Appropriate age group(s):
Elementary School
Middle School
High School & Beyond

Estimated time to make this decoration:
hour to hour and a half, but it's got the Essence of Christmas

Materials:
52 popsicle/wood craft sticks per nativity scene

3 wood clothespins, w/rounded tops, per nativity scene (the sort some make "dolls" with)

white glue

Very heavy-duty shears, or what my husband calls "diagonal cutters"

a fine-tooth saw

a vise, (for holding clothespins to shorten 'em)

a lil' scrap of sandpaper (for the sawed-off ends of the clothespins)

Instructions:
Using shears or diagonal cutters, cut 16 popsicle/craft sticks at an angle. This angled cut should be about 2/3 of the way up the stick. Gather the remaining 1/3 and save for later.

This nativity scene/stable will look like a simple wooden 'house', with Mary, Joseph, and Baby Jesus fashioned from the clothespins. Begin with the 'house'.

Start this house from the backside. Use one cut stick for the right Wall, and one for the left. (The 'point' of each cut stick will be toward the inside, vs. outside, of the wall.)

One un-cut stick will be the Foundation/floor.

Two uncut sticks merge to create the peak of the roof, and there is somewhat more than an inch of roof overhanging the side walls (so that the roof is not too highly pitched).

Two more uncut sticks brace the back, placed 1/4 inch apart, from the floor and from each other.

Once you have allll that sorted out, and glued together at Points of Contact,
let it rest and Dry Out.

Flip it over to the reverse side. Begin to build or layer your nativity scene. If you've ever made a 'trinket box' with craft sticks, it should be a Piece of Cake from here on out ;-)

Apply sides, floor, roof layers until you have: 8 layers of "walls" on each side, 9 layers of "roof", and 9 layers of "floor."

Then, create a "front porch" effect. Use two same-length pieces of scraps saved from cutting, and glue towards the middle of the last floor stick, then gluing a whole stick over those. Repeat.

Manger/Bed for Baby Jesus:
Make angled cuts in wood sticks, creating two pieces about 1 1/2- 1 3/4", and two that are 1/2-3/4" (use scrap). Tape the sides and ends of 'crib' together with ordinary adhesive tape; it's just a sort of a 'box', and yes, it will look primitive!
Set this 'crib' on one piece of stick that's cut 1 3/4" long (no angles); this is the bottom of the crib. Apply stream of glue to Inside of the crib, fastening sides/ends/bottom together (glue should dry clear, so don't skimp too much). This will look a bit like a mini orange crate. Allow to dry thoroughly before you remove the outside tape. When you have Mary, Joseph, and Baby Jesus prepared from the clothespins, you can position and glue the crib, and glue Baby Jesus inside.

Cutting the clothespins is made much easier by securing each in a vise before sawing. Adult/big kid job, fer shur!
Baby Jesus is not much longer than an inch; he needs to be short enough to fit into the crib ;-) Mary is slightly taller, and Joseph is about 3/8 inch taller than Mary.

In our wooden nativity, Joseph is in the left corner, towards the back, and Mary is to the right, directly next to the crib. All are secured with glue.

The nativity scene may be enhanced by addition of a pre-cut wooden Star, perhaps glued to the peak of the roof.

You may glue 2 whole sticks across the bottom of the stable (front, and rear) to "level" the thing a bit. This also provides a good place to scribble a Name, Date, and "Merry Christmas!"

Other comments or suggestions to consider:
(I'm hopeful a picture will be added later, to uncomplicate the concept!)

Cutting the sticks should be an adult activity, for safety reasons. Besides the sharp objects thang, any stray pieces that fall on the floor (or zinnnng across the room as you are cutting!) need to be collected so small children and pets won't ingest them. Cutting is as much a scoring, bending and breaking as pure cutting; squeeze Firmly, but squeeze too hard, and you'll have wood pieces flying everywhere... you soon adjust the technique ;-)

My son is going to make 2 of these nativity scenes, one for each of his Sunday school teachers. I am pre-cutting the pieces-parts, much like making two 'kits.' I did the cutting while I was waiting for him to finish his math homework, which always seems to be an Eternity ;-)
I also pre-glued the Back framework, which the whole thing builds up from, and the crib, because those tiny parts are tricky. When the Stable is done, he'll have had the pleasure of doing the Majority of the assembly process, and the Holy Family can move in right away ;-)

I'll pre-cut Mary, Joseph, and Baby Jesus, and add them to his "kit". When we get time to work on this, I'll be close at hand, but he should have no real difficulty in making the project come together.

Part of the humble charm of this is the 'Made By Hand' and natural look of it. I've got several Nativity scenes, all kinds, and somehow I like this little one about as much as any. I found my "prototype" at a rummage sale for 10 cents...but I really feel as if it found Me instead. ;-)

It's a good idea to buy the economy size Boxes of craft sticks, vs. the bags, and Hide one! ;-) The bags don't leave enough room for kids' creative streaks. The same day I brought home 2 bags of sticks, my son found them and started making airplanes n' stuff, just from looking at pictures and diagrams that came in the package. He could build and build and build with these for hours...but I hope he won't make that atrocious Lamp with Shade pictured on the box. Oh, shades of the 60's! And like a good mom, I'd have to cherish it until the day I die... ;-)