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“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
John 3:16 King James version
Many of the Nativity items I see are neutral-colored. Tan, brown, and black mixed with a little bit of blue is kind of drab. Burlap, straw, gray and brown animals, yada yada yada. Our Savior’s birth was an exciting, long-awaited event! I wanted my DIY Nativity Christmas Wreath and accompanying story to reflect the so-much-more-than-rock-stars qualities of the Holy Family.
Materials for the DIY Nativity Christmas Wreath:
- artificial pine wreath 20″
- 4 wood slices- 2 1/2″ in diameter
- green floral wire
- paint- Apple Barrel 21049 Pink Parfait, 20403 White, 2605E Crimson, 20713E Spring Green, 20404E Black, 20432E Nutmeg, 20717E Bright Blue, 20663E Beachcomber Beige, 21888E Sunkissed Peach, 21467E Tuscan Red, 20760E Kings Gold
- adjust the skin tone paint colors according to your preference- I used Sunkissed Peach
- DecoArt Crystal Craft Twinkle, Silver Moon Galaxy Glitter, Deep Space Blue Galaxy Glitter
- Glitterific- Blue
- brushes- 1/2″ angle, 1/8″ flat, small round, liner
- scissors- fabric and paper
- ribbon- 1 1/2″ grosgrain White, 1/4″ satin White
- pencil
- colored chalk
- lighter– for burning the edge of the ribbon to prevent fraying.
- metallic ornaments
- free printable patterns: Baby Jesus, Joseph, Mary, Sheep
- small picture hangers or eye hooks
Joseph
Joseph was betrothed to Mary. He thought about putting her away secretly when he learned that she was pregnant. Then, an angel came to him in a dream and told him not to be afraid to take Mary into his home because the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. I’m sure Joseph was relieved, but he was still human. What advice would I give my son if he told me that his fiance was pregnant with a child conceived by the Holy Spirit? What did his friends think and say? Would it be hard to believe? Was he surprised when he had to take a very pregnant Mary to Bethlehem to pay their taxes, or did he already know the prophesy? Going from Inn to Inn with tired, 9 months pregnant Mary and a sweaty camel could not have been fun. How did he feel two years later when he was warned in another dream to flee with his family to Egypt? I would be thinking, gee, what have I gotten myself into? We can only speculate.
Mary
Sometimes we forget that Mary was only a teenager when the Angel Gabriel told her that she would conceive in her womb and bear a son named Jesus Christ. Can you imagine hearing that news as a betrothed virgin? I can’t imagine how exciting that would be, and yet it must have been hard in some ways. What did she tell her parents? Was she hurt by the naysayers and people that doubted her testimony? Did people think that she and Joseph slept together and she was just making up a story about her conception? Did she yearn for a midwife as she gave birth near the animals? She must have been so happy later on when the Wise Men came with presents. The responsibility of raising the Messiah was enormous. I cannot fathom witnessing my own son being crucified on a cross.
Baby Jesus
How would it feel to be sinless in a sinful world? How frustrating was it to tell people the truth constantly, then watch them make the same mistakes over and over? Peter’s fear caused him to deny Jesus three times before He was crucified. Judas, His own disciple, betrayed Him for 30 pieces of silver. Jesus was mocked, flogged, and spit upon, but yet He sacrificed His life willingly through an excruciatingly painful death for a world that was not worthy. One week they were hailing Him, then the next week they were killing Him. Society has not changed one bit in 2000 years.
The Sheep
The animals in the Nativity remind me of the humble place where Jesus was born. He was Lord, yet also fully human. He was surrounded by animals. The angels announced His birth to lowly shepherds. Jesus was raised in Nazareth and raised by a carpenter. He is fully accessible to everyone.
The Good News
The Good News of Christmas is that Jesus died on the cross to save us from our sins. He was buried, then rose again on the third day. If you want to know Him, all you have to do is believe this and ask Him to be the Lord of your life today. Jesus will take you as you are right now. You don’t have to clean up your life before you come to Him. Remember, he knows what it is like to be human, to feel pain, to be poor, and to be rejected by all.
Embellishments for the DIY Nativity Christmas Wreath
I hope you enjoyed my story and the tutorial for the DIY Nativity Christmas Wreath.
Merry Christmas,
Kristie
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I love this!
I’ve always thought Joseph must have been thinking ‘Gee, what have I got myself into’ !
Thanks, Julie. I’m glad you liked it.
Love the painting on the discs. Thank you for sharing with us at Meraki Link Party.
Naush
Thanks for hosting, Naush!