Alright, so I’ve been tinkering with this idea for a while, and I finally got around to actually doing it: building what I call my global nativity set. It wasn’t some grand plan at first, more like a slow burn of an idea that finally caught fire.
Getting Started – The Spark
It all began when I was looking at the traditional nativity scenes you see everywhere. Pretty standard stuff, right? And I thought, well, the message is kinda universal, but the figures always look very… specific. I wanted something that felt a bit more like, well, the whole world was invited. So, the mission was on: create a nativity that reflected that a bit more.
The Hunt for Figures
First thing I did was look around to see if I could just buy a set like this. No dice. Not really what I had in my head anyway. So, DIY it was! This meant I had to source all the pieces individually. I knew I needed the core figures: Mary, Joseph, and Baby Jesus. Found some simple, classic ones to start with. Nothing too fancy, because the “global” part was gonna be the main show.
Then came the fun part – or what I thought would be the fun part. Finding the wise men and shepherds, and maybe some onlookers, that didn’t all look like they came from the same village in old-timey Europe. I spent a good bit of time browsing online, checking out craft stores, even those little import shops. It was a real mixed bag.
- I found a few figures that had a more, say, African look. Nabbed those.
- Another one looked like it could be from East Asia. Perfect.
- For the third wise man, I found a figure that seemed to have more Middle Eastern features, different from the usual depictions.
It wasn’t about being super historically accurate, ’cause who really knows, right? It was more about the spirit of it. Getting that feeling of different folks coming together.
Putting It All Together
Once I had a decent collection of figures, the next step was the actual setup. I didn’t want some elaborate, store-bought stable. I found an old wooden crate in the garage, gave it a bit of a clean, and thought, “Yeah, this has character.” Turned it on its side, and boom, instant rustic stable.
Arranging the figures took some fiddling. I put Mary, Joseph, and the little guy in the center, obviously. Then I started placing the wise men, kind of approaching from different angles. I mixed in the shepherds I’d found – again, trying to get a variety of looks in there. Some I even did a tiny bit of modification on, maybe a dab of paint here, a tiny scrap of different colored fabric for a cloak. Nothing major, just little touches.
I also threw in a few animal figures – a donkey, some sheep. Kept those pretty classic. Can’t have a nativity without some sheep, eh?
The Final Look and Thoughts
So, after all that rummaging, painting, and arranging, I stepped back and had a look. And you know what? I was pretty pleased. It’s not perfect, not like something out of a fancy catalogue. But it’s mine. It feels a bit more representative, a bit more welcoming.
It’s got this unique vibe, my little global nativity set. Each figure kind of tells its own story, but they’re all there for the same reason. Took a bit of effort, more than I initially thought, especially the sourcing part. But yeah, definitely worth it. It’s a small thing, sitting on the shelf, but it makes me smile. A good reminder that we’re all in this together, I guess.