During the sales at the end of the 2016 season, we picked up a nativity scene set. The set comes with Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus; however we also picked up a shepard with sheep, and a donkey additionally. In planning for our 2017 show, we decided to custom build a manger/stable to go with this nativity set.
Construction was done with simple thin plywood for the back, sides, and top. Thicker plywood for the bottom. A 2×4 and 2×6 for the base “legs” to keep it out of the snow, and to match the angle of the front yard (the base will be level once installed for the show). 1×2 supports for the frame which the plywood attaches to. A double stack of extra 1×2 pieces are attached to the inside middle of the base to prop baby Jesus up for better viewing angle. The entire thing was coated in 3 coats of latex based paints to protect it from the weather. The specific color we chose is Rustoleum branded “Nutmeg” (Satin). This project took 2 days to build, a total of about 6 hours of work including painting.
Left Side
Front View, Full Scene
Front View, Finished
Rear View, Finished
Right Side View
Front View
Left Side View