Nativity Vinyl Glass Ball Ornaments

Seven nativity designs in delicate silhouette style

to cut from vinyl, attach to cut acetate or vinyl 

insert shape, roll into a tube, and place inside 

a 3" glass ball, add artificial snow

if desired, add bow or other decoration,

then feature on Christmas tree or other displays.

These scale-able vector graphic (svg) downloads

are available from SnapDragon Snippets,

SVG Attic, and Silhouette America's online store,

to work with digital cutting systems such as

the Silhouette Cameo (our favorite) as well as

Cricut Design Space and others.

Here is the set of designs:

ASSEMBLE: 1.Obtain glass ball ornaments.

Designs are sized 3.1" size which work well 

with the  "Celebrate It" balls from Michael's Crafts; 

also included are the slightly reduced designs 

for the 2.6" balls.

2. Cut the selected size design from vinyl.

Since these designs are very small, several may

be set up in one or more rows when 
preparing to cut. Allow space between the

designs for trimming. Trim each with a small

margin around the component cuts, like the area

of white backing shown on the "Holy Family" design

being modeled in the image below.

NOTE that a good choice is "outdoor vinyl" 
such as Oracal 651 which has a stronger adhesive 
to help keep tiny pieces attached to backing 
during the weeding procedures.

3. The tiny details of these designs will require careful

and slow weeding to remove all excess around

and within the design components. 

Refer to the thumbnails

which appear with the downloads, 

or to the image above to preserve only the design.

4. Cut the ball insert shape from clear acetate.

5. Cut a piece of transfer "tape" paper,

remove backing, and place over the weeded

vinyl design.

6. Use a "scraper" to "burnish" the transfer paper

over the vinyl pieces to ensure they will be picked

up correctly and completely.

7. Carefully peel away the vinyl carrier sheet

leaving ALL vinyl pieces attached to the

transfer paper.

8. Position the vinyl on the front of the 

clear ball shape.

One way to do this is (without a lot of inadvertent sticking
of transfer tape) to place the clear ball shape

ON TOP of the carrier with vinyl and 
adjust the vinyl design compared to the ball shape

up/down and side-to-side.

Once desired position is determined, trim away the 

transfer paper even with the clear ball shape.

Next, move the clear shape to be in its final position

 BEHIND the vinyl/transfer paper, aligning the lower

edges of both, and visually adjusting before

allowing the transfer paper to "stick" in final position.

9. Burnish with scraper tool to attach the vinyl

shapes to the front of the clear ball shape.

10. Carefully peel away transfer paper,

making sure that each tiny detail of vinyl

remains in position attached to the acetate.

Here is the completed acetate shape.

11. Remove the top cap and wire loop of glass ball.

12. Carefully roll the completed design side-to-side

with vinyl on the inside . . .

. . . then insert the roll through the ball stem.

When the acetate unrolls, make sure that it

self-adjusts to be in the center of the ball

with the "stem" extension in the ball's neck.

Straighten, if necessary, with tweezers.

13. Replace cap and wire loop.

14. If desired, add some fake snow flakes

into the bottom of the ball prior to

re-attaching the cap and loop.

Embellish with ribbon at stem as desired.

Nativity Scene Box Card Construction Guide

Create this miniature and dimensional

nativity scene as a card that can fold flat to send,

then "pop out" to use as a seasonal decoration.

Three bridges place the manger with baby Jesus,

Mary, and Joseph at different depths

for a realistic perspective.

Post and rail partitions decorate the side flaps,

straw or hay spills from the top of the front flap

with delicate "O Holy Night" letter cutout.

Back panel is a see-thru stable with star and star burst.

Cut file is (soon) available from

SnapDragonSnippets.com, 

and Silhouette America's online store.

ASSEMBLY:

1. Identify and cut the shapes:

A box card base

B front accent panels in position

C back section overlay (cut 2 sets, optional)

D stable roof with star and burst layers

E front flap overlay with O Holy Night cutout

F side flap overlays with rails

G hay assembly with base and pieces

H Baby Jesus figure with bridge strip

I May figure with bridge strip

J Josph figure with bridge strip

2. Position and attach front box accent panels, and optional backside stable overlay with roof.

3. Assemble the hay unit. NOTE that this sample has the BASE hay shape cut from color 1 darkest tan, four spikes from color 2 second darkest tan, three spikes cut from color 3 deep yellow, and two spikes cut from color 4 yellow. 

You may choose to use more colors.

Here you can see the final assembly. NOTE that some of the base shape (color 1) is still exposed.

4. Layer the side flap accent rail/post base shape with rails on top. Position these over the side flaps offset within the shaped edges of the flaps. Assemble the plaque shape with hay extended beyond perf line, and word cutouts on the card front flap.

NOTE that these shape assemblies are being attached to the backside of the card base, since the front side was where the shapes were attached in step 2 above.

5. Layer the star beam base and accent shape offset centered over the top.

6. Position the beam assembly behind the top of the back flap (stable and roof are the front, as well as being on the inside of the finished box). Glue in place.

7. Position and attach the layered star assembly over the front of the stable roof.

8. Form the box base (with all its assembly) into a tube to bring the side edge and flange tab perforation line together, apply glue to the tab, overlap straight edge to tab line and apply pressure until the seam is secure.

9. Fold bridge strip end tabs back. 

Assemble the figures over their base shapes. NOTE that Joseph's staff will be layered UNDER the robe, sleeve and hand.

10. Position and attach figures on their bridge strips, overlapping approx. 1/4" of lower figure edge at strip top. JOSEPH: left as far as possible, front of strip. MARY: right as far as possible behind strip. BABY JESUS: centered, with exposed base margin behind strip (manger lower edge will abut at strip edge).

11. OPTIONAL: for better visibility, consider careful inking of eye cutouts. Use fine stylus or push pin tip "dipped" into pen ink for baby.

12. With end tabs back, apply glue to tabs, then insert Mary bridge into box interior and CENTER it front-to-back. Press tabs to attach in place to box interior sides, and apply pressure to secure.

BEFORE glue is completely cured . . .

. . . fold the box assembly into its FLATTENED position and apply pressure in the area where the tabs are joined behind layers.

This allows the bridge ends to adjust a bit so that the card will be able to be flattened to send.

(Repeat this folding flat/adjustment step as each bridge is positioned and joined.)

13. Position the Baby Jesus bridge assembly half way in the space forward of the Mary bridge, following the same procedure as in step 12 above.

14. Position the Joseph bridge assembly  half way in the space behind the Mary bridge following the same procedures as in step 12.

Here is the card folded into its flattened position ready to insert into a sized-right envelope.

Here is the completed box card opened.