Use the easy step-by-step instructions below to make rustic DIY Baby Jesus Christmas ornaments to decorate your Christmas tree!
Make baby Jesus ornament crafts in a half-walnut shell with this DIY walnut shell Christmas ornaments tutorial. Kids, teens, and adults can make this easy baby Jesus Christmas craft. Crafting a baby Jesus ornament in a half-walnut shell manger is a beautiful way to connect with the kids and share the story of baby Jesus this holiday season. You might also enjoy this list of Christmas Traditions.
These gorgeous baby Jesus ornament crafts make a unique gift idea for friends and family. Hang baby Jesus Walnut shell ornaments on the Christmas tree, or make a homemade baby Jesus ornament in a walnut shell to include in a nativity scene. You might also enjoy this simple stone advent calendar with a nativity scene.
Homemade Baby Jesus Christmas Ornaments
This kid-made baby Jesus ornament in a walnut shell manger was inspired by the children’s book “Room for a Little One: A Christmas Tale.” There is just enough room in a half-walnut shell for a “little one.”
Related: 30 Fun Family Christmas Traditions for a Magical Holiday
How to Make Baby Jesus Christmas Ornaments in a Half Walnut Shell Manger
Baby Jesus Ornament crafts are a fun Christmas book activity for homeschoolers. And, of course, crafting a Baby Jesus ornament is also a lovely Sunday School craft idea. And, you might enjoy making THIS popsicle stick nativity stable craft to go with it.
Toddlers, preschoolers, and kindergarteners will need assistance from a caregiver to make homemade walnut shell Christmas ornaments. But older children and teens that know how to use a glue gun safely can complete this walnut nature craft project from start to finish with minimal assistance.
Related: Christmas Ornaments Kids Can Make
DIY Baby Jesus Christmas Ornament Craft Supplies
- Whole walnuts in shell
- Wooden beads (sized 10mm, 12mm, or 14mm)
- Walnut cracker
or flathead screwdriver - A scrap of ivory burlap or burlap by the yard
- Natural jute twine
- Wooden stars (3/4 to 1 inch)
- Glue gun with glue sticks
or flathead 
or 
Baby Jesus Walnut Shell Christmas Ornaments Step-by-Step Directions
Related: Rustic Acorn Marble Ornaments
1. Crack walnuts for baby Jesus walnut shell Christmas ornament crafts.
My daughter loves cracking walnuts and eating them. So, I put a bowl of walnuts in front of her with a walnut cracker we found at a thrift store and let her go for it. She had a tummy full of walnuts, a pile of shells, and a handful of useable walnut shell halves once she was finished. Not bad for a four-year-old!
If you have enough walnuts save a few aside just in case, and pass the walnut cracking off to the kids. It’s a fabulous hand-strengthening activity! Or, learn how to crack walnuts for crafts with the step-by-step directions below.
How Do You crack walnuts for crafts?
A helpful reader named Janet shared how she cracks walnuts for walnut crafts, such as these Baby Jesus Christmas Ornaments, in the comments below. You can find her original tip at the end of this article. Janet’s walnut cracking tips are in quotes below, and the step-by-step instructions follow.
“When you need English walnut shells whole, not cracked into bits, do NOT use a nutcracker of any kind! Instead, use a flat-head screwdriver. Insert the point of a flat-headed screwdriver into the top of the walnut and twist. You will get two half-shells, both perfect! This is easier than cracking the shells… Just a twist, and it’s open.”
How to crack a walnut to make walnut crafts:
- Insert the tip of a flat-head screwdriver between the two walnut shell halves at the top of the walnut.
- Once inserted, gently twist the screwdriver to pop the walnut shell open.
2. Cut small squares of burlap for the baby Jesus Christmas ornament crafts.
- Cut one small square of burlap for each DIY Baby Jesus Christmas ornament.
- We cut our burlap squares from some scraps we had left over from a beginning sewing project.
3. Cut twine to make hangers for walnut shell Christmas ornament crafts.
- Cut 10-12 inch sections of twine to make hangers for the Baby Jesus walnut shell Christmas ornament crafts.
4. Glue twine, burlap, and a bead into each half-walnut shell.
- Place a twine loop into half a walnut shell, ensuring that the knot is glued into the bottom, as shown in the photograph below.
- Prepare burlap square by folding all edges into the middle until you have a little wad of burlap to tuck into the walnut shell messy side down.
