Nativity Scene
Design by Donna Kato

Adult Figures:

• The bodies begin as 1" diameter balls.
• The heads are 5/8" diameter balls.
• Reshape balls to form cones 1 ½" long.
• Mary begins as a ¾" diameter ball, then reshaped to a length of 1 ¼". Colors: Mary and Joseph – Beige bodies
• The wise men’s heads are of different colors; their bodies are the same color as their robe:

• Place the heads on the appropriate color body. Joseph has a brown beard which is a triangle measuring ½" on each side, and is 1/16" thick.

Robes:

• The robes for Mary and Joseph are sheets of 1/16" thickness. Wrap the body with the sheet of clay, overlapping one side over the other and trimming any excess.

• To make sashes, roll snakes of 1/8" diameter. Wrap around bodies.
• Robes for Wise Men are all decorated with Copper snakes of 1/16" diameter. Edge the hem of their robes and add other details as desired to add a degree of "opulence."
• The arms of the figures begin as balls of 5/8" diameter which are the same color as the robes. Reshape to cones of 1" long.
• The hands begin as ¼" diameter balls, reshaped to form teardrops, then attached to the large end of the cones. The hands are the same color as the head and body.
• If desired, add sleeve details to 3 wise men. Attach the arms with hands to the body. Use a portion of a toothpick or a short straight pin for added strength.

Hair, turbans, hats, veil:

• The hair begins as a ball of clay. With fingers, create a well, forming a concave disk. Place the disc on the head. Press the side of a needle tool to create a center part.

• For turban, begin with a ½" diameter ball; flatten slightly and place atop his head. Place two snakes (1/8" diameter) side by side and twist together. Wrap the bottom of the turban with the twisted snakes.
• Wise Man #3 wears a crown. Roll a tiny sheet of copper to 1/16" thickness. Cut into a rectangle of 1-1/4" long and ½" width. Form triangle by cutting from one corner diagonally to the center point on the opposite edge. Repeat from the other corner, cutting to the same center point. Bring the two points together and place on head. Roll a 1/8" diameter ball of red. Flatten slightly and press to the center of the crown.
• Wise Man #1 wears a tall hat. From a 1" diameter ball of red, form a cylinder ½" tall. Place the cylinder on head. Roll a copper snake of 1/8" diameter. Wrap the hat around the bottom edge, crossing in front and rimming the top edge of the cylinder. Roll a ¼" ball of turquoise, flatten slightly, and press to the hat above the crossed point.
• Mary wears a veil formed from a semi-circular shaped sheet of white. The dimensions of the veil are 2-1/4". Place the veil on top of her head.
• Halos for Mary and Joseph begin as copper balls of ½" diameter. Flatten to form discs and place on heads.

Gifts of the Wise Men:

• #1 Wise Man (Red Robe): Form a copper box of 3/8" on each side. Roll a ball of 1/8" diameter and place on top of the box. Attach box between Wise Man’s hands.
• #2 Wise Man (Turquoise Robe): Using copper mixed with a bit of black, roll a ball of ½" diameter. Press center with fingers to form a concave disc. Roll 1/8" diameter balls of copper and flatten to form coins. Make 12 coins, place them in the bowl and lay across the arms.
• #3 Wise Man (Lilac Pearl Robe): From a ball of ½", reshape to form a bottle shape. Roll a 1/8" ball of copper and place on top of bottle. Place the bottle between the arms of the Wise Man.

Baby Jesus:

• Head is made from a ½" diameter ball of beige. The body is a ¾" ball of beige reshaped to a length of 1". Wrap in a 1/16" thick sheet of white. Wrap with a sash of Turquoise of 1/16" diameter snake.
• Hair: Yellow ball of ¼" diameter, reshaped and placed on head. Make the halo in the same fashion as that of Mary and Joseph, only smaller.
• Cradle: Make a brown ball of 1-1/2" diameter, and then reshape it to an oval concave shape. Line with tan hay. (Hay is made from finely rolled snakes.)

Donkey (Brown) and Ox (Tan):

• Make legs from ¼" diameter snakes. For each, cut 4 1" long pieces. Make the bodies from 5/8" balls, and then form them into ovals. Attach legs to ovals. For heads, begin with a 5/8" diameter ball; then form it into an eggplant shape and place on the body.
• For ears for both donkey and ox, roll ½" marquise shapes and place on head. Donkey’s ears go up and the ox ears are spaced wide apart and point down.
• Donkey’s mane and tail: Make ¼" diameter snakes from black. Place the snake along the back of the head and trim. For the tail, cut a ¾" long piece of the snake. Attach to rump.
• For ox horns: Make a ¼" diameter snake from brown. Cut to 1" long and taper both ends. Attach to top of head, above the ears, and turn the ends up.

Sheep:

• Legs are black, ½" tall and ¼" in diameter. Body is a 1" diameter ball of white, placed atop the legs. The head is black and begins as a ½" diameter ball.
• Reshape the head to a teardrop shape, and place on body. Hair on head is white and begins as a ½" diameter ball. Flatten and place on head. Form ears as instructed for donkey and ox. Place on head below the hair, pointing down.

Camel:

• Use tan clay for camel. For legs as you did for donkey and ox.
• For the body, take a 1" ball of tan, reshape to form a triangle shape, thickest at the bottom and tapering to the hump.
• Head and Neck: From a ½" diameter ball, form a tapering snake of 1-1/2" long. Attach the thin end of the snake to the front of the camel above the legs. Press the neck to the body and fold the thick end over to form face.
• For ears, see the donkey and ox. Attach ears to side of the head pointing down. For tail, see the donkey and the ox.

Star:

• From a ½" ball of yellow, reshape to a star shape. Roll a sheet of yellow 1/8" thick, and cut out a triangle shape 4" wide and 6" to the top. Press star to triangle. Roll snakes of 1/8" diameter and place 2 on triangle to form rays from the star.

Bake pieces in a preheated 275 degrees F (135 degrees C) oven for 15 minutes per ¼" of thickness.