Make the Christmas story come alive with this nativity story puppet craft.
Each year I try to be intentional about what we do at Christmas time. The holiday season seems to fly right by every year and before I know it, it’s January 2nd and I feel like we haven’t done anything memorable or meaningful.
And while I also try not to fill up every single day on our calendar with activities so that we don’t end up being stressed, I do like to have a list handy of fun things that we can do as a family, or that I can do with the kids, for those times when we have a free day or a free evening.
Ideally, I like the family activities that we do at Christmas time to be Christ-centered, something that would bless another, or something that will help us to create lasting memories and bonds.
Below is a fun craft that your family can do together. You can then use the puppets as you read the nativity story together to help your kids stay focused and to help them comprehend the story that much better. You can also use the puppets to have them ‘act out’ or recall the nativity story to you. They would also make a nice homemade Christmas gift.
List of Supplies:
- Colored craft papers
- Colored cardstock papers
- White embossed paper
- Pencil
- Scissors
- Popsicle sticks
- Craft glue
- Sharpie or black gel pen
- Printable template
Instructions:
First thing you’ll want to do is print and cut out all of the patterns from the provided template.
Use cardstock paper for the base of each puppet and use colored craft papers for the clothes, hair, beard and other accessories.
Angel
Select papers to make the angel and trace the angel pattern on the selected papers. Cut out the traced patterns. I’m traced the wings on white embossed paper.
Attach the dress on the lower part of the Angel base cutout and then attach the upper part of the dress. Attach the hair on the top side of the head.
Now attach the ring on the back side of the top and the wings on the back side, below the head of the Angel. Draw a face on the angel with a black gel pen. Allow the glue to dry and meanwhile craft the other characters.
Animals
Trace the camel pattern on brown colored cardstock and the lamb body pattern on black colored cardstock. Trace the other parts of the lamb on white embossed paper. Cut out the traced patterns.
Use a black gel pen to draw the eyes of the animals. Stick the white embossed patterns on the lamb body cutout to complete the lamb craft.
Baby Jesus
Trace the small round shape from the same colored cardstock used for the other characters’ base pattern. Trace the crib pattern and the oval shaped (clothe) from any colored cardstocks you prefer.
Attach the round shape on the oval shape and draw the face of Baby Jesus on the round shape. Attach the crib cutouts to complete the pattern.
Mary
Trace and cut out the patterns for Mary. Attach the clothe cutouts on the body part of Mary like we did for the Angel.
Take the head scarf pattern and cut a straight slit on it horizontally. The slit should be big enough to insert the head through it.
Apply glue on the back side of the head part of Mary and insert the top end of the head through the slit of the head scarf. Attach the thin strip on the top part of the scarf horizontally.
Wisemen, Joseph, & Shepherd
Follow similar instructions as the Angel and Mary craft to make the wisemen, Joseph, and the shepherd.
Once all the characters are ready, attach a popsicle stick on the back side of each character to complete the puppet craft.
If you don’t have time to be crafty and make the nativity story stick puppets above, consider downloading these printable ones instead; simply print, cut out, laminate (if you’d like extra durability), and glue to stick.
Love the craft
I love this idea and the stones for telling the story too! Thank you!!
Awesome craft idea and give away entry
This is a really lovely way of teaching the nativity story visually. my daughter will love this
What a sweet craft!! My kids would love this, thank you for sharing ❤
How would winning bless my family? Well, my dad passed away two months ago. I want to get something for my mom, my brother and my sister with my dad’s thumb print on it. Those things are expensive, so by winning, it would truly bless me to be able to bless others this Christmas!!
What a. simple craft to bring the grandchildren together and also spend time with therm too.
Cute!
My little ones are homeschooled. December’s theme is “Make Music for Jesus”. These little puppets will be great to dance around with & learn/retell the story of baby Jesus!
We homeschool too. I love some of the ideas that I get from this blog.
The Christmas giveaway would be such a blessing to win! I pray that it goes to a family who really needs it. I know our family could use it towards bills or to save for our newest addition coming in April!
I love all your wonderful freebies! It’s such a blessing. 🙂
Winning this years giveaway would be such a huge blessing to our family of 5 soon to be 6. 🙂
Our finances have been tight for our family since my husbands job change this past year and it would help us out tremendously to receive this prize. 🙂
Great idea! Love the craft.
What a hreatcway to emphasize narration
Medical bills and extra special christmas
These are so cute! Such a fun way to play the Bible.
I love this!
Love this craft idea!
