DIY Manger Centerpiece – Celebrate Christmas

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Jesus is the Reason for the Season! This is what we believe and what we teach our children. It is so important for us to reiterate this during each holiday season through creative and practical ways. Even last year we paired down the massive amounts of gifts that we usually gave the children to 3 Gifts each, just as baby Jesus received, such that the focus would be on the true meaning of Christmas. This year to kickoff the Christmas season we will be introducing a new Christmas family tradition and celebrate with a birthday party for Jesus. So I am sharing a DIY Manger Centerpiece for your table scape this season!

In the midst of all the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, it is challenging to keep focus on what matters most. Leading up to the holidays when materialism is so commercialized. So I am excited to share our new family tradition, Shepherd on the Search.

The Christmas Story as recalled in Luke 2:8-14 tells us that the shepherds where keeping watch over their flock by night when an angel of the Lord appeared to them saying don’t be afraid. Because they were bringing them good news of the birth of the Savior, Jesus Christ the Lord. The shepherds were told that they would find the baby Jesus wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger. They then set out to find him…

Now we have the awesome opportunity to relive this journey each Christmas season and ending on Christmas day with our children as the Shepherd finds his way to the manger. Reminding us, if we search for Jesus, we will find him! And the story of the shepherd is captured in a beautifully illustrated book that we love.

Of course the fun begins when you hide your shepherd at night and then allow the kids to search for it in the morning, allowing time to retell the story and to keep the focus on the true meaning of Christmas. You can join the search with us by purchasing your own online at Shepherd on the Search. The kids are most excited about searching for their shepherd each day and they were also pretty excited about naming their Shepherd and your kids will too! Our kids came up with the name Happy Spif…and they are pretty happy about it lol! “Spif ” is a combination of last names in our family.

We are so looking forward to the daily search and beginning November 27th (the Sunday after Thanksgiving), you can signup for “daily adventures” for inspiration for what to do with your Shepherd, games, crafts and more! Like…

A Birthday Party for Jesus! All you really need is a cake or cupcake, candles, matches.

Happy Birthday Jesus!

DIY Manger Centerpiece

Materials: Grapevine, Brown Card stock, Gold Glitter, Liquid Glue, Scissors, Rope Ribbon, White Cloth 4x6in, Glue Gun and Glue sticks.

Instructions:

1. Cut grapevine strips: 2 – 10in pieces, 4-4in pieces, and 1-12in piece.
   
2. Connect the 2 – 10in pieces together with wire to form the outer ring of the manger. I use the wire that comes with the grapevine.
3. Place the 4-4in pieces inside the outer ring to form the base.
4. Then attach the 6in piece vertically, to the front of the manger using wire.
5. Construct a star, using a small square piece of card stock and scissors by folding the paper and cutting our triangles. With glue, cover it in glitter and allow to dry.
6. Attach the star to the top of the 6in piece.
7. To create baby Jesus, fold the white cloth into a small rectangle and secure by tying with the rope ribbon.
8. Using the card stock, cut out an oval for the head for baby Jesus and tuck into the cloth.

And there’s your beautiful DIY Manger centerpiece!