This handmade stable is more than just holiday décor, it’s a heartfelt centerpiece that tells a timeless story. Each shim adds texture like weathered planks, while the moss and star bring life and warmth.
If you love decorations that carry meaning, this one feels almost like crafting a keepsake that will stay in your family for years.
Step 1: Begin by laying out 6–7 shims side by side to form the stable’s back wall. Then adjust them until they line up neatly, then glue them edge to edge.
Step 2: Cut two more shims into angled pieces to form the roofline. You can attach them on top of the back wall in a peaked house shape. Add two vertical shims on either side for support posts.
Step 3: Paint the entire stable with a thin coat of brown or gray paint, brushing lightly so some of the natural wood shows through for a rustic finish. Let it dry.
Step 4: Glue the wooden star at the top center of the roof. Next, add a cluster of Spanish moss along the peak to make it feel more natural.
Step 5: For the manger: cut a small trapezoid from an extra shim, glue it at the center of the wall, then add a tuft of moss on top.
Finally, roll a piece of burlap and place it across the moss like swaddling. Finally, glue the bead as the baby’s head.
Tips: I’ve found it looks better if you let the paint dry unevenly so the wood grain peeks through, it gives it that old-barn charm.
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