DIY Nativity Costumes for a Perfect Nativity Scene

If you are acting out the Christmas story, chances are you want some awesome nativity costumes to go along with its telling. Well, this post is all about where to find nativity costumes and how to make your own nativity costumes for both adults and kids!

When it comes to a Christmas costume idea, why not make your own DIY nativity costumes? They’re the perfect way to celebrate the festive season while dressing up in different costumes like various nativity characters. This is great fun for a live nativity at church or even for a school nativity play or school play. I’ve given you some easy ideas on how to make your own costume to celebrate the birth of baby Jesus.

Acting out the nativity story found in Luke 2 is a favorite Christmas tradition for many families and churches.

I know growing up we would often dress up and do a “Little Bethlehem” at church and would dress up in nativity costumes and set up shops where we could buy Bethlehem bread and other goods, like Mary and Joseph might have.

In our family, on Christmas Eve we would often dress up in bathrobes and whatever other fabrics and materials we had on hand and represent the various people or animals in the Nativity story.

A few years ago, we did this retelling of the nativity story with bathrobes, ties, donkey costumes, and a baby doll at my brother’s house with all the kids and it was so much fun! 

Here in Texas, there is a yearly Christmas festival near us called “Sights and Sounds” and every year they have a Little Town of Bethlehem village and live nativity scene.

We have at times visited other live nativities at Christmas time too and it always a wonderful Christmas tradition.

When we lived in Utah, we even went to a nativity play called Savior of the World up in Salt Lake City in a formal theater and it was excellent (P.S. They have their entire script, music, and costume ideas online for free here)!

I love all things Nativity as it celebrates the true meaning of Christmas! It’s why I love pulling out our kid nativity sets, nativity coloring pages for kids, and children’s Christmas books that focus on the nativity story.

If you have need for nativity costumes for whatever occasion, I have put together the following information for you! I found a list of characters/costumes you might need (depending on the size of your production), a list of places to buy nativity costumes, great DIY nativity costumes, and cheap nativity costumes.

All Things Nativity Costumes

Nativity Costumes Needed for Nativity Scene Play

How many nativity costumes you need in order to put on a proper nativity scene will depend largely on the number of people you have putting on the show. Obviously, at the bare minimum, you need the star players – Mary, Joseph, and Jesus.

An innkeeper, donkey, angel, shepherds, and sheep are also very common to have in your nativity scene as well. I’ve listed out all the many different characters and animals and extras you can have in a play, in case you have more people than leading roles.

Human Nativity Costumes:

• Mary
• Joseph
• Baby Jesus
• InnKeeper
• Shepherds
• Three Wisemen (aka Three Kings)
• King Herod
• Angels
• Little Drummer Boy

Nativity Animals Costumes:

• Donkey
• Cow
• Ox
• Lamb or Sheep
• Camel

Additional Nativity Costumes:

• Star

Where to Buy Nativity Costumes

First, I’m going to share some places where you can buy nativity costumes, in case you don’t have time to make homemade nativity costumes, lack the skills to do so, or simply don’t want to do so, and in case you already know exactly what you need and what you are looking for.

Some of the best places to buy nativity costumes from are:

• Amazon 
• HalloweenCostumes.com
• Oriental Trading Company
• Party City
• ChristianNativityCostumes.com
• Etsy
• eBay

Some of them offer cheap nativity costumes and some offer some very high-quality handmade nativity costumes that you can hopefully use year after year for nativity plays and performances.

All of them sell both adult nativity costumes and kids nativity costumes so you can outfit your needs.

DIY Nativity Costume Ideas for People in Story

If you are looking to make nativity costumes for children, I have found a great list of DIY nativity costumes for each animal or human mentioned in most nativity plays! Many of these are very easy nativity costumes to make or put together. Sometimes, I think the best costumes are the homemade nativity costumes anyway.

You can find nativity costume patterns on Etsy and on Amazon as well.

The great thing about the nativity costume patterns is that most feature all of the key (human) characters needed for the play for one low cost. You then have a very specific guidelines to follow and can reuse patterns year after year and easily go up or down in sizes.

If you prefer to sew costumes yourself and like having those patterns, check out the following nativity costume sewing patterns:

• McCall’s 2339 (adults)
• Simplicity 4795 (teens to adults)
• Simplicity 8275 (teens to adults)
• Simplicity 7031 (men)
• Simplicity 7029 (children)
• McCall’s 7733 (children)
• Burda 2438 (children)
• McCall’s 8436 (children)

I know most people really want easy nativity costumes, so what is easier than not having to know how to use a sewing machine?

I found a few no-sew nativity costumes tutorials that you can use to create your own unique nativity costumes for adults or children.

This generic no sew bible costume from Adventures in Mommydom is an easy template for the basic robe look that can be applied to many different characters.

And if you are sewing costumes, check out my friend’s list for the best places to buy fabric online.

Baby Jesus Nativity Costume

Okay, there aren’t any tutorials for this… Jesus was wrapped in swaddling clothes and placed in a manger. As long as your baby doll or actual baby is swaddled in a linen blanket or some kind, you’re good to go!

Joseph Nativity Costume

Although Joseph was a carpenter, he is most often portrayed in clothes very similar to the shepherds. However, you can use the Simplicity 7031 sewing pattern for an adult Joseph costume. You can pick up the Simplicity 8930 sewing pattern for kid Joseph costumes.

