Create some seasonal joy with a cardboard box! Make your own Nativity Stable Selfie Booth & invite your community to come & play their part in the Christmas Story! Quick & easy to put together, this simple recycling project offers children & families a fun opportunity to explore the characters from the Nativity, & create some joy-filled family photos in the process.
:: To create the backdrop for your stable, paint the bottom of the large box with dark paint, leaving the sides plain.
:: Once the paint is dry, turn the large box over & make small holes across the back of the box using the bradawl. As you make each hole, push the individual fairy lights through to create the starry backdrop. We placed ours fairly high so they could be seen in the photos, & this also helped prevent little fingers from pushing them out. To secure the battery pack, tape it to the top of the box on the outside, making sure it's easily accessible to switch off & on.
:: To make the 'wooden' panels for the roof & walls of the stable, cut the sides & top sections from the 2 medium-sized boxes. (Top Tip: the folds act as a great cutting guide.) To attach them to the larger box, we used a hot glue gun, & then masking tape to secure them well to the sides. If you wish, you can add smaller sections of cardboard to the inside panels to cover any tape or glue. We added dots to each corner of the 'wooden' panels to make them look like nails.
:: If you'd like to make the super simple manger, you'll need one small cardboard box, plus 4 sections of cardbaord to create the stand. To construct the manger, we used hot glue & tape, attaching the 4 cardboard lengths to the sides to create a v shape. To finish we filled the box with a handful of straw before adding our baby Jesus.
Now your light-up Selfie Stable is ready; all you need now are a few props. These can be super simple, each reflecting a Nativity character, so you don't need a full-on costume.
The outfits & props we offered were:⭐ Wings & halos (Angels)
⭐ Blue scarves (Mary)
I also made a few signs with quotes from the film "Nativity" that could be used in any photos. Who doesn't need a bit of sparkle & shine?!
Why not add one of these Nativity Stable Selfie Booths to the Welcome Area of your Church or School, with an invitation for children (& adults) to step into the Christmas Story.
This is such a simple way to spread a little joy & explore again the real reason for the season. It's also a fabulous reminder that we each have a part to play in the Christmas Story.
Once you've finished with your stable, it can be stored away for next year or recycled, minus the lights, which can, of course, be reused.
Looking for more Nativity joy? You might like these Nativity activities & crafts.