Rocking Baby Jesus Crib - Paper Plate Christmas Craft

This sweet Rocking Baby Jesus Crib is made from just one paper plate! Such a simple, low-cost activity for all ages, & an ideal Nativity craft for school or home. Here's how we made it.

This craft reminds me of a carol I used to love singing at Primary School called the "Rocking Carol." It's stuck in my mind mainly due to the repetitive lines "we will rock you, rock you, rock you" which allowed anyone who couldn't remember all the lyrics to at least join in with those few words! Thank goodness for repeated rhyming refrains!

To make a Rocking Baby Jesus Crib you'll need:                              One paper plate, scissors & a glue stick, colouring pens or crayons.

Start by folding the paper plate in half & cutting out the centre. Then cut the centre section in half  to create two semicircles.

Cut one semicircle into two-thirds & round off the corners. (The larger will be the body, & the smaller one the head)  Your paper plate should now look something like this.

To make the baby Jesus figure, colour in the face section, & decorate the body. We added a zig-zag pattern to ours to make it look a little like swaddling clothes. Glue together as in the image below.

Colour the ring of the paper plate with pens/crayons to look like a crib or manger, & then glue your baby Jesus to the base on the inside.

To prevent the paper plate from splaying open, cut a strip from the remaining plate & fold the ends. Glue to the inside of the plate & you're Rocking Baby Jesus Crib is complete.

You might like use this craft alongside a Nativity storybook, or maybe sing the first verse of "Away in a Manger" while you gently rock your baby Jesus to sleep. Or perhaps, like me, you'll be humming the "Rocking Carol."

If you're looking for more Nativity Crafts, check out our Nativity Section at the top of the page for more ideas.