Dollar Store Nativity Makeover

I have been eyeing those beautiful porcelain Nativity sets for a while now but the price has always made me hesitate. I love the classic look that the simplicity of white figurines gives to the Nativity. Then I decided...I would just paint my own! So I set out in search of a set that would fill my requirements. But that's when I encountered a problem.

First of all, it had to be inexpensive. And I have since discovered that many sets do not contain all of the characters from the Christmas story. Frequently, believe it or not, the shepherd is omitted. So I was excited to find a set with the Wise Men and the shepherd at Dollar General for only $10! I still felt that it was missing some important participants so I added a camel, a donkey and several sheep from Walmart for only $2.00 each. An angel from Hobby Lobby for another $2.00 completed the set and I was ready to start the transformation.

Here's what you will do:

All you need is white spray paint and you are good to go. TIP: Be sure to use FLAT white paint to get a high-end look! It took 4 or 5 coats since I didn't want to over spray and create drips. Let dry thoroughly between coats. Patience is your best tool for this project!

 

And here it is! The white paint has given all of the pieces such a cohesive look that you would never guess that they are from several different sources!

Using the flat white paint also adds a softness and an expensive look to the figurines.

The Walmart sheep have more texture than the Dollar General sheep but the white paint helps to blend them. It's important to keep everything roughly the same size.

The angel is a bit more modern than I would like but I don't think it takes away from the look of the Nativity for now. I will have my eye out for another as I do my Christmas shopping.

And, of course, at the center is the Holy Family. I love the look on Mary's face.

I have placed them in my French stable...a souvenir from my trip to Provence several years ago.

Here it is with the entire crèche or NATIVITY SCENE that I purchased there as well. In French, the figurines are called santons and are one of the special hand-made products of Provence. If you are wondering why I am using a set from the dollar store instead of these beauties, let me just say that right now little hands and little paws make it dangerous to have them in reach. ;-)

Also be sure to check out my DIY DOLLAR TREE SNOW VILLAGE. Isn't it amazing what some white spray paint can do to give a classic look to inexpensive Christmas décor? And stay tuned because the decorating is almost finished and I am ready to share! 

Remember to pin it!

Also find me at…

 

Enter your email to have Plate Addict's blog posts delivered Delivered by FeedBurner