DIY Stable for Nativity Sets Painted on Rocks

On a trip to my local craft store, I found an object in the unpainted wood department I used as a stable for a painted rock nativity. 

Supplies

• Unfinished wood key/letter caddy
• Glue
• Bark chips
• Moss
• Wooden star (optional)

Instructions

1. The unpainted, wooden letter/key caddy was rotated so that the arched back now became the stable's floor
2. Brown acrylic paint mixed with water was applied to the unfinished wood with a rag, followed by a coat of gloss sealer
3. Thin wood chips were glued along the front sides of the rotated caddy
4. Thicker wood chips were glued to the top of the rotated caddy to embellish the roof of the stable
5. A thin layer of glue was painted on the floor of the stable and natural moss was then attached
6. A large wooden star was painted silver; gold glitter paint was added for highlighting
7. The star was attached to a slim wooden stick and glued to the back of the stable

The before and after picture shows the finished stable. Note that the rounded back of the unpainted letter/key caddy became the floor for the stable.

For another variation of the DIY stable, I removed the star and used a Mother and Child painted rock.

This DIY stable was made using a small, wooden, letter/key caddy. The craft store also carried a larger caddy that would be suitable for displaying larger or additional nativity scene figures painted on rocks.

See more nativity set display ideas.

© Cindy Thomas Painted Rocks

Unique Painted Rock Nativity Sets

Another category of my painted rocks that can be found online is Unique Painted Rock Nativity Sets. This online gallery of painted rock nativities contains sets I've painted over the years.


The nativity set pictured below is my most recent addition to the gallery of painted rock nativity figures. Mary, Baby Jesus, and Joseph have been painted on geometric-shaped rocks. Mary is painted on a round river rock, Joseph is painted on a triangular rock, and Baby Jesus is painted on an oval stone.

Click here for other views of this one-of-a-kind nativity set

My online gallery of nativity sets visually illustrates how various rock sizes and shapes were used to create nativity sets and figures with unique characteristics. I always enjoy watching the Holy Family come to life as I add paint colors and features to each river rock.


© Cindy Thomas Painted Rocks 

Collectors Acquire Many Unique Nativity Sets

One collector has 70, another has over 600, but the largest collection totals 2,200!

As reported by Kyle Munson on DesMoinesRegister.com on December 3, 2011, It’s unlikely that anybody else in the world, owns as many Nativity sets as Michael Zahs of Washington County, Iowa: 2,200 at last count.

One is carved from the back-leg bones of beef cattle. Another Nativity is forged from square nails. Zahs crafted one himself by bending and twisting barbed wire. In yet another favorite Nativity, Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus were carved out of oak beams from the historian’s great-grandfather Zahs’ barn, set within a stable of intertwined raspberry twigs.

“If you don’t have a story for it, does it get pitched?” Mr. Munson's photojournalist colleague, Mary Chind, asked while sorting through Nativity sets. “Usually you can find a story for it,” Zahs says.

To read more about Mr. Zahs and his quest to ensure that the story of how Iowans have made Christmas their own is preserved in the 21st century click here.

WIFR.com reported on December 4, 2011, that another Midwest collector displayed 750 nativity scenes that he's collected over 30 years at the United Brethren Church in Rockford, Illinois. A short video of this collector's story can be found here.

Even my hometown of Pueblo, Colorado has joined in the nativity festivities; one of the local Methodist churches just launched their inaugural Creche festival.

Loretta Sword reported in the Pueblo Chieftain on December 3, 2011, that at least 70 creches of all description, and that many more Christmas ornaments depicting nativity scenes, would be on display at the church. The collection acquired over a span of 50 years is a mix of nativities from secondhand shops, church socials, catalogs, Christian bookstores, and gifts from friends and family. They range from the delicate and artful to the quirky and even comical. To read about the Pueblo, Colorado collection, click here.

I didn't realize that collecting nativity sets and scenes was such a popular hobby. Perhaps these collectors will add to their collection with a one-of-a-kind, hand-painted rock nativity set lovingly crafted in Pueblo, Colorado.

Three unique, one-of-a-kind painted rock nativity sets

 © Cindy Thomas Painted Rocks

Updated "He is my Rock" Nativity Set Website

I've been working on the expansion and update of the "He is my Rock" website featuring my unique, hand-painted rock nativity set figures. The updated site includes information about the history of the nativity scene, facts about the biblical nativity story, how my nativity sets are made, a nativity resource page and more.

My updated website has a new address, too. It's www.uniquenativitysets.com. For a short while www.he-is-my-rock.com will be available but I urge you to check out the new site. I think you'll find it much more informative and enjoyable.

He is my Rock - Unique Nativity Sets Painted on Rocks

© Cindy Thomas Painted Rocks

Traditional Christmas Gift Nativity Set

I wanted to make my own stable to accompany the hand-painted rock nativity sets that I've been painting as Christmas gifts.

On a recent trip to my local craft store, I found an object in the unpainted wood department I used as a stable for my painted rock nativity. 

Here are the steps I followed to create my own nativity stable:

1. The unpainted, wooden letter/key caddy was rotated so that the arched back now became the stable's floor
2. Brown acrylic paint mixed with water was applied to the unfinished wood with a rag, followed by a coat of gloss sealer
3. Thin wood chips were glued along the front sides of the rotated caddy
4. Thicker wood chips were glued to the top of the rotated caddy to embellish the roof of the stable
5. A thin layer of glue was painted on the floor of the stable and natural moss was then attached
6. A large wooden star was painted silver; gold glitter paint was added for highlighting
7. The star was attached to a slim wooden stick and glued to the back of the stable

The before and after picture shows the finished stable. Note that the rounded back of the unpainted letter/key caddy became the floor for the stable.

For another variation of the DIY stable, I removed the star and used a Mother and Child painted rock.

This DIY stable was made using a small wooden letter/key caddy. The craft store also carried a larger caddy that would be suitable for displaying larger or additional nativity scene figures painted on rocks.

Now my painted nativity rocks have gone from being a traditional Christmas gift to a traditional Christmas nativity scene.

See more nativity set display ideas. 


© Cindy Thomas Painted Rocks