Paying bills so the months are easier and/or doing a much needed house project.
Lovely crafting activity. Thanks for the chance!
My husband is deployed over the holidays and winning the drawing would be such a help to our family. Thanks for the chance!!
Love your ideas. Thank you for sharing the blessing!
This looks so fun!
This giveaway would bless my family tremendously. We are currently going through some hard times and it would be such a blessing to win.
Thanks for this opportunity!!!
This is so awesome that you all come together and do this!!!! I just finished all my entries!!!!! Again thanks!!!!!
So cute!
Winning this giveaway would bless my family immensely! We would be able to catch up on bills and provide a couple wish list items for my son for Christmas that we currently can’t afford.
The nativity scene that you make out of felt is super cute. My children are older, but I will have to pass this on to a friend. This would have been something I would have done with my kids when they were younger.
Thanks for the opportunity to enter the raffle!
$500 would completely make out Christmas. We have some big bills happening before December 25th and we’re not quite sure how we’ll be able to afford fun gifts for our 2 kiddos. We’re stretched pretty tight with just keeping them in clothes that fit!
Thank you so much for the wonderful resource
As a single mom with 17 and 4 boys. My oldest son started college a year early and since money has been super tight. This would really help get them some Christmas and pay a couple bills
Thank you for an opportunity to win!
What an awesome Giveaway!
What a cute idea! And a fun way to make sure kids know the real meaning of Christmas!
Cute craft
This would be a blessing to my family this time of year. This is always a time when many extra expenses arise. We enjoy blessing others through the Angel Tree project, the Samaritans Purse shoe box , the toy drive at our church and the gift card for single moms. It just fun to do but it begins to add up. Plus just blessing my own kids this time of year is fun. We don’t buy things all year round.
Winning would help out so much…
What a great craft idea! Love it!
This would be such a blessing for my family to help with bills and Christmas gifts.
My kids would love this crazy
Thank you for this craft!
This is a great idea. Thanks so much
Our family would be blessed with this by being able to help with gifts and some bills.
I love the camel pattern and the lamb body pattern. Thanks for hosting.
Winning would be a Godsend because we have fallen behind this year and it would help for Christmas.
The craft looks fun.
Such a fun craft and an object lesson in one – thank you!
Such a cute craft. I’m not super crafty but I can handle this! My little will love this addition to the story!
You do have great giveaways! This would but such a blessing.
Cute craft for the littles!
Winning this would be a blessing for our family because we are low on money, need clothes and food and have three children. If we don’t I have faith God will help us.
Great craft for little ones!
I love these! This is so creative!
Winning this would bless my family because it would help pay some bills. It would be a real blessing!
This Giveaway would be a huge help to my family pay rent as my husband’s world slowed down so much he has not worked for a week now.
Super cute blog! Just found it tonight looking for DIY Nativity Story Stones. I’m a 48 year-old grandma of 3 grandkids. My oldest grandson just turned 7 yesterday, his little brother is 4 1/2 and their little sister is 19 months old. They would love these crafts and some of the recipes, too. My daughter was diagnosed with brain cancer last year and already had 2 surgeries. Needless to say money is tight for her family. This give-away would be a great blessing for sure 🙂
I love the craft. My girls would easily do this with their Girls Brigade groups.
My husband suffered a stroke three months ago. We have been without a regular income since then. Winning this giveaway would help very much. Thank you for thinking of others this Christmas.
Very cute craft 😊
Thank you for the opportunity 🌺
Love this craft! Thanks for the terrific ideas!
Thank you for the giveaway. This would truly be a blessing to my family. My youngest will love this craft!! She loves the true Christmas story, and it is her favorite spot in the Bible. We could do things around the Nativity year round for her!
This would bless my family in many ways!! With the cost of homeschooling and many necessary unexpected expenses this year, our family is very tight. We barely make it month to month. This would allow us to afford a good Christmas for our girls.
My husband lost his job in March and unemployment is about to end, and with our 10 kids all living at home, winning this would be a HUGE Blessing with Christmas coming far too quickly. I would like for everything to slow down some so we can enjoy Advent.
This is such a neat activity!
This would be such a blessing for our family as we are hoping to be moved into our new home by Christmas but we might not be as it has just been one thing after another with our house… we’ve been blogging about this process. Just yesterday the dump truck got stuck when he was delivering dirt! We’ve spent a lot on unexpected things and money will be tight. Thank you for the chance to win such an incredible gift!
Our family will be making this craft this Christmas! Adorable!
