How to Build a Ceppo

What is a Ceppo? It's an Italian centerpiece with a Nativity scene in it used for a centerpiece at Christmas. To make one, follow these basic instructions.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Wood
• Garland
• A nativity scene
• Hammer and nails
• Possibly glue
• Small trinkets or food
• Your imagination and skill

1. To make a ceppo, cut three pieces of wood that will make a pyramid shape. You can cut the wood any length you want. The piece on the bottom should be shorter than the two sides. Nail these pieces of wood together.
2. A ceppo has shelves, so add three to five shelves. The shelves can be made out of wood cut in triangles, or you can use wire shelves. If you take a dowel and run it through the wood shelves that have a hole cut through them, it will easily hook into the wooden pyramid.
3. After the shelves are in, wrap garland around the pyramid by gluing or tacking it to keep it in place.
4. To decorate the shelves, add fringe, glitter, or fancy paper to make them look pretty.
5. On the bottom of the pyramid place the Nativity scene. The other shelves can contain anything you want, including greenery, fruit, nuts and presents. The Nativity scene represents the gift of God, the other items you place on the shelves represent the gifts of the Earth. The presents would represent the gifts of man.
6. On the top of the ceppo would be an Angel, star or a pineapple, which represents hospitality.
7. Sometimes candles are placed on the outside of each shelf and are lit. This is why the ceppo is often referred to as the "Tree of Light."

Tips & Warnings

• Use your imagination and have fun creating your ceppo.
• Involve your children if you have them. This is a great way to explain what Christmas is really about.
• You might want to use the candles that light up but use a battery instead of a flame (for safety reasons).