Since our putzs have their origins in Moravian putzs - see http://www.centralmoravianchurch.org/seasonal/putz.php
I thought we should start a thread on this. Here's a photo of my Fontanini Nativity putz. The stable where the camel is resting is a Howard piece. Last year it became a market stall. I'll post more photos tomorrow.

I will have to wait to post my nativity until I put it up this year. However, my set is almost exactly like one seen in a Sears ad on Papa Ted's site.

our nativity from 2010...all the pieces (except one cow) are dimestore items from the 50's...

the stable is a sears item from a garage sale...there were no bar codes on the box...it's not new...but not a true vintage...

i added the night light to the stable...

i've found a donkey and an another cow that will be added this year...

my very best regards...howard

This is what I grew up with: Coarsely-painted plaster from Woolworths. Dad would buy a new piece a year, until they stopped making them. P.S.

P.S. My uncle Carl, who was a carpenter, gave my Dad the coarse-sawn wood he used for the stable. When I was young, there would be straw and or cotton batting, but when Dad was older, the grandkids would set it up this way.

My sister Tess provided the following article for FamilyChristmasOnline a couple years ago:

http://www.familychristmasonline.com/mu ... stable.htm

It's a MUST READ, if I say so myself.

Yes it IS must-read---into the next newsletter the link goes!

Here are some more photos from a past Fontanini nativity. I can't wait to set up this years!

Oops here's the other

Mine is pretty much like Howard's - same pieces, different stable.

I wonder how many of you remember the "free" cardboard cut-out mangers that large department stores like Macy's used to give away after you spent a certain amount at Christmas. They were usually pre-perforated, scored, and large enough to take up a decent amount of space on a table top or under a tree. I was reminded of them again when I saw this available at Shackman--click on the link--http://www.shackman.com/retail/product_info.php?products_id=7256
then make sure to hit "enlarge" to see it all. The dimensions are quite generous.