Add some art to your Christmas learning plans with this mixed media nativity art project inspired by Isaiah 9:6.
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“For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
This mixed media Christmas project is inspired by Isaiah 9:6 and happens my favorite from my 5 Days of Mixed Media Christmas Art series.
As far as the project logistics, kids of all ages can enjoy this activity. Younger kids may need some help with some of the cutting and tracing elements, but the other parts are easily doable for most kids.
Also worth noting, this isn’t a fast project. We did part of this project at night and finished it the next morning.
On that note, this is a great project for fidgety kids because of the drying time involved in the steps. That drying time may seem like a nuisance, but it’s actually a blessing because it gives kids time to get up and move around during the steps.
Now that the logistics are out of the way, let’s get going.
A Child Is Born Christmas Art
Before getting started, be sure you have all of the supplies needed for this mixed media project. If you have crafty kids, it’s likely that you already have most of these items on hand.
- Canvas panels or stretched canvas
- Acrylic paint, contrasting colors are best. (We used black, yellow, and gold.)
- Patterned scrapbook paper
- Sponge Paintbrushes
- Mod Podge
- Paint pens (We used white and gold painters.)
- Pencil with eraser
- Template (optional)
- Sharpie (optional)
Once you’ve got the supplies gathered, it’s time to get started on your A Child Is Born Christmas Art Project.
1. Prepare the background
The first step in this project is an easy one. Have your kiddo thoroughly cover the entire canvas with acrylic paint. My little one used black with a little bit of purple added in for her background.
Encourage your child to choose a paint color that contrasts with your scrapbook paper selections. Using a contrasting paint color will help the other elements of the project stand out when the project is finished.
2. Add paper cutouts
While the background dries, have your child finalize the scrapbook paper choices for the nativity scene. This A Child Is Born Christmas Art involves a good bit of cutting, but this is a great opportunity to use leftover paper scraps since most of the cut-outs are small. Here’s what you’ll need to cut from the paper scraps:
- three small circles for faces
- small star
- two bodies (abstract shapes are fine; arms, legs, and realistic silhouettes aren’t needed.)
- small bundle to represent Baby Jesus
- several small paper strips to go under Baby Jesus (you can’t see these in my daughter’s finished work because of the way she positioned them, but they’re a nice effect.)
- a stable or cave-type structure (You’re welcome to use this template if you wish. The quality isn’t great, but it works for tracing purposes.)
We like to lightly draw these shapes on the back of our scrapbook paper. That allows us to erase and adjust as needed before cutting.
After the cut-outs are ready and the background paint is dry, coat the entire surface with a layer of Mod Podge. This will seal the paint and glue the scrapbook cut-outs to the canvas.
3. Writing and word placement
Your kiddo can gently place the stable scene cut-outs when the canvas is coated with the Mod Podge. Remind him to carefully press down all areas of the cut-outs to ensure they make contact with the Mod Podge.
We added another coat of Mod Podge to cover our cut-outs when the adhesive layer dried, but you can skip this if you like.
When the surface dries, have your child write out the “For unto us a child is born” portion of the scripture using a paint pen. If you haven’t already done so, your child can cut out the paper strips from the template while the paint pen dries.
4. Position scripture descriptions
If you guessed that another layer of Mod Podge is next, you’d be right! Have your kiddo apply the Mod Podge and then carefully position the scripture descriptions from Isaiah 9:6.
5. Accent with paint
When the surface is dry again, your child can add the final touches. Dots of paint can be added in groups of three using a pencil eraser, while a crumbled paper towel can be dipped in another color to fill in any empty areas.
For the dots, my daughter used a shade of yellow in this step, but she chose a champagne glitter finish for the paper towel accent. If he likes, your child can also add smiles to the faces of Baby Jesus, Joseph, and Mary using a Sharpie.
You can display your completed A Child Is Born Christmas Art with an easel or attach a ribbon loop to the back top center of the panel using craft glue.
5 Days of Mixed Media Christmas Art for Kids
Looking for more Christmas art ideas for your kids to enjoy? Don’t miss the others in this 5-day series:
Day 1 – O Christmas Tree
Day 2 – JOY to the World
Day 3 – A Child Is Born
Day 4 – Jingle Bells
Day 5 – O Holy Night
You can also check out our favorite winter art workshop, Winter Wonderland. This fantastic e-course has plenty of Christmas and winter projects to keep your older kids and teens busy all season long. The course covers acrylic and watercolor painting, sketching, chalkboard art, hand lettering, collage art, and more.
The best part is that the course comes with lifetime access. That means you can tackle these projects in your own time with no pressure to complete them by a particular date.
You can learn more about the workshop by clicking the image above or checking out my Winter Wonderland review.
