Painted Rock Nativity Sets - An Alternative to Traditional Christmas Decor

Nativity scene figures hand painted on Colorado river rocks and stones are an unusual yet appealing alternative to traditional Christmas nativity decor and a charming addition to a Creche collection.

He is my Rock Nativity Sets

For a delightful and distinctive conversation piece, try something new and out of the ordinary by replacing the figurines in your traditional nativity set with nativity scene figures that are uniquely painted on rocks.

 

Newly completed, painted rock nativities ranging in size from tiny, small, medium to large are available in the Nativity Shop.

© Cindy Thomas Painted Rocks

How to Display Painted Rock Nativities in a Traditional Way

In earlier posts I showed you how to display painted rock nativity sets in a simple way using a charger plate with greenery, stones, or glass gems.

Painted rock nativity scene figures can also be displayed in traditional Christmas nativity stables.

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You can use an existing nativity stable and place the nativity scene figures inside.

Painted Rock Nativity Scene Figures in a Store-Bought Stable

I found this stable at my local craft store (Hobby Lobby). Stables come in many sizes and you should be able to find one at craft or general merchandise stores.

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You can use an existing nativity stable along with the animals that came with the set.

Painted Rock Nativity Set with Store-Bought Animal Figures

Store-bought nativity sets (stable and figures) come in many different sizes and are readily available. You can decide which pieces from the nativity set to combine with your painted rock nativity scene figures.

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Just remember to take into account the size of your painted rock nativity figures. You'll want them to fit nicely in the stable.

© 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