The fold up cedar stable I purchased for my Nativity Scene showed great signs of wear after about five years of service, thus I began considering building a replaceent that would prove more durable.

While surfing the forums at PlanetChristmas, I found someone had posted a link for some free creche plans. However the dimensions of it were huge (over five feet wide). Thus I adapted the above plans to suit my needs.

Built from cedar, my stable is four feet wide and two feet deep. This allows Mary, Joseph and Jesus plus the cow and donkey to fit inside. The three Wisemen form a single file line outside.

Lumber Needed and Cut List

Non lumber materials needed

Procedure

Cut two 2x4x96 pieces such that one of each part A, B, C is derived from a board.

Cut two more 2x4x96 pieces such that one of each part D and E is derived from a board.

Cut the last 2x4x96 piece such that two of each part F and G are derived from a board.

Cut the two 4x4x96 posts in half so they are 48 inches long (Part H). Set these aside until step 5.

Step 1
	Rabbet joint the corners of the four lower frame boards (two A and two B). Set the blade height to half the board thickness (approximately 7/8 inch) and width will be the actual with of the 2x4 (approximately 3 7/8). This will require multiple passes of the blade. A dado head or set will make for a much faster job.
Step 2
	Place one deck post support backet atop each rabbet joint. Secure with #8 x 1 1/4 screws. This is not enough to keep things together once the 4x4 goes on top. Thus also put a corner iron on the bottom of each corner.
Step 3
	Into each deck support bracket goes a cedar 4x4 cut to a length of 48 inches. (Use two 8 footers cut in half). Assuming your figures are half life size (about 35 inches for the tallest Wiseman), this makes the ceiling about 8 scale feet tall. Secure with #8 x 1 1/4 screws.
Step 4
	Along each side put 4 1x3x4 and put 4 1x3x48 across the back. Secure with nails. I aligned the bottom of the bottom 1x3 with the top of the deck post support bracket. The resulting gap is large enough to pass extension cords through and also provides a handhold for carrying the finished stable.
Step 5
	Across the front two posts goes a 1x6x49-1/2. This facia board will hide electrical equipment plus provide a spot for hanging the "JESUS IS THE REASON" sign. The board is cut long to cover the butt ends of the facia boards on the sides. Along each side plae a 1x6x24.
Step 6
	At the top of the 4x4s, anchor a 1x4 to the outer face of each post. Cut the four foot sides long so they overlap the end face of the 2 foot pieces. These facia boards provide some upper rigidity but their main purpose is to hide the horizontal runs of electrical conduit we will add later. Secure each facia board with two #8 X 1" screws on each end.
Step 7
	To support the roof, secure a five foot 1x4 across the top of the front and rear 4x4s. This will be the bottom cord of the roof truss.

Miter the corners here. Now place a five foot 1x4 atop the posts running side to side in both the front and the back overhanging each side by six inches. These will be the bottom chord of the roff truss.

Because roof trusses are not available in such short spans, we must make our own. This is actually a blessing in disguise as commercial trusses are symetrical. If you drive around the countryside, you'll notice few farms have the peak of the roof perfectly centered over the building's width.