Motivation, Intention and Resources: The Starting Point of Your Nativity Scen

Where do you think every artistic work begins? With form? With colors? With a carefully planned composition?

Actually, with none of that... or at least, not exactly.

The Initial Motivation: The Driving Force

Every great project starts with a spark, and in artistic nativity scenes, that spark is motivation. Without it, there’s no energy to create or inspiration to face the challenges that arise along the way. It’s what drives you to imagine, plan and bring your work to life.
Without that inner spark, the process can become mechanical or soulless.

Where does your drive come from?

Maybe from a desire to share a Christmas message, the excitement of recreating an inspiring scene, a family tradition, or simply the personal challenge of improving year after year. Whatever your motivation, it will be the foundation that guides you every step of the way.

Beyond resources.

It doesn’t matter whether you’re a beginner or have decades of experience. What matters is knowing why you want to make this Nativity scene and what you want to express with it. A Nativity scene is not just a group of figures — it’s an expression of emotions, stories, and messages you wish to share. Art can emerge from many places, and all of them are valid.

A Nativity made with simple materials but strong motivation and a clear message can be far more powerful than one that is technically perfect but lacks soul.

Before you continue, ask yourself:

Do we need to know the message behind each scene?

A Nativity scene, at its core, is a three-dimensional representation of a story.
It’s not just a collection of figures and settings, but how all those elements come together to tell a coherent and moving narrative.

The Nativity is a visual narrative of the Gospel cycle around the birth of Jesus.
If you don’t understand the script deeply —that is, the biblical account and the tradition surrounding it— you risk creating an empty scene, full of conceptual mistakes or unable to convey its spiritual and human meaning.

To enjoy a Nativity scene, it’s enough to look at it

Its beauty, its figures and details can move us, even without knowing the full story.
But to truly understand what these scenes are meant to express, we need at least a narrative map —a script that connects the visual with its deeper meaning.

All Nativity scenes, without exception, are interpretations.

No one was there to record the exact day, hour, or year of Jesus’ birth. Even scholars still debate whether it happened in Bethlehem or Nazareth.

That’s precisely why there are many valid ways to depict a Nativity scene:
it can take on an orientalist, regional, contemporary, or even abstract style.
All of these perspectives are legitimate and enrich the tradition.

But what must not be lost is the soul of the story. That core comes from the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. If a Nativity strays too far from that message —humility, hope, light in the midst of darkness— it becomes a beautiful set… but without language, without meaning, without inner truth.

Moral

The more we share the “code” of the Nativity artist, the less text we’ll need.
But the more that code fades, the more essential the script becomes for the scene to keep telling its story.

A simple but clear example:

You can enjoy a beautiful melody without knowing its lyrics.
But when you understand the words, the emotion becomes much deeper.

The Nativity scene works the same way: it doesn’t need a strict script to be beautiful, but it does need one to convey the story and meaning that give it true depth.

Do we need to understand the message?

To enjoy a work of art, it’s enough to look at it or listen to it. But when we understand what it wants to express, the experience changes completely.

I invite you to watch this short excerpt from Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, conducted by Herbert von Karajan. Even just through the music, you’ll feel its strength, emotion and beauty.

But if you also read the lyrics being sung —the famous “Ode to Joy” by Schiller— you’ll discover a deeper meaning. A vision of universal brotherhood, of light, of hope… that is no longer just felt, but also understood.

Read the lyrics of “Ode to Joy” (minute 6:14 in the video)

That’s also the difference between seeing a Nativity scene and understanding the script that inspires it.

Once your motivation, intention, and the scope of what you want to express are clear —whether you aim simply to create or also to transcend—, you’ll be ready to move on to the next step.

Intention: What do you want to achieve with your Nativity scene?

Creating a Nativity scene isn’t just about technique —it’s also about choosing your approach. Here are the three most common types:

Model-style Nativity scenes

Details everywhere.
These Nativity scenes resemble model railroads or military dioramas: complex, full of elements, designed to showcase technical skill and creative construction.

No narrative or visual guidance.
They’re not meant to move you emotionally, but to impress with their level of detail. Composition is not a priority, and the story is not always clear. Still, their value lies in meticulousness.

What makes them special?
Their strength is in accumulation, in the miniaturization of the world. If your Nativity scene feels like it’s missing something to stand out… maybe it’s time to take the next step.

