Emanwel’s Christmas cribs are made from jablo (recycled materials), with each crib even coming with its own set of lights as part of the nativity scene. As Emanwel explains, the cribs are crafted using milk cartons for some buildings, toilet paper rolls that turn into perfectly shaped wells, polystyrene bits to create accurate replicas of Maltese walls, and prickly pears scattered throughout. He also uses old plastic bottles that magically transform into palm trees, along with twigs and moss to cover the rooftops. Whatever he finds, he uses!

Emanwel works with wood, plastic, paper, newspaper, tissues—there are no limits to what he incorporates into each crib. He never throws anything away. Even the containers he uses for his paints are repurposed butter or yogurt containers, and he uses old yogurt cups to create the bases for the larger wells. After years of making these treasures, he has perfected the art of reusing and recycling. He saves everything and instinctively knows when and where it should be used. He even has grass from Serbia and moss from Binġemma, which he uses to give the rooftops and other areas a realistic touch. Some of his cribs even feature water tubing, with lights added to illuminate windows, caves, and mangers. The only things he doesn’t make himself are the figurines that fill each crib. He even creates his own paintbrushes!