Nativity Shadow Puppet Stage

I love the mysterious aura of a shadow puppet show. In a darkened room, figures fade and focus, unraveling simple, ageless stories. This one opens with a brilliant star and a luminous night sky. "All is calm, all is bright." We're about to witness a miracle. "To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary. To one without...no explanation is possible." (words of Saint Thomas Aquinas)

I'm saving this for Christmas eve, after the children's Mass we attend as a family. Amidst festivities that follow - the food, the fun, the frolicking, the presents - we will find "room for them" in our homes, in our hearts, and on this stage.

This project is a portable foam board 18" x 20" stage with an optional roof. It is decorated with scrapbook paper, gold star stickers and a set of puppets glued to bamboo kitchen skewers. Although the puppets can be cut from Christmas cards or hand drawn, I used a set of vinyl stickers (from Michael's) as shown. In a dark room, with a desk lamp behind the tissue paper screen, puppets appear in silhouette and the effect is magical.






Here's what you'll need to make one of your own:

• Royal blue foam craft board 20" x 30"
• Set of nativity stickers or hand drawn or cut out figures with strong profiles 1.5" - 2" 
• Purple tissue paper sheet 12" x 15"
• Scrapbook paper, plain or patterned, in brown and green 
• Gold star stickers, one large and other smaller ones
• Bamboo food skewers, 8" or 12" long
• Craft knife, ruler, craft glue, scissors, pencil, newspaper sheet 
• Royal blue Canson paper 6" x 20" for optional roof
• Desk lamp or flashlight

And here's what you'll do:

• Score the foam board vertically to divide the 30" width into 3 sections - 6" on each side, 18" center panel
• Cut an 11" x 14" rectangle newspaper pattern. Place it on center panel, 2" from each side and 3.5" from top. Trace with pencil
• Use a craft knife to cut the rectangle out
• Lay the stage blue side down and place glue all around outside edge of opening. Carefully lay the tissue paper on top, smoothing it out as tightly as possible

It doesn't have to look all perfectly-perfect at this point!












Use scrapbook paper and stars to decorate around the opening.

Make an optional roof by folding down 1" on each end of the 6" side of the Canson paper. Fold both side panels of the stage forward so they are at right angles to the center panel. Lay the roof paper along the top and glue the folded tabs to side panels to hold it in place.

Glue skewers to backs of stickers to make puppets.

Turn lights off, position lamp behind screen and tell the story of the birth of Jesus by operating the puppets.

Merry Christmas!





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