A Little Cosy Scandinavian Christmas Inspiration

Tjena! I hope you had a cosy weekend and a happy first Sunday of Advent. In Scandinavia, that’s officially when the home gets its first layer of Christmas decorations – stars and adventsljusstake (candelabras) appear in the windows, lighting up the dark streets and bathing them in a welcoming glow. It’s a magical time of year to be here.

Today I wanted to share a little of the Scandinavian festive spirit with you through some beautiful, cosy, Christmas-ready images I’ve been squirrelling away on Instagram. This year I’ve noticed red creeping back in, alongside plenty of nostalgia — think vintage finds and ornaments collected over time or passed down through generations. I hope you enjoy the inspiration and the journey to Scandinavia in wintertime.

I love how the tree is bursting with an array of ornaments, flags, garlands — anything goes! It reminds me of the tree we had growing up in my parents’ house. My sisters and I were always in charge of the decorations; boxes and boxes of ornaments would be brought down from the loft and, just as we thought we’d finished (after a good few hours!), the weight of the reindeer, chocolates, drums and tiny children sledging would be weighing down the branches, with not a space left for one more. And my mother would come in and say, “That’s not finished — there’s hardly anything on it!”

I felt all the other images also perfectly capture this time of year. I love the Norwegian sauna in the fjords at the end. On the 23rd of December, a sauna is booked for the entire extended family so we can dust off the cobwebs, shake off work, and prepare for the holidays feeling relaxed, revived and rosey cheeked (and that's before the 'glögg'! 

Did any of the images catch your eye?

And if you have a tree, how do you like to decorate it?

For a couple of Christmassy home tours today, take a peek inside: 

Anna Truelsen's festive Swedish home
DIY touches in a Swedish maker's home at Christmas
Maria's rustic Christmas home with rustic DIY touches

Happy 1st December!

Niki

PS did you spot the little kitty? 

Photography credits: 1. Cato Ravatsbakk 2. @vartlillagrona 3. @myhappydays 3. @elinmeadowss 4. @hjarterumdeisgnointerior 5. @hannesmauritzson 6. @fjordfiskerenhjem 7. @vartlillagrona 8. @breakfastlondon. 

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DIY Swedish Christmas Decorations From Johanna's Charming Home

Yes, there is a definite theme running through my posts right now – they all seem to start with a traditional red-and-white Swedish cottage in the snow. But while the outside might have similarities, on the inside they all have a unique stamp. And this cosy home of Johanna in Vimmerby, Småland is no different — the town is best known as the birthplace of beloved author Astrid Lindgren.

With the first Sunday of Advent this weekend, I wanted to share something from Johanna’s charming home that I think the Swedes are especially great at – simple, DIY Christmas decorations that don’t cost the earth and look absolutely lovely!

Keep an eye out for Johanna’s step-by-step visual guide on how to create paper chains to hang from the ceiling and paper baubles to adorn your tree – all you need is some paper, scissors, and a needle and thread. I also love her bowl decoration with pomegranates and Advent candles!

Ready to feel inspired? Step this way! 

Johanna's DIY paper chain

Johanna's DIY paper tree ornament

I hope Johanna's lovely home in Vimmerby has given you some inspiration for your own decorations this season! Will you also be making a few?

Here, I'm looking forward to having my first glögg (spiced mulled wine) of the season (while reading through all your comments and responding!) and putting a few decorations up on Sunday to brighten up the darkness. I hope to share some pics with you later next week!

In the meantime, if you're looking for more festive inspiration from Sweden – take a peek at Johanna's inspiring Instagram feed and also:

DIY Christmas decorations
Christmas home tours

Have a cosy weekend. See you Monday!

Niki

Photography by @johannaikulla, shared with kind permission. 

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