My kids would really enjoy telling the nativity story with these!
Thank you and the other bloggers for getting this giveaway together!
Cute craft! And thanks for the giveaway!!
This giveaway would be a great blessing to my family. We would use some of it to bless others with gifts for Christmas, including our tradition of giving gifts to store workers!
I love this wonderful Christmas craft! Thank you!
This would bless my family as my husband is out of work right now due to disability. I am a SAHM of 4 kids and we also have a bunch of farm critters to feed. This would be so wonderful because if we won we would have money for Christmas. Thank you!
Such a cute craft!
This would be a blessing for us, we just moved and this could help us fix a couple things with the house.
This give away is amazing,!
What a wonderful blessing for whoever wins. Thank you all. This would help our family buy food and some Christmas presents for our grandchildren who live with us. And pay a few medical bills. My husband is disabled and he has many.
What a precious craft
This would bless my family greatly since I was let go from my job when my department was dissolved. It would help so much to cover bills and buy a few gifts.
Thank you for your kindness and love!
This year our budget is tight. Winning would help buy Christmas gifts, maybe even pay off a little debt!
This is such a wonderful opportunity to teach my son the true meaning of Christmas in a fun, creative way.
We would be able to bless extended family with gifts, as well as pay off medical bills.
First, I ask for prayer a young mom of 3 year old twins in our church who is dieing of cancer. We are praying for miracles of healing! I’m sure with all the added expenses that come with what they have gone through trying to fight this disease a 500 dollar gift would be a blessing from heaven – the family would be who I would give the money to. Thank you for the prayers!!
I Love the idea of crafts like this. My kids definitely like doing the crafts. Hopefully I can muster the energy to make it happen! We have baby #7 due in 4 weeks. 🙂
We homeschool, though, so December will be a pretty laid back month filled with lots of crafts and good movies and all things Christmas-y.
1000x Gracias for this giveaway. BB would help her eldest daughter pay some bills and get gifts for her children. Last year she was diagnosed with breast cancer and they haven’t been able to catch up financially. On the greater note, healthwI see she is a cancer survivor and cancer free. God is good.
A very cute family activity. I can see this becoming a family keepsake to be shared again and again.
What a cute craft and a generous giveaway. If I would win, the money would go to a family I know. Job loss in Oct and trying desperately to make ends meet and keep their house. Such a hard time of year to be dealing with all this stress!
HAPPY HOLIDAYS & Thanks.
Love the printable version of the nativity puppets. Much more doable with Kindergartners.
WHat a blessing this giveaway is! I pray it goes to a family who could really use.
Fun & easy craft, Thank you!
Also, double Thank You for the opportunity to help put some oil in the furnace & make our Christmas get together a little easier.
Not having to worry over funds while grocery shopping sure does make life a bit more pleasant!
THAnk you for this super cute craft!
I so enjoy all your crafting and printable activities! Thank you for the chance to win the giveaway! 🙂
Winning this giveaway would be so wonderful for getting some needed winter items for the children. I know that God will provide regardless, He always has, but an extra $500 would sure be a huge blessing!
Love this craft
I am a stay at home Mom to three and married to a wonderful hard working man. Wining this would enable us to be a bigger blessing to others
This would be a huge blessing as we are behind on some things since we had baby number 4.
Thank you.
I love the nativity ideas. We always try to make advent meaningful but it still feels like s blur at the end of December.
this is so great! What a blessing this will be for the winners!
What a precious craft. It would be fun to do with my Awana Cubbies
As with pretty much every one here this would bless our family for bills and debt for this holiday season.
This is a very fun looking craft! I love that it made from things I have on hand!
Winning this money would be a life chang st for us right now.
Great craft idea. Thank you.
What a blessing winning would be. Kids & grandkids & us living in one home. Multigenerational living is wonderful as I get to help homeschool my grandkids. $500 would cover the cost of curriculum for next year.
What a generous Christmas gift to bless 2 families!
Give aways are fun especially over the holidays! Thank you for doing this!
I was just thinking about looking for a fun new nativity craft the other day. This is so cute and simple and fun! Thank you for sharing!
My family would be so blessed to win this giveaway because we are having issues with our van and can’t quite cover the cost to repair at the moment!
Blessed Giveaway!!!! Would certainly help furnish the needs of the least of God’s people. Prayerfully anticipating this blessing. Thank you!
Our motto; is “Give To Those Who Ask”…….as our Lord Jesus Christ requires of us to do!!!!! Glory be to God!!!
