DIY cork nativity scene

Christmas is approaching and also the long-awaited moment to decorate your home with a tree and a nativity scene. Lights and colors are preparing to invade every space of our homes. The tree is almost ready and you lack some ideas for the realization of the nativity scene? No problem, we show you how to make it with cork. Here is the guide for the DIY cork nativity scene.

The nativity scene is one of the symbols for excellence of Christmas. There is no perfect formula to create the ideal nativity scene, everyone has the opportunity to customize it according to your own style. Some cribs I’m small and essential, with the nativity being the only protagonist, others are magnificent artwork, the result of a centuries-old tradition, still current.

In many families the practice of creating the nativity scene is alive and to add, every year, new details and new details. We want to show you what are the steps for create to the your cork crib. To be made with the family or in the company of children, here’s how.

Read also: Here’s how to make a DIY nativity scene with recycled material

Table of Contents

The DIY cork nativity scene: the basics

The cork it’s a material very used in different hobbies and DIY jobs. It is a plant tissue that derives from the bark of trees, smoothed and made compact. This material shows up soft, supple and economical, is constitutes there ideal base for there construction of a nativity scene.

To leave you can get molded cork in different shapes, using the sheets found on the market, or recycling bottle caps, using the latter for the realization of the characters or small details.

THE cork sheets Yes they cut easily with scissors, when the thickness reaches a maximum of 10 millimeters, otherwise it’s possible to use the utility knife. THE capsinstead Yes can cut with a knife.

What you need

Which ones are they the necessary tools for the creation of a cork nativity scene do-it-yourself? As we have seen, cork sheets and caps will be needed. Regarding the amount of cork to buy, Sara managed on base how big it will be the final result. For example, for a small or medium-sized nativity scene, will be enough 3 cork sheets of about 50 cm per side and 20 caps.

You will also need:

Pencil and paper
Scissors
Meter
Cutter
Pliers
Hot glue
Brushes of various sizes
Acrylic colors of various shades
Moss and everything needed to decorate (shepherds, small objects, moss, wood, stones). You can get these details on some online stores or in DIY stores.

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The cork structure

If your goal is to make a nativity scene symbolic, without too many pretensions e simple to build, perhaps together with the children, you can opt for a small hut and some details, entirely made with caps. Glue the corks together, like a form an arc and bring the main characters to life, with the help of a marker and a few pieces of cloth.

Instead, if you want to accomplish a great style nativity scene, take the measurements on the cork sheet to make the structure. Create a pattern on paper, to anticipate the project and have a clear idea how the procedure will be. You will have to take into account a support base bigger and the 3 walls of the structure, leaving the front part of the hut or houses open. One time cut out the necessary pieces, creates the cracks in correspondence of doors and windows and proceed with glue them together with hot glue.

For a realistic effect, start with insert small details, such as these proposed for the doors and windows.

Now it is the turn of the imagination and creativity. You will assemble your nativity scene as you like, developing in height or width, adding the bridges between one house and another, or some door, or a mill by wind, with the blades cut out of the cork sheet and glued together. Everything you imagine can be recreated.

For make it dynamic and three-dimensional your crib in cork, proceed with colors to add depth to the houses, add some grass or design a themed background. To recreate the perfect scenography, help yourself with the images available online, depicting the most beautiful nativity scenes in the world. Get inspired give her scenes of everyday life of the time, like for example, i shepherds that grazed the flock.

You will to add some details in other materials, such as roof tiles, using clay or other modeling pastes. Complete the crib by inserting a few pieces of wood, or of the small glued stones to the floor of the structure. This will help you make the final result more varied and original.