The festive season is fast approaching, and the days are getting shorter too. Learn how to create a Nordic natural, minimalist Christmas in your home. For a warm, cosy atmosphere that you’ll love retreating to during the colder months.
What is a Nordic Christmas?
Scandinavian countries love to add warmth and texture to their home. This makes the cold, dark months much more bearable. Natural materials are incorporated, and the outside is brought in.
Christmas decorations use branches and foliage, muted neutral tones are seen in cosy throws and blankets, and natural light like candles and roaring fires are used to heat your cold hands and soul.
Nordic Christmases are full of tradition, nostalgia, friends, and family. Find out some of the ways you can add Nordic design, decorations, and traditions to your home this Christmas below.
Paper Christmas Decorations
Ferm Living have created beautiful Christmas decorations made from paper. These are to evoke memories of creating DIY paper decorations made with family. I remember doing that every year as a child. You’ll be able to keep these minimalist Christmas decorations for years as they come in a storage box. I love bringing out the same decorations year after year, there’s something very special about that.
Add Neutral Tones & Warmth
Nordic design is well known for its muted tones and it’s no different at Christmas. Ferm Living have beautiful patchwork blankets and stockings that help create a calm and warm atmosphere. Much needed after the last few years we’ve had. The patchwork designs are in natural tones so will go perfectly with foliage or other natural decorations you make.
Use Natural Materials like Branches and Foliage
One of the simplest ways of incorporating Nordic Christmas into your home is by bringing some of the outside in with branches, foliage, and berries. Not only does this look beautiful but it also makes your home smell amazing especially if you use foliage such as pine or eucalyptus.
As well as using branches and foliage as natural Christmas decorations you can also use them to add details to your Christmas gift wrapping. See this post for natural, eco friendly gift wrapping ideas or this one for simple ideas on wrapping presents.
Add Candles for Beautiful Natural, Warm Light
Another simple yet very beautiful way to easily add a touch of Nordic inspiration to your Christmas and festive season is by using candles. Ferm have beautiful muted sculptural candles in the colours brown, amber and straw. They come in sets of four making these candles perfect for marking the four Advent Sundays during December.
Advent Calendar Candle
Ferm have also created Advent Calendar Candles to countdown the 24 days until Christmas. The Advent candles come in three shades: sage, amber and straw.
Creating a Minimalist Christmas Tree
We can’t forget about the Christmas tree. Scandinavian design is minimalist at its heart and so is their Christmas trees. Ferm have made ‘Doodle ornaments’ to adorn the tree this Christmas. These beautiful minimalist Christmas decorations are inspired by the natural forms of ice stalactites.
These decorations will add a touch of elegance and sculptural design to any Christmas tree, or Christmas branch or other creative ways of making a Christmas ‘tree’.
Nordic Christmas Traditions
Nordic Christmases are entrenched with myths and nostalgia. Here are some other Nordic traditions/ food to try.
This mulled wine based recipe will be sure to keep you warm during the colder months.
· Make Lussebullar (Swedish Saffron buns)
· Make Risengrod (rice porridge) on Christmas eve for Tomte or Nisse, a household spirit to keep them on your good side. We used to do this every year and always had a comptetition to find the almond, my Mum had slipped in one of the bowls. The winner got a price!
· For more Nordic Christmas traditions visit here check out my previous posts.