• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • DIY Tutorials & Tips
  • Shopping
  • Contact

Christmas Nativity Collection

HometoCottage.com Christmas Nativity Collection

Displaying a collection can be a little tricky… sometimes whatever the collection subject matter is, it can look a bit busy, losing all the original visual interest of the items… Here are some ways I’ve displayed our Christmas nativity collection this year to try to avoid that.

In the dining room of our 100 year old house, we have this old cupboard. (You can read more here about how it came from an old house we lived in 25 years ago… being used in the cellar for canning storage.)

Now used for display in our dining room, some of the items on the shelf get moved around, the vintage set of white dishes stay on display on the shelves all the time, but obviously the other items get changed seasonally, like the Christmas items on here.

www.HometoCottage.com nativity collection

This year as I was pulling the Christmas decorations out and setting them around the house, I realized that I’ve collected a few nativities and thought it might be fun to display them more like a collection. So this is where some of the Christmas nativity collection is displayed.

You can see how I concentrated the nativities down the center of the cupboard, keeping a pretty symmetrical feel to the display design…  not feeling though, that I needed to do every single shelf, but being conscious of balancing the heavier (visually larger) pieces… such as the very large one at the bottom with little around it on that shelf… And then on the shelf above that lower one, the two smaller ones are balancing each other as they flank the bold green Christmas tree plate. I also like, visually, that the tall skinny nativity is on the very top shelf, that seems to fit with the other tall skinny pieces up there.

Most of the nativities are vintage, bringing with them their simple vintage charm…

HometoCottage.com ceramic plug in nativity

Like this small ceramic nativity probably from the mids 50’s. I have it next to this Christmas tree plate my mom made in ceramics class when I was a little girl.

HometoCottage.com paper nativity

On the other side of the plate, is displayed this very simple paper and glitter nativity in the original box. I found this little cutie at a church meatball supper and sale this fall. (Lutheran Norwegian meatball suppers are quite a common occurrence around here) With this little paper nativity, having the original box, and in such great condition, is an asset, so I left that out on display along with it, which actually gives the small nativity just the right amount of height for displaying too.

Here’s the tall skinny nativity shed on the top shelf. I found it at a garage sale:

HometoCottage.com tan nativity

The pieces are all glued onto the nativity shed. It’s pretty in it’s mostly brown and tan tones.

This Christmas nativity came from an online garage sale site. It’s not vintage, but still pretty and the largest of this collection, so displayed on the bottom shelf of the antique cupboard.

HometoCottage.com newer nativity

My granddaughter really wanted to set the display for it up and she did a great job… I think it’s cute how the donkey is up on the loft, I guess she figured it would have used the ladder.

One more little nativity tucked in between some antique dishes, is this little vintage molded plastic one. It’s sweet in its appearance, true, but this little nativity has an even sweeter memory attached to it.

When my daughter was a young girl, maybe around 9 or 10 years old, a neighbor across the street was having a yard sale. This little nativity ornament was being sold for something like a dime. My daughter bought it, without my knowledge, kept it tucked away in her dresser for all those months, and then gave it to me for a Christmas present that year.

Since we’re talking sentimental and all…

In the living room built in bench that the staircase wraps around we have this:

HometoCottage.com our 1st nativity

Our precious 1st nativity. Oh so many years ago, my mother in law gave me the unpainted ceramic figures with little pots of paint in a DIY kit for my 1st Christmas present from her as her daughter-in-law. (I had great fun that 1st Christmas painting them too!) The same year, my dad made just the right size wooden nativity shed for these short and chubby little figurines.

This year our 5 year old grandson set up the figures for this nativity. Without any instruction as he was placing the figures, he put the baby Jesus in the center and all of the people and animals, (except the one camel in back corner) adoringly around baby Jesus. There is something innocently precious about that. He just knew that the baby was the center, even though most of the other figures are painted more vibrantly, especially the wisemen, but our young grandson, just understood that it was the baby to be the central figure here.

