An angel Nativity costume is another easy one to rustle up. You may already have a fairy or angel costume at home, or at least a tutu, some fairy wings or a halo or tiara in your dressing-up box. The most popular addition is the old striped tea towel wrapped around the head. If you don't have a suitable tea towel, you can try using a pashmina which can be wrapped around your child's head, turban-style. For most Nativity costumes, you can get away with a tabard or a tunic to make up the base of the outfit. If you've got a little Joseph or a Shepherd, you'll be pleased to know this is one of the easier costumes to rustle up! You simply need to make a plain or stripy tunic and tie it around your child's waist with a length of rope or a leather belt. For the complete look, follow our step-by-step picture guide to making an Angel Nativity costume here. 6 How to make a stable animal Nativity costume

Of course, don't forget the crown! You can easily make a crown out of cardboard, and use some coloured tissue paper or glitzy wrapping paper to create the sparkling 'jewels'. And they'll need a present to carry for the baby Jesus; you can make this from an old cardboard box, covered in gold or shiny wrapping paper, too. Congratulations! Your child is appearing in their school Nativity play! It's a proud moment for any parent and you'll no doubt be excited to see your little one up there on the stage. To neaten up the tabard, you can hem the edges. You can do this with a sewing machine if you have one, but for a no-sew option use something like Wonderweb hemming tape. Place the tape on the inside of the fabric, a couple of inches up from the edge. Then, fold the rough edge of the fabric so that it covers the hemming tape. You can then place a damp cloth on top and run a hot iron along the hem to bond the tape in place. The best thing about this costume is that you'll only need five items to make it, and it's a sew-free creation! So it's super cheap, and easy to do – phew! You will need:

How to make a tabard for a Nativity costume

All this took place in fulfillment of what the Lord had spoken through the Prophet, ‘Mark! The maiden will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call His name Immanuel’–a word which signifies ‘God with us’. Cut around the semi-circle so that your child has a hole to put their head through. If you like, you could stop here with the tabard, but if you want to make it neater then follow the next steps. Follow our pictured step-by-step guide to make a Nativity costume for a Wise Man or King. 4 How to make an Angel or a Christmas Fairy Nativity costume

When the glue has dried cut two small holes down the straight edge of the wings and thread string through both pieces of card. Tie the ends together on the inside so that the knots don’t show. Do the same on the round edges creating loops to put your arms through. Add glitter at will and voila! To make your angel's halo, you can simply use a plain headband with some silver or gold pipe cleaners. Easy! Find more steps on how to make a halo here.

Most of the Nativity characters that your child is likely to play are listed below, though some schools may add some more unusual characters! Read on for our costume ideas... 1 How to make a Mary Nativity costume There are certainly many places you can buy animal outfits which can be used for Nativity plays, but another really simple, cheap way to get into the role is with a simple headband, tail and face paints. Again, you can make a simple tunic for these costumes –just use a colourful or velvet fabric for a King or a Wise Man. For more regal accessories, add a statement piece of jewellery, such as a large pendant.

So many Nativity costumes can be started by making a simple tunic, otherwise known as a tabard, which is a long rectangle of fabric that can be adapted to be the basis of almost any costume. You can even cheat and adapt an old pillowcase (for tiny tots).One of the highlights of your year will probably be watching your kids star in their school Nativity play. Follow our steps for super easy-to-make DIY Nativity costumes.