Sunday School or Bible Clubs > Crafts > Nativity crafts > How to make a Toilet Paper Tube Nativity Set
For each figure in the nativity set (except for the baby,) you will need one toilet paper tube and one round portion of an egg carton to make the round top of the head.
Put a strip of tape all around the top of the toilet paper tube. You can use clear tape. (I used black tape so it would show up in the photo better, then used a black back ground. Dumb me!)
Put a wad of tape, sticky side out, into the egg cup and use a ruler or make a plunger by folding a piece of cardboard in half lengthwise to push the head up from the bottom of the toilet paper tube. (see next photo)
Push the head up from the bottom of the toilet paper tube so the rounded part crests just above the top of the tape.
Clip it down to the toilet paper tube every half inch and press the tape onto the cup. Pull the plunger out. (The tape will stay in the head, but it has done it’s job of enabling you to push the head in place)
Make a belt by folding a contrasting color in thirds lengthwise, and fasten around the middle (one small piece of double stick tape in the back should be enough.) You don’t have to fold it, but it looks less flat if you do.
For the outer robe, cut it shorter than the toilet paper tube, and fold the edges in, so that it leaves a gap in the front. 2 small patches of double stick tape is all you need. Again, you don’t have to fold the front edges, but if you do, it keeps it from looking flat.
Draw a face on skin colored paper, cut out and fasten to the figure.
Cut a thick chenille wire for a beard and glue or tape in place.
Cut a triangular head cloth from those inexpensive dish cloths.
Glue or tape the head cloth in place.
Form a loop from a thin chenille wire, and glue on top of the head cloth.
The Joseph figure is complete.
If you want hands and arms, cut them out of paper and fold them as shown in the photo. However, I think the figures are just as cute without arms, and it is a lot quicker to not make them.
For making wise men, find small objects such as bottle caps to represent the gifts and glue to the body and hands.
To make a baby Jesus, flatten a toilet paper tube and cut out an oval (use front and back pieces to keep it from looking flat.) Draw a face and glue or tape it to the toilet paper tube.
Put a small piece of double stick tape below the baby’s face, and fasten the end of a strip of toilet paper to it. Wind the toilet paper around the figure, and end on the back so the ugly end won’t show. Glue or fasten with double stick tape.
To make a baby lamb, flatten a toilet paper tube and cut out the lamb shape as shown in the photo (leave the back joined.)
Draw a face and fold the ears forward.
Wrap a chenille wire around the body to represent the wool. Begin under the chin and tuck the other end between the back legs.
Vary the colors to represent shepherds and wise men, to differentiate them from Mary and Joseph. (I gave the shepherds chenille wire mustaches to go with the beards.) Make a crook out of a chenille wire. See below for how to make sheep.
For the wise men, instead of a chenille wire on the head cloth like the shepherds, twist a strip of the same cloth and wrap it around the head like a turban, and glue in place. Glue a plastic “jewel” to the front. Make gifts from beads, bottle caps, game pieces, or boxes--what ever you can find.
For Mary, cut the toilet paper tube shorter, and put a thick chenille wire across the top of the face to represent hair. Glue the baby to her front.
Sunday School or Bible Clubs > Crafts > Nativity crafts > Toilet Paper Tube Nativity Set
Hint: If you don’t have time to make a whole set, just make the Joseph, Mary and baby Jesus. To take up less class time, do some preparation ahead of time: fasten the egg cup in each toilet paper tube, and cut all the clothing, head cloth, beard and hair. Cut 3, 4 or even 5 pieces of paper at once! The students can quickly assemble the parts.
