Prominent Nativity Christmas Displays

Nativity on church roof overlooking intersection and school

Positioned next to a busy intersection across from a school of 600 children, a church member thought: Why couldn’t we put something about Christmas on the outside of our building?

Having seen some of the amazing lighting designs through the Shining Lights Trust emails, like those from Northcross Church in Auckland, a design was made.

Kevin then put tools to a piece of ply, with some LED lights and a suitable transformer, to make a bigger than life nativity with Joseph and Mary looking over a manger with a baby and some friendly sheep  – then placed, standing tall on top of the church foyer.

Many thousands drive past that intersection each day – and the thing was so bright – you couldn’t miss it.

In fact, “Wow – look at that” was the first response of a child heard coming into the carpark

What we do matters. Because if we don’t keep the Christ in Christmas, no one else will.

House on a hill

Positioned on a hill Dave realised he had a prime spot on his roof for a nativity scene that – if bright enough, you might even see from the motorway nearby.

Blown away of the amazing lighting display ideas shown in the Shining Lights Trust outreach emails – and having seen Kevin’s design above, Dave decided to duplicate it to see if a regular bloke in his back yard really could re-create it – noting Kevin is a tradie.

So Dave worked with his kids to put the jigsaw to plywood, with LED lights and a transformer, to erect a design on this roof that needed a few heavy pallets to hold it down. (Design details + images are shared below so you can recreate this too).

…And you couldn’t miss it when driving down the road – or from a distance. In fact, a timer was added so it didn’t stay on all night, keeping the nearby neighbours awake.

Today 68% of New Zealanders recognise Christmas as a Christian festival. But they won’t SEE Christ in it if we don’t act. The efforts thousands of Christians and churches are needed.

Make it Happen: Here’s How to Do It

What you need:

• Plywood
• Paint
• Lighting strip & transformer
• Cable ties
• Something for the base – e.g. pallets & fixings
• Tools

The following is a guide only – please ask either a builder or someone with expert experience who can look directly at your specific situation. Professional support may be required for the electrical installation and power supply.

When installing on a roof, professional help is essential for safe completion and proper fixation based on local wind conditions.

Layout:

This downloadable template HERE as shown in the image, was used to trace out the design on a 2.4 metre x 1.2 metre sheet of plywood.

A. Draw 100mm grid lines over the plywood.

B. Trace out nativity design.

C. Cut out using a jigsaw.

D. Be aware that as you’ll be cutting across various angles of the wood grain this will cause fuzzy edges and minor splintering on the ply. While not noticeable once painted and viewed from a distance, it could be apparent up close. To reduce splintering, consider taping the wood before cutting.

E. Paint the display, preferably with white paint, as it enhances visibility in daylight and improves LED light reflection. However, you can choose any colour you prefer.

Lighting:

LED Lighting strip can be purchased direct from LED importers or find online from places like Temu, Lightinthebox, Mightyape, Mitre 10, Bunnings or many other options. The quality of the light strip required will depend on your available budget and expected length of the use of the display.

For reference – the lights shown on the example here are:

• LED Neon light – Side bending
• 12V DC
• IP Rating: IP65 (for outdoor use)
• Main White light: 8mm x 15mm.
• The Yellow star: 6mm X 13mm.

For the template allow:

• 10m for main nativity (Jesus, Mary & Joseph)
• 2.5m for the star
• 6.25m for the 3 lambs/sheep

Installation clips may come with the LED strip – however due to the curves in the design you may need a lot more.

It’s worth noting that 24V DC LED lighting might offer better light intensity consistency across the display than 12V DC, as illustrated in the images. For instance, on the Church rooftop, the sheep with shorter LED strands are brighter than the Manger/Joseph/Mary figures with longer strands. Opting for 24V DC could equalise the brightness.

Photos F. Small holes were drilled and cable ties used to effectively hold the lights in place. Photo G. Lights shown on the display during construction.

Installation:

Photo H. IP67 rated transformer to ensure power is safe. Then all power connections were sealed and placed in a waterproof area.

Photo I. Pallets were used as the base to support the display on the flat roof.

The specifics of each installation depend on factors like the roof or surface slope, available fixings, and wind conditions. Seek expert advice tailored to your situation.

Finished:

Looks amazing – hard to capture the full effect in the photos.

What can you do?

Any questions on this please reach us and we’ll help the best we can.