DIY Nativity Costumes: DONKEY and CAMEL

I have been working on Nativity Costumes for our family over the past three years.  Each year we have one or two more "official costumes" instead of just whatever we can find to make it work. 

The Nativity is what Christmas is all about for our family.  Each year we read the story as a family and act it out with the kids at least once.   It's a Christmas Eve tradition.

 

 All of the costumes are a EASY to make but I find that I don't have time to make them all during such a busy time of year.  So I am pacing myself and in another year or so we'll have a nice set ;)

  And since this is what Christmas is about for us, it's worth it to me to make the effort to make the costumes for us to use each year.  

Plus, the kids LOVE IT!

This past year I added a donkey costume and a camel costume.  

I try to make the costumes work for a variety of sizes.  Our little ones will grow up :)  

Plus, sometimes we switch up parts and Mom and Dad wear it instead of the kids.

Here is the Donkey Costume:

 

I made it in the same way that I made the sheep costumes the year before

 (like a hooded bath towel).

There is very little sewing to these costumes, so a beginner can easily make them.  I like using fleece so I don't have to hem anything.  The body of the donkey is one big rectangle piece.  The head is a rectangle of fleece sewn to the middle of the body.  I sewed some ears on each side and a mane and tail to the middle of the "back" of the donkey.  

Then I just used some black felt for feet, eyes, and a nose.  

I was actually just using scraps from another {little project} for the donkey, which is why it's not straight across the bottom ;)

 

Kay when she was 4 years old.

For the camel I used the same idea, just different colored fleece.  You can stuff something inside the back for the hump(s).  

I love how versatile this pattern is.  Not to mention how cute everyone looks in them!  

Well be able to use them for years to come :)

For sheep, see this link

For the Angel, look here:

  

And for Wisemen go here

  Wishing you a wonderful Christmas!

click here fore more handmade fun!

 

DIY Nativity Costume: Angel (and swaddling clothes)

Some of the best projects for me are the ones I can get done in a snap.  This Nativity Angel costume is that kind of {little project}.

I made our Angel Nativity Costume from a white sheet.  You can use an old one you have on hand.  I've also come across lots of sheets at the thrift store that are fun to cut up.  With the leftover sheet I cut strips for "swaddling clothes" to use with a baby doll.

To make 

{This Little Project} 

I just:

1- Laid a white sheet on the floor, 

2- Doubled it over (so there would be a font and a back)

3- Had my son lay down on top of the sheet.

4- Cut the white sheet around him with scissors (plus extra so there is growing room too).

5- Pinned the edges.

6- Sewed around all the edges except the neck and the bottom.

7- Turned it inside out so the seam is inside now.

8- Tried it on.

9- Added a gold belt to give it some shape.

Done!

Advent Projects

I'm thinking back to last year when I didn't have a single advent calendar and set out to change that. This year we will have a few to count down to Jesus' birthday. Last year Jay and Kay were so excited to open their Christmas gifts on Jesus' birthday and I'm hoping some of our new advents help us get ready for that special day.

#1 I am excited about this advent that I am just finishing. I picked up a felt Christmas tree at Dollar Tree and then some felt nativity stickers (40% off of $3.99 at Hobby Lobby). I'm just cutting out some animals and other felt pieces so that we have enough for the whole advent. This was a very budget friendly advent. We'll just put the pieces on like we are decorating the tree.

It's easy to make your own envelopes with wrapping paper. We will find a felt piece in each one of these. Just start with a square piece of paper, fold all the corners to the middle and tape or put a cute seal and number the envelope.

I've been working towards keeping Santa out of the picture. He gets way to much credit and doesn't deserve it! Yup, I'm a strict Mom this way. The whole "He sees you when you're sleeping, He knows when you're awake. He knows if you've been bad or good.." Doesn't that sound like more of something we should be thinking of our Savior doing? Santa doesn't save us. He's temporary. Santa isn't very real. Christ is. So we will be focusing on the gift of Christ and His love and power to save instead and I'm hoping our advents help us stay on track...Now I'll get off my soapbox :)

#2 I also found this open-the-door advent at a thrift store and will fill it with fun activities that remind us that 'Jesus is the Reason for the Season' and things we can do together as a family to celebrate.

#3 We will also be doing a Book Advent, see last year. I don't wrap these like I've seen others do. All the books go into a treasure chest box and the kids close their eyes to pick one out. That way we sill have the surprise without the paper waste :)


#4 We will also be turning the our play Village into Bethlehem with an advent. Here are a few of the animal characters...more on this to come.

#5 and last, but not least, this easy Button Advent I made last year, with a tutorial for you coming tomorrow! All you need is 25 buttons, some wire, a wood frame, a nail, and a little clay. Get ready for a fun way to decorate a Christmas tree each day!

I know it doesn't bother everyone, but I'm determined not to get bogged down in the commercialization of Christmas. The shopping's pretty much done, the gifts are nearly all sent. Now just to wrap the rest! Then I hope that we will have time to cherish friends and family and enjoy traditions without so much stress!

Here's another site with ideas for keeping a Christ-centered Christmas. I'm always looking for ideas for a Christ-centered Christmas, so please share yours too with a comment below!

Happy start of December tomorrow!

Advent Adventures

OK, so I have something to admit: I don't have a single advent calendar. Why? How did this happen? Good question. But this year it is going to happen. Now, I know that today is December 1st, the day that you start USING your advent calendar. But I have just decided to make one. I am thinking that I will make a new piece of it each day and will have a complete advent calendar by the 25th!

Now, only to decide WHICH one to make...this has been more difficult than I thought. Treats, or not? To put something up, or take something down? Sacred or secular? Cutesy or not?  And for now...I'm not telling!!!

The end of my Advent Adventure is going to be a surprise. Yup. Pure Suspense for the next 24.5 days!

In the meantime, if you are trying to decide which ones to make, I'll share a few that I have come across. Can you have too many of these fun little calendars? Even if you already one, you will probably want to make another one after you see how awesome some of these are!

The tutorial to make this one is from The Purl Bee.

This gum one is just sooo cute and minty too! The tutorial is courtesy of my little mochi. She is so creative!


These are SUPER Kid-Friendly Christmas Advents.

I am thinking about putting magnets on the backs of this one and putting it in the bag for the kids to do at church. LINK

My son LOVES puzzles. This one could act as a puzzle or advent. We may use it for both. I cut the pieces out and put them in a page protector with the back sheet to keep everything together. LINK

These made me LAUGH-who thinks of using toilet paper rolls for advents?! But I have started to save my toilet paper rolls since the kids would love it... :) There are two! LINK and LINK

This one looks pretty easy to make. LINK

I think this is one I am going to have to try out too:

There are family photos on the back of each one. My friend Tanya made this-she's so talented!. She said she used:
a 16X20 frame (everything is attached to the cardboard that came in the frame)
Seasonal Scrapbook paper
Brads
Eyelets
family photos
photo corners (so you can change out the photos if you want to)
sounds like a FUN Little Project :)


Here are a couple of Origami advents LINK


And just in case that didn't give you enough ideas, whipup has a great big list with more ideas you can check out, and there are a bunch of cute ones HERE on Flickr too. I hope you feel inspired to have fun with your Little Project!