You will need two empty wine bottles, or any tall glass bottles [plastic is fine too but will need to be filled with some kind of ballast], an old jumper or coat, a dish or tea cloth, rubber bands, some super-duper glue and string. PLUS either two small balls [or two of the polystyrene forms that have been donated to the Gugg and are in the Crafty Cupboard], something furry [for beards] and paints or supplies to create the faces. We will also be making some sheep so; white fluffy material, black felt, paper straws and some smaller balls will be required too!
To start, cut the sleeves off of your old jumper/coat and put each over one of the bottles. It is a good idea to wash out the bottles first. It may not, indeed, matter if the shepherds small a bit drunk but when it gets to the fourth week, and the Virgin Mary, eyebrows might rise…
Secure the sleeves around the neck of each bottle with an elastic band.
Paint your two balls/heads with a skin tinted paint.
While the heads dry find some suitable material to make the shepherds some warm cloaks.
Wrap these around your two bottles with their cloaks and secure with string or rubber bands.
If your faces are not yet dry then you can now start on your sheep and lamb. Glue together two smaller balls and cut up and paint four legs from the paper straw.
Cover the ball shape with fur or cotton wool and glue in place well. Add the legs [superglue is good for this bit but remember not to stick your hands together] Add a tail…
Cut out a black felt triangle and stick it on as a face…
Similarly, create a much smaller version for the lamb [no legs required as this will fit inside one of the shepherd’s cloaks….]
Secure the lamb inside one of the shepherds cloaks to produce the effect of it being held under their arm….
By now your heads should be dry. Superglue them to the bottle’s necks [remember – AVOID YOUR HANDS] and add their beards.
Start to consider the characters of your shepherds… remember that they are in shock! [An extraterrestrial being has just appeared before them and suggested, in musical but no less strong terms, that they up sticks and go forth to worship a baby…..] So go a bit fab on their faces, drawing pins work for eyes, beads for noses, or you can just use felt tips or paint….
Their unscheduled journey means that they are going to need to keep warm in the desert at night, and manage to get the flock out of there, so they will need headdresses and crooks. J-cloths and bent tent pegs are just the ticket! J-cloths are under the sink and tent pegs are in the Crafty Cupboard……
and……so……..here they are, ready to wash their socks, watch their flocks and be suitably alarmed by some surprising news……!
