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enjoythejourney
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| Posted: Dec 04 2006 at 3:36pm | IP Logged
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We are celebrating advent this year and I really wanted to put a manger beneath our tree...adding straw as the season goes by and then a baby Jesus appearing (baby doll) Christmas morn.
I have not been able to find one and alas, my crafty hubby isn't a woodcarver at all.
Any ideas?
It is slipping away day by day so I'd like to find one soon.
Lindsey @ enjoythejourney
http://www.justenjoythejourney.blogspot.com
http://www.advent4evangelicals.blogspot.com
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ElizLeone
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| Posted: Dec 04 2006 at 3:40pm | IP Logged
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Try this link for an idea that we are using this year:
http://www.ewtn.com/CatholicCrafts/manger.htm
I was always at sort of a loss for what to use for a manger and straw. This solved the problem for us, and gives us a bigger sized "manger" than what we've used in previous years.
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7 kids, 1 little saint
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Our Adoption
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JennGM
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| Posted: Dec 04 2006 at 3:41pm | IP Logged
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Try looking in your closets...a decorated shoe box would work for this year. I used shoe boxes when I taught first grade. You could do some cutting around the top to give a little decoration.
I have the same dilemma, actually. I have the same manger and baby Jesus as Rebecca, but it doesn't hold the straw well. And I prefer using a baby doll so that my son can hold him. I have the kind of doll my mother used, but don't have a workshop or saw or crafty husband around.
My mother is tracing the plans for her manger, which is REALLY simple, and I can pm them to you when I get them. I think I could even go to Lowe's and pay for a few cuts and get it done.
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Jennifer G. Miller
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Family in Feast and Feria
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Carole N.
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| Posted: Dec 04 2006 at 3:47pm | IP Logged
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Jenn,
Could you some how include the plans for everyone? I think my husband and son would love to build a manger. It sounds like a great project for the family. And I desperately want to include a manger in our Advent celebration.
Thanks.
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 Carole ... in Wales
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alicegunther
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| Posted: Dec 04 2006 at 6:12pm | IP Logged
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We have used the wooden crates from clementines with great success. They are wooden and the perfect size for a doll. With a bit of straw they make the perfect, perfect humble manger.
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Love, Alice
mother of seven!
     
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Brew yourself a cup of tea, and come for a visit!
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ElizLeone
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| Posted: Dec 04 2006 at 9:26pm | IP Logged
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We just got our clementine crate all set up tonight. (Yes, we're a little behind.) We glued brown paper from grocery bags to cover up the sides that hide the clementine logos. Wa-la! A perfect manger! In looking at it now, however, I'm realizing that there will be a whole lot of good deeds required from all of us to fill up that crate! 
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CathinCoffeland
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| Posted: Dec 04 2006 at 10:03pm | IP Logged
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we use little "potato" baskets from our craft store
they are about the size to hold a large potato (hence the name i guess ) they look like mini moses baskets not exactly a wooden manger but they are cute filled with contruction paper straw and only cost a buck so there is one for each kiddo by there bed on christmas eve.
They also have doll sized moses baskets and unpainted wooden cradles and bread boxes taht could be nice for under ten dollars at our craft store.
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Erin
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Lindsey
Do you have daughters? My girls donate one of their dolls cradles as the manger, I cover it with a sheet to hid the pink and we are ready. As for straw I go to my local prodcuce store and ask for some hay that has fallen from their bales. Some years we have cut up paper strips for hay but the dc prefer the real thing.
Oh if your dc are minus dolls cradles check out garage sales or ask to borrow one from friends.
Jenn,
Love to see your mum's plans on your blog
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Erin
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Cici
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| Posted: Dec 05 2006 at 6:58pm | IP Logged
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These are great ideas as I was wondering the same thing. And, as I was trying to decide to buy either a 12 or 16 inch baby Jesus (it's the big decisions that get ya, ya know? ).
Anyway, if you're looking for something like the one pictured on Rebecca's blog you can look:
here
here (this lady's Ebay store also sells the Infant Jesus in several sizes)
here (EWTN has other sizes, too - but these are all considerably more expensive that the others)
here
and a very very real life like one here
I think this year, though, I'm going to go the way of the Clementines...
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JennGM
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| Posted: Dec 05 2006 at 8:06pm | IP Logged
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I hope to post pictures of my mom's simple manger tomorrow, as she dropped it by today. I agree that the Clementine is perfect, but very big and deep, especially for one child filling it with straws!
My mother also used a baby doll, so it would sweet and cuddly for the children to hold. I bought a similar one on eBay...just need to make the swaddling clothes. I think it's a Ginnette doll by Vogue, 6-8", like this one.
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Jennifer G. Miller
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Family in Feast and Feria
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JennGM
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| Posted: Dec 09 2006 at 12:04pm | IP Logged
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Finally getting around to posting pictures. Dh is actually making the Christmas tree platform and manger for us this weekend. Yeah! Our first woodworking projects!
So these are pictures of my mother's manger. Her brother-in-law made it out of some scrap shelving material, so that's the black and rounded edges. I'll have to stain mine. The triangular bottom of the manger is ideal for giving the sense of accomplishment in filling with straws. It's a very simple pattern.
The boards are about 3/4 to 1" thick. The insides of the manger are 11 3/4" long. One board is 4 3/4" wide, and the other is 5 1/2" wide. The sides (x 2) are 5 1/2" tall, and at the lowest point is 5" and tapers into 8" wide at the top.
The straws we used when I was young were from packing material, wood shavings, from statues we had. Now the craft stores sell small bags of "straw"...longer wooden shavings, but not messy.
Now to find the Baby Jesus doll (can't remember where I put it) and make the swaddling clothes.
Full View
Side View
Top view
Other Side View
Bottom Full view
Bottom, Angle View
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Jennifer G. Miller
Wife to & ds1 '03 & ds2 '07
Family in Feast and Feria
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alicegunther
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| Posted: Dec 09 2006 at 12:58pm | IP Logged
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Wow, Jenn, what a gorgeous and sturdy-looking manger! That is destined to be a family heirloom, loved and passed on across the generations!
Beautiful!
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Love, Alice
mother of seven!
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Brew yourself a cup of tea, and come for a visit!
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MichelleW
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Jenn!
That looks exactly like our *real* pig trough (only smaller and ours isn't painted. How very authentic.
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Michelle
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JennGM
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| Posted: Dec 09 2006 at 4:53pm | IP Logged
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MichelleW wrote:
Jenn!
That looks exactly like our *real* pig trough (only smaller and ours isn't painted. How very authentic. |
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Interesting. My uncle was raised on a farm, and did a little homesteading off and on...so that would explain it. As a city girl, I wouldn't have recognized it as a pig trough, but did think I saw pictures of similar designs. That makes it even more special to me!
Dh is making mine as I write! Yippee!
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Jennifer G. Miller
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Topic: Where can I find a manger?
