Building a Nativity Crib

For years I have wanted an outdoor Nativity Crib to display in the yard at Christmastime. Not just any crib set, but one of Church quality.

Otherwise known as a Nativity Creche or Nativity Stable, they are the perfect thing to remind people of the true meaning of Christmas. (Janet calls it a stable, but growing up in Victoria, KS we always called it a crib, probably because in Germany they are referred to as Krippe).

After finding some nice nativity statuary after endless online surfing, we received shipment of the Joseph, Mary, and Baby Jesus figures. I quickly began sketching and taking measurements for the crib. My building criteria was 1) not cheap looking 2) big enough for future statues 3) portable and easy to assemble 4) sturdy.

For the material I bought 8 foot long pine lumber: 20 qty 2x4's and 30 qty 1x6's which cost about 200 bucks. Total weight of the purchased lumber was about 400 lbs. I spent an additional 100 bucks on hardware (including 4 large caster wheels) and stain and other miscellaneous stuff. So I spent 300 bucks for materials, which is much much cheaper than buying one. Here is a picture of the lumber.

First I started with the base. Here is a picture showing the bottom with the caster wheels getting attached. I believe they are rated at about 350 lbs each. Better to overkill on the wheels. For durability I used screws throughout instead of nails.

Next I built the back of the crib. I wanted a steep pitch on the roof - they look so much better that way.
Since I wanted the crib to assemble quickly and easily, that meant as few pieces as possible. The back attaches to the bottom base with 2 bolts and wing nuts (i.e. no tools required for assembly), and I built the sides permanently attached to the back but used door hinges so they could be folded in for easy storage.
The roof is in 2 pieces and attaches to the back and sides with a total of 6 bolts and wingnuts. The crib was built as four pieces that, when assembled, becomes very sturdy so as to withstand the brutal Kansas wind (and many little climbing kids)!
Here is the completed Crib after sanding. Ready for the finish!

I chose the darkest stain I could find, called Dark Walnut. Here is a picture after the stain was applied.
Add the statues and hay and it is ready for the roll out. I hooked it up to the lawn mower and pulled it to the front yard.
The kids got to ride with Joseph, Mary, and Baby Jesus:
It took a total of 4 (cold) evenings to complete, but the results were worth every minute of it.

Later I purchased a spotlight for 20 bucks to light it up at night. It is a real eye catcher. We will enjoy this new addition to the family for many years to come!