I've wanted our own nativity scene for years, and eyed up a few patterns before deciding on this one, from Gourmet Crochet. When there are so many free patterns available online, I can find it hard to justify buying a pattern, but this one felt value for money. The pattern includes good instructions, which can also be used to make extra shepherds, and which I have also adapted to make reindeer and snowmen, and will probably adapt further in future.
I used a variety of wools, beads and threads from my stash, and Trimits 6mm solid black eyes (although I glue-gunned these on at the end). The star is made using Tangled Happy's Star pattern. The stable is simply a small cardboard box, which can be presented as a stable, but can also be used to store the characters in during the year - storage is difficult in our house, so things that do not take up too much room is definitely an advantage!