diy simple + chic christmas nativity

materials for this project:
*1 2 x 6 board, cut to fit your nativity. mine is 16" long
*nativity set. i bought mine at walmart
*long holiday picks. i used 11 for my board
*ivory/white spray paint
*stain for board
*pencil
*drill/drill bit
*measuring tape
*sandpaper
*wire cutters
(optional star--mine was bought last year on clearance from pier 1)


the first thing i did was figure out where to place the holes for my picks.

 

i penciled in an X or O where i needed to drill.
after i drilled the holes, i lightly sanded them to remove any sharp edges.


the figures were all sprayed with white paint. i used fusion paint (good for plastic) since my figures are made of resin.





i bought some spray "stain/polyurethane in one", but it was a bust. the color was much lighter than promised, and it went on streaky. i had some stain leftover from when we tested colors for our hardwood floors, and so i used "dark walnut" from minwax.


the picks were cut down in order to fit into the drilled holes. sorry i didn't get a picture of me ACTUALLY cutting them. i kinda like my fingers and want them to stay attached to my body!
here's the aftermath:


and, the finished product!






you can see a little peek of my holiday decor in these pictures! i will be posting a holiday tour of my house later this week!