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✨ Create a Magical Layered Nativity Board with Melissa Bradshaw 🌟
DIY Layered Nativity Board with Melissa Bradshaw of Junk & Craft Treasures
In this beautiful Christmas tutorial, Melissa Bradshaw of Junk & Craft Treasures shows how to create a stunning Layered Nativity Board using a mix of Essential Stencil’s holiday stencil packs. This festive wall art captures the story of that Holy Night in rich, layered detail — yet it’s easy enough for any DIY enthusiast to recreate at home. Follow along below for every step, from painting the soft night sky to stenciling the nativity scene’s glowing details.
Table of Contents
- Creating the Background
- Adding the Bethlehem Skyline
- Building the Stable
- Adding Mary and Joseph
- Painting Baby Jesus
- Adding the Shepherd and Animals
- Painting the Three Wise Men and Camels
- Adding the Words and Angels
- Finishing Touches
Creating the Background
Materials:
- 24x15” plywood board
- Light blue, dark blue, and grayish-blue paint
- Chip brush or Stencil Brush Set
Start by brushing random strokes of light blue, dark blue, and grayish blue across your board. Blend until you achieve a soft, cloudy night sky look. It doesn’t have to be perfect — the variation adds charm!
Once dry, lightly sand the surface for a smoother finish.
Adding the Bethlehem Skyline
Materials:
- Bethlehem Scene with Palms Stencil
- Light grayish-blue chalk paint
Center your stencil and fill only the skyline portion using a regular stencil brush. Keep it soft to resemble a distant silhouette.
Building the Stable
Materials:
- Holy Night Nativity Stencil Pack
- Brown and warm yellow paint
Position the first layer of the stable and fill with brown paint. Then line up the roof and fill with a warm yellow to create a glowing effect.
Adding Mary and Joseph
Materials:
- Holy Night Nativity Stencil Pack
- Beige, white, red, olive green, and brown paint
Stencil Mary and Joseph inside the stable. Use beige for skin, white for Mary’s veil, red for her dress, olive green for Joseph’s robe, and brown for hair, shoes, and cane.
Painting Baby Jesus
Next, stencil the manger in brown and Baby Jesus in white. Align the second layer and add a soft pale yellow glow.
Adding the Shepherd and Animals
Materials:
Stencil the shepherd on one side of the board. Paint his face beige, hair and cane brown, and clothing gray.
Add animals: white sheep with black faces and feet, dark brown bull with gray horns, and gray donkey with black mane.
Painting the Three Wise Men and Camels
Materials:
On the opposite side, stencil the camels in beige with black ropes and muted green saddles. Add all three for balance. Then, stencil the Wise Men seated on the camels — beige for skin and red for their royal robes.
Adding the Words and Angels
Stencil “Unto Us A Child is Born” in white across the top. Then, add angels with white robes and gold trumpets, wings, and faces — spacing several across the sky.
Finishing Touches
Finish by stenciling a large white star above the stable and scattering smaller stars in white and gold to create a glowing sky. Once dry, you can add rustic trim or leave it natural — either way, it beautifully tells the story of that Holy Night.
Helpful Tips:
- Use a Mini Stencil Brush Set for smaller details.
- Offload excess paint on a paper towel to avoid bleed-through.
- Keep layers light and let each one dry before moving to the next stencil.
We can’t wait to see your version of this project! Tag Essential Stencil and Melissa Bradshaw of Junk & Craft Treasures when you share your creation.
Shop all Christmas stencils here: Essential Stencil Christmas Collection
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