And then, just a few days ago, I found this nativity on Craigslist…

HometoCottage.com Sears paper mache nativity

This is a Sears & Roebuck Co. mail-order Christmas nativity set. It came totally complete with all the paper mache figures, the shed, even the little old light bulb and original cardboard box it was mailed in.

I bought it from the adult son of the lady it used to belong to… as I was examining it before the actual purchase took place, I was thinking out loud how it was so sweet and charming… and his mother’s… all I could think to ask him was if he was sure he didn’t want to keep it and display it himself instead of sell it to me. He just looked at me, sort of dumbfounded and said, “me? oh, no.” Who knows what the story behind that is, but I’m thrilled to display this in our living room.

In the upstairs guest bathroom, which was a bedroom, we converted into a much needed 2nd bathroom, is a partial wall with a little antique stained glass window built into it. (I’ve shared this window in a wall design idea with you a few times) Sitting on that created window ledge is a miniature glass nativity scene.

HometoCottage.com glass nativity on antique stained glass window

It’s so subtle, and the glass figurines in front of the antique glass seem just perfect to me.

Hope some of these Christmas nativity collection display ideas inspire you while you’re displaying some of your treasured Christmas decorations too, I’d love to hear about it!

We have one more nativity scene… it’s outside. Next time I’ll show you how we’ve displayed that nativity outside… it’s a little different than last year…

Thanks so much for stopping by! Please feel free to follow and share this blog with your friends, as well as on Facebook, Pinterest, Flipboard, Bloglovin, YouTube and now Instagram!  I appreciate you reading along.

Here are some more Christmas decorating ideas:

Christmas Table Re-Do
Vintage WWII Christmas Ornaments
Vintage Christmas on Display
Vintage Christmas Tree Reflectors sdtips.com
vintage candolier diorama
Kitchen Cabinet Door Wreaths
DIY Barnwood Porch Banner SimpleDecoratingTips.com
Vintage Clock Diorama
Christmas Collection 2019
Rustic Creche
Christmas 2018 nativity with house
Unique Christmas Tree Stand
DIY Swags... sort of
Deer Themed Christmas Decorating Ideas
How to Create Let it Snow Artwork
Quick and Easy DIY Alpine Garland
DIY Christmas Stockings
Make your own Natural Potpourri (1)
DIY a vintage basket lid Felt Nativity
DIY Hanging Lanterns Greenery
DIY Winter Porch Arrangement
Deer Themed Winter Wonderland
DIY Antler Candleholders
Displaying an Outdoor Nativity
Rustic Deer Themed Christmas Tree
Christmas Nativity Collection
Deer Antlers for Christmas
Christmas diarama
Christmas chalkboard 2014
Yikes Where do you put all those bins full of decorations after Christmas
How to Make a Florist Bow for a Merry Christmas Welcome Wreath
Hanging Christmas Lanterns
using pallet wood for outdoor nativity
Step-by-Step to build this centerpiece
Christmas-Cones-for-Chairs
christmas felt applique pillows
DIY Guilded Twig Ornament Tree

Yay!! This post was featured at: Posed Perfection

This post is linked up at the following other sites: I Should be Mopping the Floor, Skip to My Lou, DIY Showoff, It’s Overflowing, Between Naps on the Porch, Coastal Charm, My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia, StoneGable, Yesterday on Tuesday, Home Stories AtoZ, A Stroll Thru Life, Tip Junkie, Kammy’s Korner, Savvy Southern Style, Just a Girl and Her Blog, The DIY Dreamer, DIY by Design, Posed Perfection, Oh My Heartsie Girl, From My Front Porch to Yours, A Cozy Little House, My Thrift Store Addiction, The Charm of Home, Too Much Time on My Hands, French Country Cottage, Design, Dining and Diapers, Chic on a Shoestring, Funky Junk Interiors 

Share this:

  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • More
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)

Primary Sidebar

Welcome to Simple Decorating Tips! I’m Liz, the author, and I’m so glad you’re here!