Otherwise, check out the tutorials listed under “Shepherds Nativity Costume” below.

Mary Costumes for Nativity

You can get Mary costume sewing patterns McCall’s 2339, McCall’s 2060, or Simplicity 8275 for adults or Simplicity 7029 for children.

Here is how to make a mary costume for nativity play that is no-sew!

King Herod Nativity Costumes

This majestic caped King Herod costume based on a McCall’s 7733 vintage pattern is fantastic looking!

If you want some inspiration for a frugal (and less work) King Herod costume, check out the one on blue Jeans and Cotton Tees.

I honestly couldn’t find many DIY Herod costumes online, well other than just some basic togas and crowns. You might want to pick up one at Amazon.

Wisemen, Magi, or Three Kings Nativity Costumes

If you want a sewing pattern, check out the Simplicity 7031 patterns or the Burda 2438 for Magi children’s costume patterns.

This is a great tutorial from Doole Craft Blog for making three wise men beards for kids (or adults!).

Here’s a great felt Wiseman crown tutorial from Somewhat Simple.

Or you can make a pipe cleaner crown!

If you want something real fancy, here’s how to make a fancy king crown thanks to eHow.

Here is a simple no-sew wise men nativity costume on Net Mums.

Shepherds Nativity Costumes

Shepherd costumes are SO common and there are some really easy ways to make a DIY shepherd costume for a nativity play. But, if you want to sew one using a pattern, check out the Simplicity 8275, McCalls’ M2339, Simplicity 7031, Simplicity 4795, or McCall’s 8436 for children.

Talk about easy! This DIY shepherds headwear is no-sew and uses just a pillowcase!

This 10-minute nativity shepherd costume uses a towel and other things you likely already have on hand.

Here is a no-sew simple shepherd costume tutorial from Net Mums.

Nativity Play Innkeeper Costume

I also haven’t found many specific innkeeper costume DIY tutorials online. Many just use a general “Bible Costume” approach to the characters’ wardrobe or buy a costume from one of the places listed above. I think this is because he isn’t often portrayed in the nativity story narrative in plays.

Check out the shepherd costume ideas or buy one online.

Angel Nativity Costume

There are several angel sewing patterns available:

• McCall’s 2339 (adults)
• Simplicity 4795 (teens to adults)
• Simplicity 8275 (teens to adults)
• Simplicity 7029 (children)
• McCall’s 7733 (children)

Here is a great way to make kids angel wings from a paper plate thanks to Net Mums.

Net Mums also has a tutorial on making a simple no-sew angel costume.

Jane.com has a great DIY nativity angel robe tutorial.

I love this peasant dress DIY angel costume from Scattered Thoughts from a Crafty Mom.

DIY Nativity Costume Ideas for Animals in Story

Nativity Cow Costume or Ox Costume Nativity

Thanks to Chick-fil-A having their annual “dress like a cow day” there are lots of cow costume tutorials online, but I sought out ones that are better suited for a real play, rather than implying you are a cow (if that makes sense).

There are also a few vintage sewing patterns (that also include other animals) that you can use (all of which are for children): McCall’s 7894, Simplicity 8582, and McCall’s 8331 for toddlers.

Here is a simple way of making your own cow ears headbands.

Coolest Handmade Costumes has a fun Holstein cow costume tutorial.

If you have a baby you want to dress up as a cow, this baby cow costume with udders is stinking adorable!

This no sew cow costume uses a matching set of sweats and turned out really well!

Nativity Donkey Costume

Here is a very simple donkey costume that your child can throw over themselves as they crawl on all fours.

Nativity Camel Costume

eHow has a tutorial on how to make a camel costume and Love to Know has some camel costume ideas too.

It was hard to find a lot of great detailed tutorials with pictures online, though I found some images of homemade camel costumes on Pinterest like this one, but they weren’t credited with a source or instructions.

Lamb and Sheep nativity costumes

While not an entire costume, this paper plate sheep mask from Kids Craft Room is cheap and easy to make yourself and just have your child wear white and you could be ready to go!

A cute lamb costume for a kid, this DIY lamb costume based on a pattern is super cute and warm looking!

Here is a fun cotton ball DIY sheep costume for adults from Pancakes and Glue Guns.

Martha Stewart even sports her own homemade lamb costume tutorial, complete with adorable hat.

Ehow has a tutorial on how to make costume sheep ears using a headband.

Nativity Star Costume

This no-sew star costume is easy to make and really cute! (note it is translated into English from Spanish for your convenience).

What are supplies needed to make a full costume?

It just depends on the character that you’re making. Having long brown or white fabric is a great idea for last minute creations. You can also use a gold rope to make a belt around a child’s waist.

Face paints are fun for the animals and you can use silver pipe cleaners or silver tinsel to create the star and star points. Don’t forget that wrapping paper is a really good background to use if you’re making a play!

Also, don’t forget to look around in your own clothes to see if you have a piece of material or a long sleeved t-shirt or long skirt that you’re not using. This is a cheap way to creat costumes without having to buy something new!

I hope you found some useful ideas and inspiration when it comes to knowing how to make children’s nativity costumes, buying nativity costumes, and making adult nativity costumes too! God bless you in your nativity scene performances! May the Spirit of its message be felt by all, no matter how well made the costumes may or may not be.