- Keep hold of your burlap as you fill the 1/2 walnut shell with a big dollop of glue right on top of the twine.
- Quickly tuck the burlap into the shell before the glue begins to dry.
- Place another dollop of glue where you would like Baby Jesus’ head to rest, and quickly place the wooden bead into the glue before it dries.
- I helped by holding the walnut shell for my daughter, so it was easier for her to glue the twine, burlap, and bead into each Baby Jesus Ornament, as shown in the photograph DIY Baby Jesus ornament craft tutorial below.
- Glue guns are hot and dangerous tools. Please ensure children are under direct supervision when a glue gun is plugged in and understand how to handle it safely before inviting them to help make DIY walnut shell Christmas ornaments.
5. Glue a star onto the twine hanger above Baby Jesus to finish the walnut shell Christmas crafts.
- Place a dollop of glue on a 3/4 to 1-inch wooden star and attach it to the twine approximately two inches above the head of baby Jesus in the half-walnut shell.
Related: Snowman Ornaments Kids Can Make
Handmade Walnut Shell Baby Jesus Christmas Ornament Crafts
Awww–aren’t our little walnut shell baby Jesus ornaments, darling? My daughter and I are in love with them! We decorated our Christmas tree by placing each homemade Baby Jesus Ornament next to our handmade wooden angel Christmas ornaments. When hung this way, the angel ornaments look like they are watching over the baby Jesus ornaments.
Handmade ornaments like this kid-made baby Jesus in the manger nature crafts are perfect for the Christmas tree. You can also use this craft as a part of a nativity scene. They make beautiful decorations and are a fabulous keepsake gift idea for moms, dads, and grandparents!
You may also like our gift guide with DIY and ready-made gift ideas for the whole family and meaningful Christmas traditions for a magical holiday.
Learn more about Rhythms of Play HERE!
If You Liked DIY Walnut Shell Christmas Ornament Crafts, You might also like:
- DIY Christmas Ornament Crafts for Kids and Adults
- Homemade Gifts Kids Can Make for Parents and Grandparents
- Elf Peg Doll Christmas Ornaments
- Ultimate Gift Guide for Kids
- Christmas Art Projects for Kids
- Homemade Christmas Card Ideas
- Fun Family Christmas Traditions
This is so sweet, and is bound to be one of your daughter’s favorite ornaments for the rest of her life. She’ll always remember making it with you!
I have no doubt that you are right. You should have seen the look in her eyes and smile on her face after she hung them on the tree. She sat there proudly staring at them for a long time, and I sat there proudly staring at her. It was a lovely moment.
This is so sweet!! I’d love to make these with my children
Thanks, Rachael! My daughter and I had a lovely time making them together.
Oh my! The walnut shell is heart shaped. How much more meaningful can it get? It’s way beyond cute. It’s heart wrenchingly appropriate.
Awww… thanks, Dineen! You officially just make my day 🙂 These little cuties are my favorite. They look so sweet with our peg doll angels hanging nearby.
when you need English walnut shells whole not cracked into bits. do NOT use a nutcracker of any kind! Instead you a flat headed strewdriver. insert the point of a flat headed screwdriver into the top of walnut and twist! you will get two half-shells both perfect! This is easier then cracking the shells . just a twist and it’s open. If you just want to eat the nuts inside . This is still the easier way to open English Walnuts. if you just want the nut inside
Oh my goodness Janet!! Thank you for the wonderful tip! I have always wondered the best way to open walnut shels to get useable halves. A flat head screwdriver sounds like it works brilliantly–thank you!!
What size wooden bead did you use for baby Jesus’ head? Also, what size wooden stat?
Hi Emily, great question. Although I have added links to the craft supplies needed to make these walnut shell Christmas ornaments, it would help to write down the sizes. Thanks for asking.
The wooden bead for the head can be between 10mm, as pictured, and 14mm. The wooden star is about 3/4 inch to 1 inch in diameter, but a little larger, or smaller, will work. Happy Christmas crafting!
Nell
i’m going to gold leaf my walnut!
Gold leafing the walnut sounds lovely, Evey! I’ll bed it turns out beautifully!
Loved this ornament and would love to give as gifts. My kids are grown but as a crafter, I am always looking for simple and inexpensive ways to share. You are awesome and I look forward to seeing more from you
Wow, thanks for the incredible compliment–I’m speechless with gratitude. We have lots of fun arts and crafts on Rhythms of Play and have plans to publish many more! Thanks for your vote of approval–Happy Crafting!