My goal is to encourage you with DIY tips, techniques and tutorials so you feel empowered to join in the fun! Along with this DIY blog, I have a DIY shop, Redo Your Furniture!
The shop is stocked with amazing DIY products! Fusion Mineral Paints, ReDesign Transfers, Decoupage, Waxes, loads of DIY Goodies and more! Even if you're not close to where the shop is in Wisconsin, good news... I ship nationwide, (USA) daily! Check out the link here and let's get your DIY on!
https://youtu.be/V0s51S9Er5Q
https://youtu.be/hFjIC8V_iXQ

All the photos and text on this blog are copyright protected. You may share photos from this blog IF linked back to their original posts and for the sole purpose of featuring my work. Please let me know when you have done so. You may not copy entire articles and posts (even if you link back to me) without my express permission. You may email any such request to simpledecoratingtips@gmail.com. Please do NOT borrow any pictures on this blog to sell your own goods. Thank you!

Footer

Shop Decor Steals

AntiqueFarmHouse

Subscribe on YouTube!

Simple Decorating Tips 'How To' videos

Welcome to Simple Decorating Tips! I'm Liz, the author, and I'm so glad you're here! My goal is to encourage you with DIY tips, techniques and tutorials so you feel empowered to join in the fun! Along with this DIY blog, I have a DIY shop, Redo Your Furniture!
The shop is stocked with amazing DIY products! Fusion Mineral Paints, ReDesign Transfers, Decoupage, Waxes, loads of DIY Goodies and more! Even if you're not close to where the shop is in Wisconsin, good news... I ship nationwide, (USA) daily! Check out the link here and let's get your DIY on!


Disclosure Policy: According to FTC guidelines, I want you to be aware that some of the content of this blog may be a source of income and therefore may be used to promote products, services, or other businesses. I will only choose to promote products/services/businesses that I feel will be beneficial to my readers. While I hope to generate a small profit for my time and effort to create this blog, I hold myself to the highest standard of integrity. I appreciate my readers, and make it my goal to deliver quality, honest material on this blog through each post. Thanks for reading along, Liz

Copyright

Sharing is great! Please feel free to share this blog with your friends, as well as on Facebook and Pinterest and Flipboard and Houzz and YouTube the more the merrier! I appreciate you stopping by. But please remember that all photos, images, text and content are owned by SimpleDecoratingTips.com. So anything you share, please be sure it always links back to my original post it came from. Please do not remove watermarks, crop or edit anything without written permission from me first.

Disclosure Policy: According to the FTC guidelines, I want you to be aware that this blog is a source of income and may occasionally incorporate endorsements or testimonials and shopping links. It is important to me to disclose this to you. The content of this blog is a source of income and therefore may be used to promote products, services, or other businesses. I will only choose to promote products/services/businesses that I feel will be beneficial to my readers. Products provided to me by my advertising partners for my review are given to me free of charge with no cost to myself. This does not ensure a positive review of the product in any way. While I hope to generate a small profit for my time and effort to create this blog, I hold myself to the highest standard of integrity. I appreciate my readers, and always make it my goal to deliver quality, honest material on this blog through each post. Thanks for reading along, Liz

Disclosure Policy According to Federal Trade Commission guidelines, I want you to be aware that this blog is a source of income and may occasionally incorporate endorsements or testimonials. It is important to me to disclose this to you. The content of this blog is a source of income and therefore may be used to promote products, services, or other businesses. I will only choose to promote products/services/businesses that I feel will be beneficial to my readers. Products provided to me by my advertising partners for my review are given to me free of charge with no cost to myself. This does not ensure a positive review of the product in any way. My truthful opinion will be what I state, no matter if I'm getting paid or not. Accuracy and truth are the priority for me on this blog's information, no matter if it's about a product or anything else. Not every product or service or store etc. may be mentioned in each and every post as an affiliate. While I hope to generate a small profit for my time and effort to create this blog, I hold myself to the highest standard of integrity. I appreciate my readers, and always make it my goal to deliver quality, honest material on this blog through each post.

Graphics Fairy

Graphics Fairy

Feedspot

Feedspot

Copyright © 2023 · Genesis Sample Theme On Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

  • Home
  • DIY Tutorials & Tips
  • Shopping
  • Contact
↞
↠