Looks like something fun to do with the kiddo I’m sure she would enjoy thanks for sharing.
What a thoughtful and generous giveaway! Perfect timing for so many of us in need! Good luck to everyone and may this be a huge blessing to the recipients! <3
Such a cute craft!
Winning this giveaway would bless us by helping to provide serious stress relief. We are really struggling this holiday season. Thank you for the opportunity!
How creative and easy to make!
What a really cute idea! Thank you for the inspiration 🙂
Thank you for the opportunity to win this. it would truly be a blessing for our family this year.
I would use it to help my sister’s family furnish/decorate there new home. They have zero savings after the costs of selling, buying and moving. And of course, it’s time to buy their kids Christmas gifts on top of it all.
Our family absolutely enjoys the craft ideas in the emails! Thank you for the chance to win the $500!! It would be such a blessing!!
We have just finished homeschooling. Winning would help pay off a medical debt.
Love the nativity crafts!
I really need to incorporate more crafts into our homeschool
I used the printouts 2 years ago with my own kids. Then I used them in Sunday School for 2 years. All of my kids loved to use the stick figure to tell the story, even the pre-teen joined!! Thank you for providing such great crafts. Now my kids are big enough to make this on their own, hopefully! Thank you!!
It would be a huge blessing for us as we are trying to prepare financially for my husband th o leave for basic training in the army.
The giveaway would really bless our family because our oldest was diagnosed with a genetic connective tissue disorder this year and the medical bills have really hit us hard. My husband’s insurance premiums and deductibles are going up for this coming year and he is very stressed and concerned that we may not be able to pay for all of the medical care that she requires and keep our home.
Sarah, out of the many homeschool sites out there, I kept connected to yours. Thank you for always posting from the heart! It encourages mine as we homeschool an adopted, special needs son.
Also, this giveaway would be a tremendous blessing in helping our family make some postponed home repairs possible, after a season of recovering from two years of unemployment.
God is faithful!
My kids LOVE to do art projects that involve paper, glue, popsicle sticks, and scissors-especially scissors, so this nativity checks all the boxes!
Winning the giveaway would be very helpful because we are paying off my husband’s surgery from last January. This means that there is little left for Christmas this year. But we are still looking forward to spending time together as a family, looking at Christmas displays, and making cookies and goodies!
What a wonderful idea to have a Christmas giveaway. Two families will surely be blessed with your gift. We are in our 70s and are raising our adopted special needs children and things have been tough. My husband has been out of work for the past 7 years so money has run out and we are now receiving food for our family from the local food pantries. We had no idea that so many churches are so willing to provide help to those who are going through a rough time. We are humbled by their willingness to help us and others.
For the time being our homeschooling has had to stop due to our present situation but we really appreciate your freebies!!!
You really have a kind heart for families and homeschoolers!
Our family of 7 has used myjoyfilledlife for craft ideas multiple times! Thanks for the wonderful blog and the chance to win some finacial help for Christmas.
This is an awesome giveaway! It will be such a blessing to whomever wins!
Thankyou for a chance to win this wonderful giveaway!
Super cute craft!!
The Nativity activity is adorable!
I’m homeschooling my granddaughter, winning would be such a blessing. I would invest in new resources! Thank y’all for being so generous!
This little craft looks so fun. I always love filling the Christmas season with reminders of the true meaning of Christmas!
I love the nativity puppets! I’m definitely going to be doing this with the kiddos this year. <3
$500 would go a long way to buying homeschool curriculum for us this coming year. I’d love to win! Thank you for the opportunity!
What a cute craft! My bigger kids will be super excited to help make these for the littles!
We would be so thrilled to wi. This giveaway! My husband had been out of work for months due to a work related injury and things have been so incredibly tight. God is always faithful though! Praying the Lord blesses all the families who have entered this Christmas season.
I love the crafts.
I’d use this prize to pay down the credit cards I’ve already used to purchase gifts.
♥ This is perfect for all ages – big & small!!! 😉 Cute presentation, too. Thanks for sharing, as always!!
What a fun craft to remind the kids what Christmas is all about! I love the list of fun things to do with the family. A board game marathon sounds perfect!
Winning would bless my family with my health getting worse and having a limited budget. I need a seated walker which I cannot currently afford and would love to also be able to provide some gifts and clothes for my son for Christmas as well.
Thank you for sharing the craft!
This is a great learning craft,thank you for the giveaway.
I homeschool and these will be some great crafts to do in school for the holiday season.
This is a great craft idea. I’m going to print and try it with my kids. Thanks!