Build your own garden nativity scene out of wood

Which festive decoration do you prefer: nativity scene or Christmas tree? Three wise men and a manger, or fairy lights and baubles? The nativity scene is a centuries-old tradition, dating back to Saint Francis of Assisi, which the fairly recent diffusion of the Christmas tree has not yet managed to erode, especially here in Italy.

There is no single correct way to set up a nativity scene. But although the content is more or less the same, its appearance can vary, starting with the materials used. Among the classic materials used to make nativity figures you will find terracotta, papier-mâché and, of course, wood: how to make your own wooden nativity scene is the subject of this article.

Create wooden sculptures with a chainsaw

We propose making your DIY nativity scene out of wood, a traditional raw material, using an unconventional tool. Already for over 70 years, the chainsaw has been used alongside more orthodox hand tools (knives, chisels, and so on) to carve wooden sculptures. The “experimental” technique of chainsaw carving was actually invented in the United States, but over time it has gradually taken on its own identity and spread overseas.

Just like the chisel and other traditional hand carving tools, the chainsaw works by removing material. That is, it shaves material from an unfinished workpiece, generally to obtain well-rounded sculptures that are sculpted on all sides. Carving wood with a chainsaw requires good familiarity with the machine. Ideally, it should also be equipped with specific cutting apparatus, comprising a carving bar (which is a guide bar specifically for sculpting) a chain with a short pitch (usually 1/4", effectively a chain with very small teeth and links that cut more precisely and cleanly), and a compatible drive sprocket having the same pitch as the chain. For wood carving we recommend the Efco MTT 2500 pruning chainsaw, equipped with 25 cm carving bar and 1/4" chain.

A carving bar differs from standard bars in that it’s short, made from a single piece of steel (with no idler sprocket) and has a thin tip of small diameter. Unlike other bars, it’s designed to cut at the tip, because the smaller diameter reduces the risk of kickback, effectively giving you greater control over the chainsaw. Kickback is a sudden and violent jerk of the chainsaw in an upward and backward direction – i.e. towards the user – when the tip of the guide bar touches a solid surface or is used for sawing. On this topic, here you will find our in-depth articles on both chainsaw guide bars and chains.

Developed in the 1980s by sculptors, carving bars are not just used for making wood sculptures. Precisely thanks to the reduced kickback, they are also used for pruning thick foliage and treating diseased plants by removing damaged wood (tree surgery).

To create large sculptures, master chainsaw carvers alternate between multiple chainsaws and bars. They use medium-power professional chainsaws with long and medium-length standard guide bars for roughing out the raw material and shaping it into the desired form, then move on to carving bars for finishing work. As long as they are compatible with the sprocket and chain, and with the chainsaws themselves, carving bars can be mounted on both pruning chainsaws (recognisable by their top handle) and conventional chainsaws with rear-mounted handle.

Design and materials for making a DIY wooden nativity scene

As we always say in our DIY articles, you should start with a design. Designing a DIY wooden nativity scene means working out what you want to create, as well as answering questions like: where in the garden will you place it? How much space do you have available? Which figures will it include (only the Holy Family, perhaps with an ox and a donkey, or also the three wise men, angels, etc.)? What kind of style will you give it? As regards styling, look for ideas online, in books and so on, keeping in mind that when setting up a nativity scene with wooden sculptures made using a chainsaw, the technique you use will at least partially determine their shape.

When you are ready to get designing, take a pencil and paper and, for each figure that you plan to include in your nativity scene, draw a plan view (i.e. bird’s-eye view) and front and/or side view of it, which will serve as a reference for carving the wooden sculptures. It takes a lot of experience to develop a feel for sculpting to the extent that you don’t need any tracings or markings to guide your cutting.

Creating figures for a wooden nativity scene is an ambitious project and the craftsmanship demonstrated by some chainsaw carvers in carving wooden sculptures can reach extraordinary levels, but it is possible to create no-frills statuettes with simple contours, without taking anything away from the meaning of the nativity scene. At the very least, they will be unique pieces rather than being mass-produced in a factory, and any small imperfections will only add to their charm.

