Make your own finger puppet nativity scene out of felt! This is a great beginner hand-sewing pattern, as well as a good project for older kids or teens. This free nativity sewing pattern makes a felt Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus.
If there is one way to teach your kids about the Christmas story, it is through play! Re-enactments, story books, playing, are all ways I use to teach my kids the story of the nativity, and these easy and adorable finger puppets are the perfect tool.
This basic DIY nativity set uses a simple hand sewing stitch called the blanket stitch. It is easy to learn and quick to accomplish. There is also optional embroidery stitches used to make the eyes (although you can just draw them on with a pen if you prefer).
All you need to make these puppets are some felt sheets, embroidery thread, scissors, and a pen. Print out the free pattern and get on your way to sewing! Merry Christmas!
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About The Felt Nativity Pattern
This is a beginner hand sewing pattern. It is also a good pattern for older kids to learn to sew.
The colors for this pattern are customizable of course, but I made them with blue for Mary (her traditional color, which represents purity) white for the baby Jesus (in his swaddling clothes) and red for Joseph.
Download The Free Hand Sewing Pattern
The pattern is a PDF printable. Download the printable by entering your email below. When you sign up for emails, I will send the pattern straight to your inbox, so look for it!
Download the sewing pattern and print it at 100% scaling to make sure it is the correct size. I have included a “1 Inch Test Square” on the pattern you can measure to make sure it is printed correctly.
Supplies Needed:
- Sewing Scissors
- Hand Sewing Needle (Thick enough to accommodate embroidery floss)
- Sewing Pin
- Pen
Materials Needed:
- 1 – 6″x6″ Blue Felt (For Mary’s Dress)
- 1 – 6″x6″ Light Blue Felt (For Mary’s veil)
- 1 – 6″x6″ Tan Felt (For the skin)
- 1 – 6″x6″ Maroon or Red Felt (For Joseph’s Robe)
- 1 – 6″x6″ Brown Felt (For Joseph’s Hair)
- 1 – 6″x6″ White Felt (For Jesus’ Swaddle)
- White Embroidery Floss (For Jesus)
- Blue Embroidery Floss (For Mary, and for the eyes)
- Red or Orange Embroidery Floss (For Joseph)
Step 1. Cut out the Sewing Pattern and Pieces
Cut the pattern pieces out of the paper on the black lines. Follow the instructions on the pattern to cut out the appropriate number of pieces from each color of felt.
For the two pieces that have inner holes (the front Baby Jesus piece and Joseph’s beard piece), I found it was easiest to trace the pattern onto the felt with a pen on the wrong side, then fold the felt in half to cut out the hole. Here is an example in the image below:
Step 2. Embroider Mary’s Eyes
Lay the face piece on top of one blue dress piece, then lay the veil piece on top. With a pen, draw on two little “U” shapes to be Mary’s closed eyes.
Remove the veil piece, and pin the face to the front dress piece.
To embroider the eyes, thread some blue embroidery floss on your needle and knot the tail end. Then, starting from the back, embroider the eyes through both layers of felt to attach the face to the dress.
If you have never embroidered before, here is how I did the eyes. I started from the back, poked the needle up to the front through the corner of one eye. Then I inserted my needle a little ways down the line I drew towards the back again.
Then you repeat the stitch while following the line you drew. This is called a Back Stitch. Here is a good video tutorial if you need one.
I used three stitches per eye, one on each side, and one on the bottom to give it a “U” shape.
Once you have finished embroidering the eyes, tie the strings in a knot on the back and trim the threads.
If you prefer, you can just draw the eyes on instead.
Step 3. Sew Mary’s Veil and Dress
Lay the face/dress piece on top of the back dress piece. Then, lay the veil piece on top of it all and pin it together.
If any pieces stick out a bit, trim them so everything lines up well.
You are now going to sew blanket stitches around the entire top curve of the puppet. Don’t sew the bottom of the puppet or you wont have a place for your fingers.
Sew the stitches about an 8th inch from the edge and about 1/4 inch apart.
Starting at the bottom corner, insert your needle from front to back but only through the back layer. This will hide the knot inside the puppet. Then, re align the layers and continue to stitch through them all
To make a blanket stitch, insert your needle through the front, but don’t pull the thread all the way through. Leave a small loop, then sew back through the loop to the front again. Pull to tighten, and repeat.
If you are new to blanket stitches, here is a great video tutorial.
Make sure to frequently check the back of the puppet as you stitch and sew through all the layers.
When you have blanket stitched around the top curve of the puppet, end the way you started by hiding your final knot inside the puppet.
That completes the Mary Finger Puppet!
Step 4. Embroider Joseph’s Eyes and Face
Like you did with the Mary finger puppet, you are first going to lay the felt beard on top of the face and draw where the eyes should be.
Then, remove the beard piece and lay the face on top of the front robe piece.
Embroider on the eyes the same way you did with Mary’s eyes, Attaching the face to the front robe piece.
Step 5. Sew the Joseph Finger Puppet Together
Finally, lay the beard on top, and the back robe piece on bottom, and pin all the layers together.
Then blanket stitch over the entire top curve of the puppet, making sure to catch all the layers. Leave the bottom open.
This completes the Joseph Puppet!
Step 6. Embroider Baby Jesus’s Eyes
To make the baby Jesus puppet, the method is similar as before. Lay the top felt piece on top of the face and draw where the eyes should go.
Then, remove the top piece and embroider on the eyes. This time, only embroider the eyes to the face piece.
Step 7. Sew The baby Jesus Puppet Pieces Together
To blanket stitch the baby Jesus, you will stitch through all the layers around the entire top curve of the puppet, but you will also blanket stitch through the first two layers around the bottom.
This will leave a space for the finger to fit in, but also finish the bottom edge of the puppet to make it look better.
Start near the bottom before the curve, and blanket stitch up and around. When you get to the opposite bottom “corner”, start only making your blanket stitches through the first two layers. Continue around the bottom of the puppet and end where you began.
This completes the Baby Jesus Puppet!
My kids loved these puppets and I hope yours do too!
I hope you enjoyed this tutorial. Next my kids are requesting that I make some sheep, wise men, and shepherds! If you would like to stay in touch to know when I make those next tutorials, make sure to sign up for emails below!
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