Outdoor Nativity Scene: How to Set Up a Nativity in Your Yard

Blow molds

The hollow, lighted plastic figures many of us grew up with. The two big American makers stopped: Union Products of Leominster, Massachusetts, in the mid-2000s, and General Foam Plastics of Virginia after the 2017 season (a short history). Cado, in Massachusetts, now makes the Union designs again, and they’re sold at Home Depot and Lowe’s. When we checked, Walmart listed a 3-piece Union Products LED Holy Family for $149.99, and a 24-inch lighted Holy Family for $44.92 (Walmart). Vintage blow molds also turn up at yard sales.

Wooden silhouettes

Flat figures cut from plywood and painted, often in black or white, lit by a spotlight. Simple, sturdy, and easy to make yourself (see below).

Resin and fiberglass sets

Painted figures that look like an indoor set, made for the weather. They’re heavier and cost more; a full outdoor resin set ran about $200 at Walmart.

Inflatables

Quick to set up and store. Four- to six-foot inflatable nativities ran $50 to $140 when we checked. They need a fan running and good tethering.

Lighted wire and LED sets

Outlines of the figures in lights. Best seen at night, and almost invisible during the day.

1. Get the wood

   Use ½-inch exterior plywood. One 4-by-8-foot sheet makes the Holy Family and a few small figures. Most home centers will make the first big cuts for you.

2. Draw the figures

   Sketch simple shapes: Mary kneeling, Joseph standing with a staff, a manger, a star. A projector or a printed outline traced with carbon paper makes it easier. Simple shapes read best from the street.

3. Cut

   A grown-up cuts the shapes with a jigsaw. Sand the edges smooth.

4. Paint

   Prime, then paint with exterior paint. Black silhouettes in front of a white wall or light-colored bushes are classic. White figures show up well in a spotlight.

5. Stake

   Screw a wooden stake or a short piece of rebar to the back of each figure and drive it into the ground. Two stakes per figure keep it from spinning in the wind.

• Pick a spot you can see from the street, with a plain background behind it: a hedge, a wall, the side of the house.
• Stay close to an outdoor outlet so you need fewer extension cords.
• Keep it off the sidewalk and out of the way of the mailbox, the driveway and snow plows.
• Light it from the front. One outdoor spotlight aimed at the scene, or a few warm lights around the stable, is enough.
• Group the figures. Put the Holy Family in the center and the shepherds and animals around them, close enough to look like one scene.

• Weigh down blow molds. Put sand or gravel inside, sealed in zipper bags so wet sand doesn’t stain the plastic.
• Stake everything. Use two stakes per figure, or rebar driven into the ground and tied to the figure with zip ties.
• Use a base. Screwing figures to a pallet or a board holds them steady and makes them harder to carry off.
• Tie down inflatables with every tether that came in the box, and turn them off in high winds.
• Brush off heavy snow, and let everything dry before you store it.

These tips come from experienced decorators at Planet Christmas.

• Use lights and cords marked for outdoor use, and plug them into a GFCI-protected outlet (the kind with “test” and “reset” buttons).
• Keep plugs and connections off the ground, out of snow and puddles, and don’t pinch cords in doors or windows.
• Stay at least 10 feet away from power lines when you put up lights.
• Check for damage. Throw out any cord or string with cracked wires or broken sockets.
• Use a timer, so the lights go off overnight. It saves power and is easier on the neighbors.
• Route cords along the edges of the yard and walkways so no one trips.

Sources: Electrical Safety Foundation International and UL Standards & Engagement.

Baby Jesus figures disappear from outdoor nativities every Christmas, usually as a prank. Some come back: in Fort Collins, Colorado, a stolen Baby Jesus was returned to a fire station a few days later with a note of apology (Colorado Public Radio). A few easy steps help:

• Screw small figures to a base or the manger, or tie them on with a thin steel cable.
• Put Baby Jesus out on Christmas Eve, as many families do anyway, and bring him inside at night if you like.
• A motion-sensor light or a doorbell camera pointed at the scene is a strong deterrent.

On your own property, a nativity is your right to display. The First Amendment limits what the government does, not what private homeowners put in their yards (First Amendment Museum). But homeowners associations can set reasonable rules for all holiday decorations, such as how early they go up, how big they are and when lights turn off (examples of HOA rules). Read your HOA documents before you build anything large.

Nativity scenes on public land, like a town green or a courthouse lawn, are a different legal question, shaped by Supreme Court cases such as Lynch v. Donnelly (1984) and County of Allegheny v. ACLU (1989). This page isn’t legal advice; if your town or parish is planning a public display, ask a lawyer.

Many families put up the outdoor nativity after Thanksgiving or on the First Sunday of Advent (November 29, 2026), with the manger empty. Baby Jesus goes in on Christmas Eve, and the Wise Men arrive on the Feast of the Epiphany (Sunday, January 3, 2027 in the US). Christmas ends with the Baptism of the Lord on January 10, 2027, a good day to take it down. More in when to put up the nativity.

Before storing, let everything dry completely. Keep plastic figures out of direct sun in the off-season, and test the bulbs before next Christmas.