Classic Nativity Scene SVG

About this design

Everything people expect from a Nativity is here, in one compact picture. A peaked wooden stable frames the scene, with Mary kneeling on the left, Joseph standing on the right with his staff, and the baby asleep on a mound of hay between them. A gold star sits at the top of the roof.

The figures are simple on purpose. Faces have no features, the robes are a few smooth shapes, and a cut line separates each part from the next, so the picture still reads clearly from across a room or at the size of a card.

Pieces and weeding

The solid file has 27 pieces and no cut-outs. The pieces are the stable beams, the back wall, the ground, the star and the separate parts of each figure: robes, head coverings, faces, hands, the staff, the manger, the hay and the baby. The thin lines between them are what you weed away, so the parts need something to hold them in position: transfer tape for vinyl, or a backing card for paper. It passes our cut checks from about 4 inches wide.

Color layers

• Base and lines in deep navy: a solid backing that shows as the lines and the thin edge
• Stable and animals in warm brown: the beams, the ground, the manger, the staff and Joseph’s beard
• Blue robes in mid blue: Mary’s robe and head covering
• Red robes in brick red: Joseph’s robe
• Cream parts in cream: the back wall, Joseph’s head covering and the baby’s wrap
• Faces and hands in warm tan: the skin tones
• Star and gold in gold: the star, the hay and the circle behind the baby’s head

Making it in layers

1. Size the design at 6 inches or wider, which makes the small parts much easier to handle.
2. Cut the base layer from navy cardstock.
3. Cut each color from its own card, keeping the figures grouped on the mat.
4. Glue the wall and stable down first, then the robes, then the faces and hands.
5. Finish with the manger, the hay, the baby and the star.

For a quicker result, print the color file on cardstock and use Print Then Cut, which leaves only the outer shape to cut.

Where it works best

• Christmas cards with the scene as a layered front panel.
• Church bulletin covers and Sunday school handouts.
• Framed shadow boxes on a mantel through Advent.
• Wooden signs, painted by layer from a stencil.
• Tote bags and shirts in layered iron-on vinyl at a generous size.

Size guide

Below 4 inches the faces and hands get too small to cut cleanly, so use Print Then Cut for anything smaller.

Color ideas

• Soft sage and dusty rose robes for a muted, vintage look
• Everything in kraft and cream, with only the star in gold foil card
• A deep burgundy stable for a richer, warmer scene

Pairs well with

The Star of Bethlehem makes a matching card insert, and the Three Wise Men on Camels can travel across the same mantel display.