Natalie and Jennifer Campbell tend to do things together. Not that they were overly concerned about school bills, but through sheer fate — emphasize the sheer — they found a way to pay off their student loans to the University of Northern Colorado.

They took their clothes off.

The identical twins, natives of Greeley, appear as Misses December in next month’s issue of Playboy.

The 22-year-olds say the issue, which hit newsstands Friday, has been an instant hit in Longmont, where the twins have lived since they were 2.

“I don’t know if it’s true, but I heard that in Longmont the magazine has sold out,” Jennifer Campbell said.

The twins, who’ve been living in southern California, taking a yearlong break from UNC, where they are seniors, spoke to The Tribune by phone Monday morning.

The sisters said they enjoyed the birthday-suit baptism by fire.

“We were definitely nervous, not ever having modeled before, especially jumping into nude modeling,” Natalie said. “But they made us feel real comfortable, and they are so professional about everything.”

They were initially hired by Playboy to pose for a special edition issue, the twins said, but after magazine founder Hugh Hefner and his co-editor saw those photos, they promoted the Campbell twins for the high-profile playmate-of-the-month assignment.

Asked whether it was strange posing together, Natalie said, “It was just natural to us. We’ve been together every day since birth. We have like the same exact bodies. So, it wasn’t weird.

“It was natural, and I’m glad I did it with her. It made it a lot more comfortable doing it with her rather than being by myself.”

It was a swimsuit on Natalie that made playmate possible.

Natalie was approached by a Playboy scout when she entered a swimsuit contest at the Loveland Hooter’s in May 2007. A Playboy representative again met with her later that summer after her third-place finishing in the swimsuit contest at Thunder in the Rockies, an annual motorcycle rally at the Budweiser Events Center.

“When they approached me the second time, (Jennifer) and I had to talk about it,” Natalie said. “We started to get more interested in it, and that’s when we decided to submit the photos.”

Their submitted photos earned them the special-edition shoot in Miami, followed by the quick leap to Misses December. The latter shoot took place in Park City, Utah, and in Playboy’s Studio West in Santa Monica, Calif.

Jennifer said the hardest decision was taking the year off from college. Jennifer is an elementary education major who is now thinking about becoming a physician’s assistant, while Natalie is studying biomedical sciences and would like to work in the veterinary field. They both said they’re entertaining the possibility of more modeling, even possibly acting.

“Being so close to finishing school, that was the hardest decision we had to make,” Jennifer said. “As far as posing naked for Playboy, it was not a hard decision. We both feel it’s such a classy magazine that it was not a hard decision. We were honored to do it.”

They said their parents, Damon and Kristi Campbell, who both attended UNC, were supportive. The twins said their parents both insisted their daughters finish college, “but they knew if we didn’t pose for Playboy we’d regret it. And they were right,” Jennifer said.

The sisters say they are a lot alike, but Natalie is more outgoing and athletic — they both played on the Longmont High School volleyball team for four years — while Jennifer, who is one minute older, is more laid-back and studious.

They separated only once: Jennifer went to Mesa State College in Grand Junction for her freshman year. She transferred to UNC, where Natalie was enrolled, as a sophomore. The sisters, who will return to campus for spring semester, expect to graduate in 2010.

They said they both have boyfriends who are also supportive of the modeling venture.

Jennifer said she doesn’t dread the possibility of running across one of the pictures on a fellow student’s wall.

“I honestly think if that were to happen, it’s going to excite me,” she said. “… It’s very flattering to me. And, obviously, if they do recognize us walking by and they want us to sign a picture, we’ll be more than willing to do so.”

The sisters didn’t say how much they were paid, but they did say the money was going toward paying off student loan debt and possibly to further their education.

They have an older sibling, a 24-year-old brother who is a Denver police officer. He’s being the protective older brother, Jennifer said.