Figurative artistic Nativity scenes

Emotion, light, and meaning.
In this type of Nativity scene, every figure, color, and light serves the story. Everything is arranged to create emotional and spiritual impact.

Evangelical and cultural inspiration.
The focus is usually the Baby Jesus, but he’s not alone: artistic choices are made so the viewer doesn’t just look, but feels and reflects.

What will you find in this guide?
I’ll show you how to build this type of Nativity scene: with intention, with soul, and using the principles of artistic composition as allies.

Conceptual or contemporary artistic Nativity scenes

An idea above the form.
Some creators use the Nativity to express a concept —social, poetic, or provocative— and may prioritize symbolic impact over formal fidelity. Still, they rely on compositional tools (rhythm, scale, light, color) to make the idea understood, just as a figurative artistic Nativity uses the concept of the Incarnation to give meaning to its visual dramaturgy.

Every Nativity scene has a concept.
Maquette-style scenes revolve around the idea of exhaustive miniaturization; figurative artistic ones center on the Gospel story and aesthetic emotion; conceptual ones focus on a more abstract thesis. The difference lies not in the presence or absence of concept or composition, but in what is emphasized and for what purpose.

Our focus in this guide.
We will focus on artistic Nativity scenes, where composition and concept work together to convey the mystery of the Nativity with beauty and narrative coherence.

The Budget: The Limits of What’s Possible

Nobody really mentions it —perhaps because it seems obvious— but it’s fundamental. That’s why a Nativity scene manual must address it, especially for those just starting out. The budget is the axis that shapes the entire creative process. From choosing the figures to designing the base, everything depends on how much you’re willing or able to invest. Far from being a limitation, the budget is a tool that helps you make realistic decisions and prioritize what truly matters.

Knowing your budget from the start is key to avoiding surprises or frustrations later on. It doesn’t matter if it’s large or small; what matters is knowing how to allocate it:

A limited budget doesn’t mean you can’t create something special. In fact, tighter resources often spark creativity, encouraging you to explore clever solutions like using affordable materials, sculpting your own figures, or reusing old decorations.

It’s also important to be aware of your priorities. Maybe this year you can focus on acquiring the essential figures and leave the extras for future occasions. A Nativity scene is a project that grows over time — it doesn’t have to be complete in one single Christmas.

Budget Management and Optimization

For more effective control, consider:

1. Cost breakdown:
• Fixed/initial costs: Basic tools (cutter, glue, brushes, etc.), though many may already have them.
• Construction materials: Cork, styrofoam, plaster, paints, sawdust, glue, etc.
• Figures: This can vary greatly (from nativity sculptors, workshops, commercial brands, different sizes, etc.).
• Lighting: Wires, bulbs, transformers, special effects (water, smoke).
• Decorations: Artificial moss, trees, plants, animals, accessories.
• "Hidden" or transport costs: Visiting several specialized stores, searching for specific elements, etc.
2. Saving strategies:
• Wish list vs. needs list: Encourage prioritizing what’s essential for this year’s nativity scene and what can wait.
• Price research: Suggest comparing prices in various stores (physical and online), craft shops, flea markets.
• Staggered purchases / discounts: Buy materials off-season when discounts are more common. Also search for figures in auction platforms—sometimes there are great deals.
• Sharing or borrowing: In associations or groups, it's often possible to share or lend items. Usually, every association has all the materials you might need, including the figures. I recommend joining the local nativity association in your area.
• DIY (Do It Yourself): If you dare to sculpt your own figures, you'll not only cut costs but also enjoy complete creative freedom.
3. Time investment: an invaluable resource
• Although it’s not a direct expense, the time spent searching for affordable materials, recycling, or crafting elements has value. It may not cost money, but it requires a personal time commitment. If the nativity you have in mind isn’t feasible within your available time, you should reconsider — either you’ll be working sleepless nights or won’t finish it before Christmas.
• How much time can you realistically dedicate to this project each week?
• What level of complexity is manageable within your schedule?

Remember, the true value of a nativity scene is not in how much it costs, but in the passion and dedication you put into it. With a clear budget, you'll be ready to move on to the next steps with confidence.

 Art also blooms in small pots, because to move and tell something, neither size nor cost is essential.

The display location of your nativity scene

The place where you’ll exhibit your nativity scene is a key factor that influences almost every creative decision. Will it be a corner at home, a spacious area in a public venue, or part of a diorama exhibition organized by your nativity association...? Each option has its own limitations and possibilities.

