5 Easy DIY Christmas Ice Cave Ideas at Home

The Christmas Grotto is the place that marks the birth of Jesus. Many families have a tradition of making a Christmas Grotto at home with simple materials such as cardboard, carton… with just a few ingredients and a few hours, you’ll have an impressive Grotto to decorate for Christmas.

1. Origin and meaning of the Christmas Grotto

According to the author Omer Englebert:

“St. Francis was on his way back to his hometown from Rome when he met a teacher named Jean Velita.”

He then said to him: “I wish to celebrate Christmas to honor the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem. But to show the suffering and hardship of Jesus from an early age, I ask you to make a Grotto resembling the true one with dry grass and lead a donkey and an ox to imitate the ones that accompanied Jesus in the past.” Jean Velita obeyed and made a Grotto just as Francis instructed.

Origin and meaning of the Christmas Grotto

After announcing the good news, St. Francis shared the word of God to those who came to listen. He told about the story of a poor emperor born in Bethlehem who was often referred to as Jesus. After finishing the story, Francis imitated the voice of a sheep and a donkey calling Bethlehem, and suddenly people saw the baby Jesus waking up from sleep and smiling.

From that time, the first Christmas Grotto was born in Greccio. At first, the Grotto was only built in churches, but later many wealthy and prestigious people made Grottoes at home. Nowadays, the Christmas Grotto is an indispensable part of the Christmas season. Because the Christmas Grotto carries a beautiful meaning of the birth of Jesus.

2. Simple ways to make a Christmas Grotto at home

A Christmas Grotto can be made easily at home with materials such as silver paper, cardboard, carton, cement bags, or even ice cream sticks…

How to make a Grotto with silver paper

Prepare the materials:

• Silver paper, brown cement paper (the quantity depends on the width of the Grotto)
• A small roll of zinc
• Hard cutting tool
• Glue or adhesive
• Long and short wooden pieces for the Grotto frame (4 long wooden pieces with equal length for pillars, different short wooden pieces)
• Decorative materials such as fake snow, small branches, tinsel, colored lights, Christmas statues set.

How to make a Grotto with silver paper

Procedure:

Step 1 Choose a firm location as a base for the Grotto, like a wooden table, beer crates, etc.Step 2 Use a thin zinc wire to connect the short wooden pieces to create a frame for the Grotto. Make sure the joints are rough and visible when the silver paper is covered. Then, glue or fix it to the base. And build a fence with remaining short wooden pieces.Step 3 Cover the frame entirely with silver paper and glue it to the frame after the core has been completed. Use more paper to create roughness and unevenness of the stone surface to make the Grotto look as natural as possible.Step 4 Apply glue or paste on the entire surface of the Grotto. and sprinkle tinsel, fake snow on that surface.Step 5 Create dried grass with brown cement paper cut into small strands and crumpled.Step 6 Decorate the Grotto by

Placing the statues inside the Grotto,

Scatter grass made from cement paper, add small branches…,Hang tinsel and decorative lights inside and around the Christmas Grotto.Place a small fence near the entrance of the Grotto, and you’re done.

How to make a Grotto with cardboard

To have a beautiful Grotto made from cardboard, the maker needs to be careful and meticulous.

Prepare the materials:

• Cardboard (can choose large cardboard boxes like TV or refrigerator boxes)
• Newspaper, wrapping paper
• Glue gun and glue
• Scissors
• Black paint
• Decorative items such as statues, lights, foam, a few dry branches

How to make a Grotto with cardboard

Procedure:

Step 1 Make a sturdy frame by using wooden pieces, a block calendar to attach to the box walls.Step 2 Slightly crumple cement paper and glue it to cover the entire cardboard box. Use black paint to make the Grotto look more natural and authentic.Step 3 Apply glue in some places on the Grotto and sprinkle foam on it to create a snowy scene.Step 4 Decorate the inside of the Grotto as instructed in the previous method.

How to make a Grotto with carton

This method is suitable for those who have limited space and want to create a mini Grotto that fits their space.

Prepare materials and tools:

• Foam board
• Imitation stone wallpaper
• Cardboard boxes of various sizes
• Scissors
• Glue and glue gun
• Decorative items such as lights, tinsel, 2-3 dry branches, white paint, decorative statues

How to make a Grotto with carton

Procedure:

Step 1 Stick the cardboard boxes together and create stone walls using the adhesive and imitation stone wallpaper.Step 2 Stick the cardboard boxes to create a stable Grotto, place other cardboard boxes around to add texture. Cover the exposed cardboard with crumpled foam to create a natural, wild look for the Grotto.Step 3 Glue fake snow onto the top of the Grotto, apply glue to the Grotto and sprinkle foam to create a falling snow effect.Step 4 Decorate the inside as instructed in the method of making a Grotto with silver paper.

How to make a Grotto with foam boxes

This method has the advantage of longer preservation compared to Grottoes made from paper or cardboard.

Prepare materials:

• Foam boxes
• Hardboard
• Newspaper
• Glue and scissors
• Stapler and size 3 staples
• Decorative items such as string lights, ornaments, star, gray, silver paint

How to make a Grotto with foam boxes

Procedure:

Step 1 Stick the cardboard into rectangles.Step 2 Roll the newspaper into a pointed shape at the top to create a top roof for the Grotto. Create a 3 or 4-pointed Grotto by folding 3 or 4 sheets.Step 3 Connect the pointed tops, the Grotto base, and a large piece of paper using a stapler to create the inside of the Grotto.Step 4 Use gray or silver paint to cover the Grotto.Step 5 Break the foam into pieces and glue them onto the Grotto to create the Grotto shape, then spray silver paint on top.Step 6 Spread foam flakes evenly, tinsel, and ornaments as desired.

How to make a Grotto with ice cream sticks

This method is suitable for those who have limited space and want to create a mini Grotto that fits their space.

Prepare materials and tools:

• Ice cream sticks
• Paper knife, scissors
• Adhesive glue
• Decorative items such as statues, ornaments, coloring paint and brush

How to make a Grotto with ice cream sticks

Procedure:

Step 1 Measure, cut, and sort the sticks to make the roof, the framework, and the door. Different sizes of sticks such as large, medium, and small.Step 2 Create a frame, house walls by sticking the sticks together and proceed to paint them.Step 3 Stick the backdrop to the Grotto base.Step 4 Attach the frames firmly to the back wall. Create a roof for the trough by crossing two sticks in an X shape.Step 5 Decorate the trough with a star, ornaments, a few statues…, paint it with vivid colors according to your preference.

3. The most beautiful designs and ideas for decorating the Christmas Grotto

Beautiful and grand Grotto made from silver paper

Simple but beautiful Grotto made from silver paper

Beautiful and simple Grotto made from cardboard

Beautiful and sparkling Grottoes made from foam boxes

Grotto made from cement bags

Beautiful and spectacular Grottoes made from ice cream sticks

Above are 5 ways to decorate a Christmas Grotto that can be easily made at home. With just a few easily available materials and a little time, you can create your own Grotto by hand. This not only shows gratitude to God but also creates a warm Christmas with family.

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