DIY Nativity Stable

How many of you have a nativity set and no stable? I did, for years! I loved my set but the stable that matches is so expensive, and I just didn't love it enough to want to spend the money. Last year, I finally built myself this DIY stable, and I could not love it more!

Of course, It's on my list of holiday builds for my business, and I sold several last year, and this year, so I decided to whip up a tutorial for you all. It's a simple build. If you have a miter saw (and maybe a table saw) you can do it!

You will need:

1. A 1x4x6 board for your frame. I used pine. 
2. A thin wood for the back. I used scrap wood but you can use anything you like. I suggest a small piece of 1/4" stainable plywood. You can rip it down to strips like I did, or just cut it to fit the whole back. 
3. Wood Glue
4. Finish nails and a nail gun (I used 1")
5. Stain or paint of your choice.

Step 1.  Cut all of your framing pieces. Then give them a light sanding.

• 1  18" Cut ~ This will be your floor.
• 2  10" Cuts ~ This will be your side walls.
• 2  12" Cuts ~ This will be your roof. 

Step 2.  Cut a 20 degree angle on one end of both 10" and both 12" boards. Give those angles a light sanding.

Step 3. Attach Side walls to Floor. 

• Lay it out so the angle is up, and facing the outside of the frame, and the bottom of the side wall is sitting on top of the floor piece. (Both Sides.)

• Add a strip of wood glue to the bottom of the side wall piece, and nail it in. 
• *Note: Be careful not to add too much glue. You don't want it to seep out when you put the pieces together. If it does, be sure to clean it up thoroughly. Stain will not penetrate where there is glue on the wood. 

When you stand it up, it should look like this.

Step 4.  Assemble the roof. 

• Add a strip of glue to the angled part of the roof pieces, and put them together.  Add a couple nails.  It should look like this:

Step 5.  Attach the roof. 

• Add glue to the angled parts of the wall pieces, and center the roof on to them. Then add some nails straight down from the top of the roof, into the wall pieces. 

Now your frame is complete. 

Step 6. Prepare your back boards. I used scrap wood that I ripped down to 2.5" strips, 1/4" thick. 

• Lay them down on the table, and give them a light sanding. 

• Lay your frame down on top, and trace around the edges. 

• Then cut the pieces down, just inside the lines you have traced. You don't want the ends showing from he front. 

Step 7. Attach the back pieces. 

• Flip the frame on it's face (It doesn't really  matter which side is the front), and nail the boards on the back, one at a time, starting from the bottom and working your way up. All the nails will be along the sides, except for the bottom. 

Now your build is finished!

Step 8. Apply the finish of your choice. I went with stain. 

ALL DONE! Now you can add your nativity. I hope you enjoy!

Thank you for reading! As always, comments, suggestions, and questions are welcome! Share, pin, and subscribe if you'd like!