When choosing the location, consider the following aspects:

• Space size: This will define the dimensions of your nativity scene. Designing a small, intimate scene for a shelf is very different from building a large nativity with multiple levels on a big table or a diorama. Will you need to rearrange furniture? Will the space be dedicated exclusively to the nativity or shared?
• Lighting: Is it a space with good natural light, or will you need artificial lighting to highlight the details? This can also impact your budget and influence your final concept (you can't create a night scene with excessive ambient light). Also consider the availability of power outlets and the electrical capacity for your needs. If natural light enters, think about its direction: it may cast unwanted shadows or reveal imperfections.
• Visibility: Think about the height and angle from which the nativity will be viewed. A nativity at floor level has a different impact than one shown at eye level. Also evaluate the background and surrounding visuals to ensure they complement the scene rather than distract from it. In public spaces, observe whether the architecture or environment enhances or limits the display—a real background can help or hinder.
• Accessibility: If the nativity will be in a public place or where there are small children, make sure it is safe and stable, avoiding fragile or unstable elements. Also consider protection from dust, and for long-term outdoor displays, the impact of temperature and humidity on material preservation. A nativity shown only on Christmas Eve and Day is very different from one installed from December 8 (Feast of the Immaculate Conception) to February 2 (Candlemas): a traditional period of up to 57 days. Choose materials and structure according to the intended duration.
• Visitor flow: In busy spaces, how will the movement of visitors be managed to ensure good visibility without compromising the integrity of the nativity scene?
• Setup and takedown: Will you be able to assemble and dismantle it easily? Is there enough space to work around the diorama during setup? If you’re not building it in situ, measure the doors it must pass through to avoid surprises. Where will transport boxes be stored temporarily if you need to move it for display elsewhere?
• Noise and sound environment: Consider whether the surroundings support peaceful viewing of the nativity or introduce noise or vibrations that may distract or hinder the experience.

  These recommendations will be expanded later, when we explore each type of nativity scene in depth. Depending on the approach —multiple frame or single frame—, decisions about the location and its suitability require different nuances.

Remember that the location not only determines the size and design of the nativity scene, but also influences how it is perceived by viewers. It’s essential to adapt to the available space so your work can shine in all its splendour.

Once you’re clear about where it will be placed, you’ll be ready to plan the support that gives stability and structure to your creation.

The base: Where the scene rests

In all visual arts, the work needs a base —a physical platform to be born, to take shape, and to be contemplated. A painter has the canvas, panel, or wall. Photographers, illustrators, and printmakers use different kinds of paper. Theatre, opera, and ballet are all built upon a stage. Cinema, meanwhile, rests on a hard drive and a screen.

A Nativity scene also needs a base —and there isn’t a single standard one. Depending on your intention and the framing type, it can vary greatly: from the floor itself to a shelf, a table, a wooden frame, or a raised platform.

I’d like to share an anecdote I read from a Nativity figure collector.
He was referring to the *diorama* —a type of Nativity scene designed to be viewed only from the front, like a three-dimensional painting framed by a theatrical window or proscenium— with these words:

Beyond whether this view is accurate or not —and knowing that the person who wrote it has never built a diorama due to lack of skill, motivation, and will— it raises an interesting question: is the support a limitation or a possibility?

Every work of art needs a structure, a frame, a language to express itself. Saying that an oil painting imposes a single perspective would be as unfair as saying that all cinema is manipulation because it shows you only one frame.

The point is not to eliminate the support, but to use it consciously. Understand that the support shapes the work, yes — but it also offers possibilities. As an artist, you decide how to use it. As a viewer, you decide how to interpret it.

Saying that the creator is "some guy behind telling you what to look at and how to look at it" completely trivializes the artistic process, and reduces the artist’s role to that of a manipulator or indoctrinator. Calling them a puppeteer implies that the viewer is a puppet without judgment, and that the artist is an anonymous stagehand with suspicious intentions.

That’s not just disrespectful, it’s unfair, and it shows an impoverished view of art. An artist proposes a perspective — they don’t impose it. The viewer is always free to interpret it, engage with it, reject it, or expand upon it. But every work requires composition, a choice, a point of view. There is no work without an author, no art without a gaze.

The quote "with stupefaction and trembling" from Amélie Nothomb is clearly a rhetorical flourish, not an essential part of the argument. In the original context of the novel Fear and Trembling, the phrase refers to the reverent attitude a young Western woman must adopt in an extremely hierarchical Japanese company.

