Clay Pot Nativity Tutorial: Last Minute Gift

What you'll need to get started for 1 Nativity

2- Mini Clay Pots (Packs of 6 for 99 cents)
1- 1 11/16" x 5/8" Wooden "Boy Pieces" ($1.47 for 5)
2- 1/4" x 1 3/16" Wooden Ball Knobs ($1.47 for 4)
Skin Tone Acrylic Paint
Black Acrylic Paint for eyes
Various Acrylic Paint Colors depending on you preferances
3- 5" circles of fabric again depending on your preferances ( I buy 1/4 yard of each color= 32 or more fabric circles)
Spanish Moss or staw
1- Mini Clay Pot Saucer
Total Cost for 1 Nativity Under a dollar if you get your supplies 1/2 off at your crafting center

Begin by painting your pieces skin tone

Next Paint your pots their base color: I chose a tan color for Mary and only painted the rim a rust color for Joseph

I paint "Mary's" body like so

and Joseph's like this

Next: attach your heads to their bodies using hot glue

Mary's Headdress: Fold 1/3 of the fabric down

Attach to the top of her head with hot glue making sure the back of the circle of fabric is even with the bottom of the pot

Press the fabric forward like so

Add a dab of hot glue to her neck and press the fabric forward

Repeat with other side of fabric, tie a bow with twine or hemp

Josheph's Headdress: Fold 1/3 of the fabric circle down

Hot glue the fabric to his head

Push the back sides of the fabric forward around his neck and glue to the inside of neck

Next push the sides of the headdress down to create a fold, glue the undersides down

Tie a circlet of twine around his forehead and knot it in the back

secure the knot to the nape of his neck with hot glue

Swaddling Baby Jesus: First fold 1/3 of the fabric circle down

Fold the bottom half of the fabric up over the baby

Fold the right side straight down to create a triangle

Repeat on the left side

Loosely fold the right side over and glue in place, repeat on the left

For the eyes: Dip the end of a small paint brush in black paint

Make sure to reload the end for each eye to get EVEN eyes

For Baby Jesus' eyes I loaded the end and then tapped it off once on the plate for a smaller circle

Isn't it sweet?

Option: to finish the nativity you can add a bed of straw or spanish moss to a mini clay saucer (I was unable to find any at the local HL recently) for a manger. Have fun making these and I'd love to see them if you use this tutorial. Have a great day!

Misty

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