Free to print

Printable Nativity Scene: Free Stand-Up Figures to Cut Out

A free nativity scene to print, color, cut out and stand up: the Holy Family, the angel, the shepherds, the Wise Men, the animals and a fold-up stable, on three sheets of US Letter paper.

Print it, color it, cut it out, and you have a whole nativity scene that stands up on a table or a windowsill. It’s free, it fits on three sheets of US Letter paper, and it comes in two versions: one in full color, and one in black outlines for kids to color.

Page 1 of the printable stand-up nativity: Mary, Joseph, Baby Jesus, the angel, a shepherd and the star, ready to cut and fold
Page 1 of the color version: the Holy Family, the angel, a shepherd and the star.

Download the color version (PDF) Download the version to color (PDF)

What’s included

Eleven figures, a star, two palm trees and a stable
Page 1: the Holy Family
Mary, Joseph, Baby Jesus in the manger, the angel, a shepherd with his lamb, and the star.
Page 2: the Wise Men and the animals
Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar with their gifts, the ox, the donkey and a sheep. Print this page twice for a bigger flock.
Page 3: the stable
A fold-up stable with a starry night sky behind it, and two palm trees.
Coloring version of the printable stand-up nativity in black outline
The version to color: the same figures in clean black outlines.

How to make it

Print, color, cut, fold

  1. Print

    Use cardstock if you have it (65 lb cardstock from any office or craft aisle works well). Regular printer paper works too, it’s just a little floppier. In the print settings, choose “Actual size” or 100%, not “Fit to page”.

  2. Color

    If you printed the version to color, crayons, markers or colored pencils all work. Color both halves of each card: one side is the front, the other is the back.

  3. Cut

    Cut on the solid lines around each card. Little ones can cut the straight edges; a grown-up can take the corners and the stable roof.

  4. Fold

    Fold each card on the dashed line so the figure stands up like a tent, with the picture showing on both sides. A dab of glue stick at the bottom edges keeps it from spreading open.

  5. Set it up

    Fold the two sides of the stable forward on the dashed lines and stand it up. Put the Holy Family inside, the ox and donkey close by, the shepherd and sheep to one side, and the Wise Men a little farther away, on their way. Our guide to setting up a nativity scene has more ideas.

Page 3 of the printable nativity: a fold-up stable with a starry night sky and two palm trees
Page 3: the fold-up stable and two palm trees.

Ways to use it

At home, in class, at church
  • Through Advent. Set up the stable and the animals on the First Sunday of Advent. Add the shepherd and angel along the way, lay Baby Jesus in the manger on Christmas Eve, and move the Wise Men a little closer every day until the Feast of the Epiphany. See when to put up the nativity.
  • In Sunday school or a classroom. Each child colors one figure, and together you build the class nativity.
  • For grandparents and friends. A colored set, folded flat in an envelope, makes a sweet Christmas card.
  • As a travel set. It packs flat, so you can bring the nativity along when you visit family for Christmas.

The printable nativity is free for use at home, at school and in your parish. Please don’t sell it. If you share it, link to this page so others can find it.

More to print and make

Coloring pages and crafts

Want more? Our twelve free nativity coloring pages are bigger, one figure per page, and our nativity crafts for kids include peg dolls, salt dough figures and a shoebox stable.