structure. The total inside dimensions of this wood nativity ended up being about 11 inches tall, and 10″ wide. Depending on what figurines you have you can adjust the dimensions, but this nativity was designed specifically for the  Willow Tree figurines. The open sides allow for a little extra room for the animals, but otherwise they all fit pretty well in there.

The Finished DIY Wood Nativity Stable

We don’t actually have the Willow Tree figurines ourselves, so the kids tested it out for a while with our Fisher-Price nativity figures. Later, we were able to see how it looked with the Willow Tree set it was designed for—and the size worked really well. What do you use for your nativity set? Did you make your own? Is this something you could see yourself making?