Nativity set

[princessbear80]

I’m hosting Christmas for the first time ever this year, and getting very excited! One thing I’d like to add to my existing decorations is a nativity set. Any favourites anyone could recommend? Or ideas for homemade ones (maybe knitted)? I’d love to see photos if you have them but appreciate it’s probably a bit early for that!

I love this thread! I would love a nativity set but can never seem to find one I like. I have saved the link to that Lakeland one, its beautiful and my girls will love setting it up and building it over December!

Tittering at the PP who doesn’t want a churchy nativity set!

OP - we have the Russian dolls one (from John Lewis) and a Happyland one. And an all-in-one Mary, Joseph and Jesus one carved from olive wood.

We are collecting this one, you can get lots of extra animals, trees and figures, and it's lovely to play with.

It's by holztiger

Great thread. This is just what I want. My nativity is a wooden kiddy-type one and now the dc are older I fancy something a bit more grown-up. Going to check out all theses links.

I have an olive wood one from Bethlehem - special because of where it’s from
A hideous bits missing plastic all in one one from the 70’s (see pic 😂) and when I go on holiday I buy teeny tiny ones
Like in a walnut shell, small enough to fit in a matchbox, tiny wooden hanging one. Etc
I put all my frames and ornaments away beginning December and get them all out

Have only just seen the extra replies, thanks everyone and keep them coming! The Sevi on and the Lakeland one are great, will probably buy one of those. I like the idea of collecting lots of different sets.

I've done the same one as woollybackswife and I've barely knitted anything before. It's surprisingly straightforward and because the pieces are so small it's very satisfying and quick to knit. It's the Jean Greenhowe pattern. Look on ebay I've often found people selling them on.

We've also got the playmobil one which is lovely as the children are allowed to play with it.

I remember having a card one as a child and I still managed to play with that.

The lakeland one is gorgeous though, I could be tempted with that one.

We have this gorgeous olive wood (from Palestine) one from Traidcraft, that I hope will last us forever

www.traidcraftshop.co.uk/olive-wood-nativity-set

That one is beautiful, MrsS.
Out of stock - obviously everyone else thinks so too!

The best I can have seen is from the the range two years ago.

It may be something they get in stock nearer Christmas, with them being handmade.

I can definitely recommend it, it's pretty sturdy too, the figures take quite a beating from my 2 cats! 🙄

Many thanks to whoever posted about the Jean Greenhow knitted set. I've just ordered her book of Christmas patterns, only £3.95. Was going to buy the Lakeland nativity but since Gdcs are only 2 and 3, probably best to wait a bit. An unbreakable knitted set will be perfect for this age. I've seen other knitted sets before, but this looks far and away the best.

I have the Fisher Price Little People set. We're completely non-religious so I debated getting one at all but decided that it is a cultural norm here and it would be good for DS to have some sort of understanding of the story.

We've got some 'santons', originally from France Santons

I also got my Nativity from Traidcraft last year and love it. Think they get their Christmas decorations in around September and always worth a look as there's so many beautiful hand made things.

www.traidcraftshop.co.uk/christmas/christmas-decor/christmas-nativity-sets

All I can find are horrible churchy looking ones.

Give me strength

I really like the churchy looking ones for the wealth of detail. I think these days all children’s illustrations and most toys are over simplified and “cartoony”. I learned to draw trying to reproduce illustrations from vintage story books and children’s bibles in the 70s and 80s. It’s very hard to find children’s art these days with any kind of realism.
Unfortunately the only ones I could find that were sufficiently churchy for my tastes were made of resin (dm has a plastic set from the 70s that I covet) so have suffered a few chips from handling. Glueing baby Jesus’ head back on has become one of our annual Christmas traditions

Anyone else fussy about what is in the set? I’m put off if one of these is missing...

Mary, Joseph, Baby Jesus (obviously!)
Donkey
Angel Gabriel
Three kings
At least one shepherd but ideally two
Some other animals e.g. sheep, camels

Maybe I’m too fussy that’s why I’ve never found anything. I’m not religious in the slightest, but want it to represent the story.

I’m hoping the Lakeland one will have all of this given that it has 24 pieces!

My set has all of those. Mary, Joseph, Jesus, three Kings, two shepherds with a sheep and a lamb and a caravan of two bedouin plus a donkey and a camel.

DS has this Gisela Graham set, although I’m looking to buy a more classic version this year as he will outgrow this one soon:
www.mollieandfred.co.uk/homeware-c1/christmas-shop-c38/gisela-graham-christmas-wooden-nativity-set-gisela-graham-p325

Maybe I’m too fussy that’s why I’ve never found anything. I’m not religious in the slightest, but want it to represent the story being religious makes it more complicated. The catholic world was thrown into turmoil a few years ago when Pope Benedict pointed out the absence of any mention of a donkey in the Bible
In contrast, my ultra catholic and ultra mad auntie has an elaborate nativity scene laid out each year with a full menagerie of little animals all queuing up for their turn to peep at baby Jesus. I think a frog might be this years addition because I don’t know what else could possibly be left at this stage. I can’t help wonder what the pope would have made of it

We have had a Lanka kade set for many years. It has survived being played with by 3dc and because it is wooden it looks beautiful and even though the dc are getting a bit old for playing with it we will still use it. I love putting it together and deciding who is standing where!

@Alanamackree I love your auntie

So alanamackree so I say I’m not religious but was christened catholic and went to catholic schools... thank god I don’t listen to the pope anymore because I definitely want a donkey in my nativity

My great auntie is a nun, she sent us a knitted nativity set when we were younger, will have to ask my mum if she still has it. I think it might have ended up in a charity shop

A churchy nativity set. The horror!

My mother still has the one we made as children. It's nice imo :) (not the way it looks but the emotions. I made Joseph and he's kneeling/looks a bit as if seeing the baby had made him faint, tbh)

My grandmother has (had? Probably still has but not in use anymore....) a really great one. What I love about it is that Mary looks so strong and powerful. Standing proudly / in the middle with Jesus in her arm (which isn't that usual) and Joseph looking over her shoulder.

I think I'd like to have one with a lot of shepherds / shepherds families.