Thursday, December 18, 2008

Jesus, Mary, Joseph and a dozen eggs.

Wanna make a nativity scene that your four year old can play with and you won't care if he breaks Joseph's head or rips the angel's wings or loses Baby Jesus?

I got just the thing. And you might have all the supplies, depending on if you're a crafty person and you eat a lot of eggs. Because you're gonna need lots of protein to get this craft done. Just kiddin'.


The Nativity. Beautiful. We made it in the span of an hour. Best thing? I don't care if it gets destroyed and my two little boys helped make it.

I used one section from the bottom of an egg carton for the body and hot glued a wooden bead for the head. Hot glue is my best friend, we've been together for a long time, she never fails me.



Then we got out scraps of fabric that one of my girlfriends begged me to throw away, but I knew I would need them for something.

Uh, hey Melanie Carter....look I'm using that little bag of fabric you told me to get rid of FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT'S HOLY! Nah-nah-nah to YOU and your throwing away perfectly useful bits of fabric!! And also, I messed up the whole bin of fabric that you organized for me. But, I lovingly thought of you the whole time I was dumping that fabric all over my living room floor and I miss you.



This is what inspired me to do the entire nativity. I teach first grade children's church once a month. We were telling the story of the angel Gabriel visiting Mary and I thought the kids would enjoy a craft. So, I looked around my house and found bits of trash and made an angel.

Wings made from a heart of paper. Sometimes I think I have a heart of paper.

Shepherd with a toothpick staff. Good for poking a sheep and picking hunks of meat from his teeth.....if he had teeth.....or a mouth.


Jesus, Mary and Joseph! Have you all read Angela's Ashes? Something about that book has stuck in my head for years and years. Every time I see the Nativity I want to blurt in a Irish accent Jeeezuz Murray and Joseph! But, I don't. At least not in public.

The manger needed some stabilizing. Har har, get it? Stabel-izing? Oh, you people! Remember when you thought I was funny? Anyway, I used this old dirty button to ensure Baby Jesus wouldn't roll out of his manger.


So, you wanna be a wise guy, huh? Did you know that the Wise Men brought the Christ child sparkly orbs? Yes, they did. Did you know the Wise Men had no eyes? No, they didn't. Did you know you could hide an egg under the Wise Men? Yes, you can.


Ta-dah! All done.


And now the crew is safely crammed in the stable.

32 comments:

Sandy said...

Ok, seriously, when are you DOING all this stuff?? I still haven't caught up with your pretzel project (fab) !! Love Love Love the egg people. -Sandy

April said...

Sandy,
I'm doing all this stuff instead of doing laundry or homeschooling or putting up the Christmas decorations that are sitting in a big tub on my porch.

Anonymous said...

That is cute and very smart of you to think of using the egg carton that way.

The Source said...

Very cute and crafty! My daughter made one from toilet paper rolls when she was small.

I love Angela's Ashes. That was the best book! Throwing up God in the church yard!!

Jean Martha said...

sooo cute!!

MamaHen said...

Brilliant!

Anonymous said...

You are just hilarious! Your post made me laugh. Thank you for that - and the great craft idea. :)

Rhea said...

Wow, you are super creative. My kids might laugh at me if I attempted this.

Anonymous said...

I'm still laughing about the Angela's Ashes quote.

Gladys said...

I am no longer allowed to play with hot glue or super glue. Not since the hot glue incident of 2001 and the super glue incident of 2003. We won't even talk about the ModgePodge incident of 2003. 2003 was not a very good crafting year.

I love your nativity scene and the fact your boys helped makes it sublime!

Unknown said...

Very cute, very crafty, & a project that gets done in one day! It's a triple threat! Sad to see no bodily fluids in this post though :( Although, if you had mentioned bodily fluids in the same post as the holy baby Jesus in a Nativity, it would have caused me to scream, "Jesus, Mary, & Joseph! In the name of all that is holy!

Merry Christmas! Shelley (www.southerngalinsocal.blogspot.com)

Melody said...

Great project! And I *still* think you're funny!

Karen Deborah said...

this is the CUTEST project you have ever done!!! in fact come over and pick up the Kreativ blogger award from my blog you need an award for this adorable idea. I LUV it!!

Unknown said...

Oh! I love this! Maybe we will make one of these next year!

Anonymous said...

What a cute idea. And to think my daughter gave me a plaque that says "Simplify your life--throw it away". Guess I will start saving my egg cartons. Joanie

Anonymous said...

This is a great super cute idea! Now if I wasn't using my egg cartons for fire starters!? Darn it...freeze or cute crafts???

Annie Pazoo said...

J, M, & J, April, you slay me. Actually, those shepherds slay me. T. D. cute if you ask me. And, maybe the egg council will sponsor your crafts! (Or the egg carton council....wait, maybe that's the food packagers council. Never mind)

Leila said...

I LOVE this!!
First, a nativity that the children can make and play with -- priceless!
Second, it's really cute.
Third, those wise men are really elegant!! I mean, they look rich! And wise! How'd you do that?

You are right NEVER to throw away ANY scraps of material. It would be a terrible thing, no matter how you look at it. That friend of yours must be CRAZY!!

Jenni said...

Very cute! I think simple, homemade decorations are the best. I think I need to go reorganize my craft supplies and bits of fabric now. I wonder if I can alphabetize them.

Anonymous said...

I have the accent and just to help you get to expert status you have to put in a holy in an exasperated voice. Practise with me Jeesuz, Mayray and (exasperated) HOLY Saint Joseph...
Very good.

April said...

Jeesuz, Mayray and Holy Saint Joseph!

Trisha said...

Very neat nativity! I like the fact that it is kid friendly because I remember playing with the nativity as a child and it is a cherished memory. Your kiddos will remember helping to make the nativity AND playing with it!

Rechelle said...

April Dawn! That was actually a well photographed post. I can see what you are talking about. Very cute nativity too. You are so clever...

Linda said...

That's the biggest glue gun I've ever seen! We can totally do this project. What fun!

I made a variation of your chocolate covered pretzels:

http://linduhe.blogspot.com/2008/12/chocolaty-pretzel-thingies.html

Jana said...

How cute is that?! Very cool project, April!

Lisa @ Life with 4! said...

this is my first time here at your blog...
I just had to comment on this nativity, LOVE IT!! What a great idea.
My kids (especially my daughter) would have so much fun putting this together.
thanks for the inspiration.

Egghead said...

April this is the cutest thing. I love it.

Unknown said...

I am really impressed. These are so cute.


I am glad I stopped by! I hope you and your family have a wonderful holiday.

Marlene

Sandy said...

Well, not to be outdone by your fabulousness ... my SIL and I and our kids are gathering tomorrow to make our OWN nativity set out of egg cartons. It's hard keepin' up with you -- but we're tryin'. (I'm forwarding any laundry, housecleaning complaints from my family to you -- ok?) Hope your heat guy gets with it sometime soon! -Sandy

Unknown said...

Wonderful!

Kathy Grimm said...

Dear long lost April,
Your old pastor gave me your web link! And....... now I will publish this magnificent Nativity craft. Gee, I hope this wasn't your 15 minutes of fame, but I'm enjoying seeing you as a happy farmer. What is with the pigs? Ah, I don't know about the pigs April but I do like chickens much.
Grace and Peace, Kathy

Flamingo said...

I will be linking this from my blog tonight! thanks for sharing!