And finally: the fallas —which this collector says he’s “switching to”— also arise from a specific perspective. They’re not neutral. They have a script, an author, a satirical or critical intention. And while the fallas are meant to burn —that’s where their name comes from— the nativity scene is not. The nativity is created to commemorate the birth of Jesus, to celebrate a message that deserves to live on in us every year.

The collector's complaint, though valid as an expression of a merely personal discomfort, should not be mistaken for a universal truth about the nature of art or the diorama. His view seems to stem from a resistance to structure or to another person’s interpretation, rather than from a deep understanding of how artistic creation and reception work.

What’s most concerning is that his statement was applauded without nuance. No one questioned it. Only I expressed a contrary opinion, and his response was a direct attack. I left the discussion… and this was one of the last drops that made the cup overflow and led me to leave the forum for good.
Setting boundaries, far from being a sign of weakness, immaturity, or selfishness, is a sign of maturity and emotional intelligence, of respect for oneself and commitment to what one wants to build.

The support as an ally of creative freedom

Support is not the enemy of artistic freedom, but one of its conditions of possibility. The key lies in the awareness and creativity with which it is used. Art is an act of communication. It requires a sender (the artist), a message (the work), and a receiver (the viewer). The support is simply the medium through which that message travels. Its richness lies in interaction and freedom of interpretation, not in the illusion of an impossible neutrality.

We will not cover all types of support now, as they depend on the type of Nativity scene you want to create. When we delve into each type in detail, we’ll also look at which support best suits its technical, narrative, and compositional needs.

The Figures: An Essential Presence Before Composing

The figures are the heart of the Nativity scene. Without them —even if they were abstract forms, voids, or mere suggestions— it wouldn't truly be a Nativity. In artistic Nativity scenes, they are much more than a complement: they are the visual and narrative starting point.

Which comes first: the scene or the figures?

Should I start by designing the setting and then find figures that fit, or do I need to have the figures first and then build the scene?

In artistic Nativity scenes, it’s best to have the figures before composing.

Why?

Because the figures determine many aspects:

• The size of the setting (according to the scale of the figures).
• The arrangement (a figure playing the main role is not the same as one in a supporting or background role).
• The lighting (an intimate scene is not lit the same as a public one; an indoor scene is not lit the same as an outdoor one).
• The clothing style (using Hebrew-style, folk-style, or contemporary figures makes a difference).

Own, borrowed, commissioned, or purchased figures

There are several ways to obtain figures, each with its own advantages and limitations:

• Autoproducción / DIY (Hazlo tú mismo): Decidir modelar tus propias figuras para el belén te otorga una libertad creativa total. Cada pieza reflejará tu visión, permitiéndote crear expresiones, posturas y actitudes perfectamente alineadas con la historia y el ambiente que imaginas.
  Es cierto que el modelado requiere tiempo y aprendizaje, especialmente en aspectos como la anatomía, las proporciones y la coherencia formal. No necesitas alcanzar el nivel de un escultor profesional, pero sí buscar una armonía con la escenografía. El objetivo es que tus figuras, aunque sean sencillas, se integren de manera coherente y equilibrada en el conjunto de tu belén.
  La satisfacción de ver tus creaciones únicas cobrar vida en el belén es inmensa. Cada figura lleva tu sello personal y un valor incalculable, ya que narra también tu propia historia. Muchos belenistas encuentran en este proceso, más allá de la práctica y el tiempo invertido, su mayor recompensa: disfrutar y aprender en cada paso, sin la presión de competir con los profesionales.
• Buying ready-made figures: You can purchase them at Christmas fairs, specialty stores, or from sculptors' or Nativity workshops' catalogs. This option is practical but also comes with limitations. You must imagine your scene based on what is available on the market; you’ll have to adapt: sometimes the right combination of scale, gesture, and style simply doesn’t exist.
• Commissioning figures from a sculptor: This option offers a balance between freedom and quality. You present your idea, and the sculptor interprets it using their style and artistic background—like a playwright and an actor, or a composer and a performer. It requires a budget and availability, but it can result in unique works.
• Nativity associations: Some offer figure lending or access to collections that suit your project. This option is especially useful if you’re just starting out. You need to be a member of the association, and you're limited to what they have available.
• Your own figure collection: If you already have a set of figures, you can use them as a starting point for your composition. This option saves time and money, but also requires adapting to their characteristics: scale, style, poses, or number of characters.