The most suitable woods for sculpting include both softwoods (which are more easily workable) and hardwoods. Fir, pine and linden fall into the first category and are particularly good for practising on, but are not very sturdy. Other softwoods you can carve include cedar, poplar and willow. Hardwoods suitable for carving include maple, birch, beech, walnut, elm and oak. Even fruit trees – such as cherry, pear, olive – are made of hard wood that lends itself to carving. Since the nativity scene will be placed in your garden and exposed to the elements, the wood must be durable and resistant to weathering: larch and chestnut are well suited to being outdoors.

For your sculptures you can use fresh wood, which is more workable and less resistant than dried material. You can reduce the risk of the wood cracking, which typically happens as it dries out, by using seasoned or semi-seasoned wood: the latter will finish drying once the work is complete. Generally speaking, you can use a tree trunk (or log) section of sufficient diameter and height for sculpting the design you have in mind (even a large branch may suffice). The bark must be removed beforehand: you can do this by hand using a bark spud, or use a chainsaw with a bark stripper accessory attached.

How to make wooden sculptures for an outdoor nativity scene

Once you have come up with a design for your DIY nativity scene, sketched out the preparatory drawings and chosen the type of wood for your sculptures, here are the steps you should follow to carve each figure with a chainsaw and carving bar:

• Set up a comfortable workstation: secure the unfinished block of wood in an upright position, such as by screwing it to a stable base. Given the amount of sawdust and dust that the chainsaw will throw out when cutting, it is advisable to work outdoors.

• Using pencil or chalk, transfer the preparatory drawings onto the workpiece: you can do it freehand or with the help of a tape measure, if you want to reproduce the proportions more accurately. It might be useful to trace draw some paper templates in 1:1 scale (i.e. with identical measurements to those that the sculpture will have), then cut them out and draw around them to transfer the designs onto the wood.

• Take the chainsaw and rough out the figure to be sculpted, eliminating excess wood around the outline that you drew.

• Continue cutting the material all around the outline: little by little the wooden sculpture will take on its own shape, albeit somewhat rough around the edges.

• Use the tip of the carving bar to shape the statue, smoothing the edges and rounding the surfaces to give it a more finished look. As a guide for cutting, you will need to draw and redraw parts of the figure as you cut, then trace the details onto the wood.

• Now for the detailing: working with the chainsaw tip, add details little by little, perfecting the carvings in successive passes (don’t cut everything in one go).

• Once you've finished working with the chainsaw, finish off your nativity scene statues using sculpting tools such as chisels, gouges and cutters mounted on a power tool. There are two schools of thought in this regard: one maintains that chainsaw carving should be performed exclusively with a chainsaw, while the other supports the combined use of manual and power tools.

• Sand the wooden sculpture using sandpaper or an angle grinder with sanding disc to remove irregularities, then protect the wood with some impregnating agent and maybe a wax treatment, or alternatively with linseed oil. These final steps, as well as the finishing work, can be done indoors.

Before you set to work, prepare thoroughly so that you can cut safely with your chainsaw. First get to know your chainsaw model by reading the manual and practising with the machine to improve your confidence in handling it. Even once you're comfortable with it, don’t neglect good practice in safe chainsaw use or let your attention wander. Rather, follow the safety guidelines and always focus fully on the job in hand. Safe chainsaw use goes hand in hand with regular maintenance, including correct lubrication of the guide bar and chain, and proper chain sharpening and tensioning. If you use other tools for sculpting alongside the chainsaw, spend some time taking care of them too.

Wear the necessary protective clothing: protective glasses or face shield, earplugs or ear defenders, face mask, chain-resistant gloves (for carving with a chainsaw) or utility gloves (for carving with other tools), and chain-resistant trousers and footwear.

Returning to our initial question of which yuletide symbol should have pride of place in your home between the nativity scene and the Christmas tree (not that one precludes the other), if you choose the latter, here is how to keep a real Christmas tree at home. If it is planted and grown in the garden, you can use its branches – find out how to prune conifers – to create the perfect Christmas ambiance right on your doorstep, by weaving together your own festive wreaths.