Miniature Walnut Shell Nativity Ornament

What a tiny treasure for the Christmas tree! These walnut shell nativity kits are so special-  German-made, and very well crafted in such a small scale.  Each set comes with a walnut shell, a small base, the Holy Family and a star, and they’re lovely just as they are. But with a little paint and a sprinkle of silver glass glitter, they become a gorgeous keepsake ornament for your tree.  

The supply packs are available as a single ornament set, or as a party pack which makes 12. Get your kit here.

• Walnut shell nativity set (shell, small base, figures on a support, star)

• Acrylic craft paint: medium brown, dark blue, rust/terracotta, gold metallic

• Fine-grain silver German glass glitter

• Tacky glue

• Gold thread

• A small paintbrush and a tiny one for details

• Paper towel

• A tiny clamp (optional)

• A dish to catch the excess glitter

Watch the assembly video:

Step 1:

Paint the figures with a basecoat. You can use a small clamp as a handle/stand for the figures since they are so tiny and hard to hold onto.  Alternatively, you could twist the figures off of their supports and glue them to the base, and then hold that to make painting easier. For the basecoat use a medium brown paint thinned with a couple drops of water. By thinning the paint, it will flow into the crevices of the plastic figures. Before the paint dries, wipe some of it off with a small piece of paper towel to bring out highlights and lowlights.  Let dry.

Step 2:

Paint the shell, base, and star metallic gold. Use gold metallic paint at full strength. You can paint the outside of the shell and the base while the figures dry.  

Step 3:

Add color to the robes of the figures with a tiny brush:
Mary in dark blue, keeping clear of her hands and face.
Joseph in rust/terracotta, for contrast with the blue.

Add gold details. Paint gold on the straw around the manger and on the base of each figure. Give the star a second coat.

Step 4:

Glitter the inside of the walnut shell. Brush tacky glue on the inside of the shell in an even coat, right out to the edges and all the way down to the base. Hold the shell over a dish, pour in some fine-grain silver glass glitter and shake it around until it’s covered. Tap out the excess into a bowl. Silver glass glitter starts out really bright, but tarnishes over time to a darker, warmer, vintage tone.

Step 5:

Assemble. Once they’re dry, twist the figures off the support. Turn the base so its straight side faces front. Put a dab of glue on each figure’s peg and press it into its hole.

Glue the base into the shell. The little lip at the front should hang over the shell’s edge.

Step 6:

Add the star. Put a dab of glue on the star’s tail and fit its peg into the top of the shell. Set it a little off-center so you can still reach the hanging loop.

Step 7:

Hang it. Add a small loop of gold thread through the hanging loop.