3D Cardstock Nativity Pallet

I have been to a lot of boutiques and craft stores lately, and have noticed that there are a lot of really beautiful decor pieces that use laser cut images. Some of the laser cut images are thin wood, and others are metal. I love the detail, and the 3D of laser cutting, but I didn’t love the price tag. One piece I saw was a Nativity. I felt like I had seen it before, when I realized “Hey! That looks just like my Darice manger die!” So being the DIY’er that I am, I went home and figured out a way to make my own! With cardstock! This project cost me less than six bucks! And I love it every bit as much as the higher-priced nativity art ideas that I’ve seen.

Supplies needed to make your own Nativity Art Ideas:

• DIY Wood Pallet Art Canvas
• Darice Manger Die Cut
• Americana Decor White Chalk Paint
• Walnut Woodtone Stain (or other stain)
• 12 x 12 Cardstock Sheet: Jet Black
• Xyron Permanent Adhesive (or other adhesive)
• Grafix Rubber Cement Pick Up

Begin by staining your wooden pallet. You can do a quick job of this, since you will be painting over it. This is just to make the wood look aged.

Let the stain dry, and then coat the pallet with white chalk paint.

Before the paint is completely dry, take a damp cloth or disposable wipe and lift some of the paint down to expose the stain underneath.

This is a quick technique to get new wood to look like rustic/ farmhouse-y goodness! Let the paint dry.

Cut 12 x 12″ black cardstock into 6 x 6″ squares.

Run your cardstock and manger die through your die cut machine according to the manufacturer directions.

Continue to cut until you have about 12 die cut images.

Clean your die cut images up- remove any small pieces.

Then begin adhering your die cut images to your pallet.

Center your first image on the pallet, and then start adding additional die cut images, layering the images.

The great thing about die cut images is that they line up perfectly, even the intricate rays of light at the top!

I used a Xyron adhesive machine for my multiple layers, but you could use any adhesive. Just make sure the adhesive will allow the layered images to lay flat. I would not recommend a glue gun, or other thick adhesive. You can experiment on some of the die cut scraps.

When you get 10-12 layers adhered, and like the thickness, clean up any stray adhesive with a rubber eraser.

Look at the dimension! No one will believe it is simple cardstock!

Find a place to display your new creation!

What nativity art ideas have you seen that you’d re-create for your home?

Shaunte

Shaunte is a 30-something, chocolate-loving, SAHM from Utah. She has been scrapbooking since 1997, the dreaded era of photos cropped with deco scissors. Since then, her work has evolved into a clean, linear, photo-focused style. Her favorite subjects to scrap are her husband and five kids (never a lack for subject material there).