I love these delightfully Christmas photos from Finnish blog Punainen talo maalla. (Doesn’t the dog make you laugh? I love it!)
Be sure to check back here on Sunday, as I’ve asked Hanne, who writes Punainen talo maalla, to stop by and share a Nordic Christmas guest post with you all!
This is the way I package orders for my shop, all year ’round. I love the simplicity and textures, the freedom to make the flags neon or neutral or a combination of both — and I love the fact that the little strand of pendants can be carefully untied and hung up somewhere in the recipient’s house.
Here are a few of my other favorite ideas for wrapping Christmas presents inexpensively and easily, using kraft paper, fabric scraps, coffee filters, paper bags, twine and yarn, and newspaper. (You can find rolls of brown kraft paper at dollar stores, in the shipping section of office supply stores, and in the moving boxes section of home improvement stores.)
These examples are all so pretty, and at the same time simple enough to actually be achievable.
Torn Fabric Ribbon via Knot and Bow on Etsy
Unbleached coffee filters via A Creative Mint
Brown paper bags via Audrey Smit for The French Import
Dictionary pages as wrapping via Sweet Petula on Etsy
Newspaper wrapping and pink tape wrapping via Moa og Kaffekoppen
Brown paper wrapping via HomeLife Australia
If you need me, I’ll be printing out this amazing paper nativity scene for Aveline to “color-color”. Thanks, Made by Joel!
[UPDATE: She loves it! Please excuse the sloppy, out-of-the-lines job I did with the scissors. She was quite literally climbing up my person while I was cutting the shapes out.]
Felted garlands are a great way to add color to your Christmas decor in a non-traditional way (i.e., not strictly red+green). Of course, I’d easily be able to justify leaving the strands up long after December is over. You can purchase both loose spheres and ready-made strands at craft stores and via private sellers on Etsy, or, you can felt your own wool using directions from one of these DIYs below! I really like the all-white ones strung on the neon thread! Which is your favorite?
Felted Balls via Yummi Shop
Natural felted wool ornament via Ferm Living
Christmas stocking with felt ball cuff via Down to the Woods
Felted ball wreath DIY via Pickles
Felt garland DIY tutorial via The Purl Bee
How to make felted balls tutorial via My Sparkle
Hi, it’s Ashley + Christina, blogging duo at neutral hue.
Our side-by-side blog is devoted to the love of neutral! Ashley is southern and has a classic, rustic aesthetic, while Christina is from NY and a lover of classic, modern design. We are out to prove that neutral works throughout design styles + sensibilities.
When Gina sent us a note about guest blogging about Scandinavian holidays we knew the topic was a great one for us!
We had this little shoot planned for our wee ones, and found it the perfect place to showcase the minimal holiday styling. Our inspiration for the shoot was holiday beauty in simplicity mixing the Ashley’s love of rustic through her son, 1 year old Wyatt (eeks, how time flies!), and Christina’s organic simplicity through her 9 month old daughter Mila.
Hope you enjoy our interpretation of simple Scandinavian.
Happy (Neutral) Holidays!
Ashley + Christina
neutral hue | Christina on Pinterest | Ashley on Pinterest | Facebook
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On set:
Felt garland & Felt Mistletoe via West Elm
On Wyatt:
Bison Trapper Hat via Gap
On Mila:
Sherpa vest & Pro Fleece Rosette Hat via Gap
Leggies by Little Giraffe via Layla Grayce
Photography:
leahandmark.com
“Everyone’s Christmas tree is different. Some people have a quiet tree with tiny twinkling lights, silvery tinsel, and fluffy white snow. Other people have neon trees with bright garish bulbs, twitching and blinking against the backdrop of Santas in Hawaiian shirts, and elephants wearing antlers.
But when I was a little girl, our Christmas tree was very different.
Our tree was dotted with cookies.
And candles.
Candles with fire…”
To continue reading my story about Christmas in the former Yugoslavia, go to page 36 of the Babiekins Magazine gift guide.
(The accompanying illustration was created by Maia Larkin of The Voyagers, and is available here.)
I have Finnish great-grandparents, but never knew them, and I don’t know much about Finnish culture and traditions. So I’m excited that my lovely friend Annika of Hei Moose is here to show us what Christmas looks like in her home country of Finland, starting with Independence Day — today!
The whole December is exciting and busy time in Finland! Already on the 6th of December we celebrate our Independence Day (itsenäisyyspäivä) and a celebration is held at the presidential castle where many public figures, foreign diplomats, celebs and even ordinary Finns (who have done something great during the year) gather to celebrate. The celebrations are broadcast live on the Finnish TV and can also be viewed online here, which is what many Finns living abroad like myself will be doing on that day. Two candles are also lit on a window sill to remember those who died in the war.
Image Credit: Studio55.fi
Soon after the Independence Day, the 13th of December is the Lucia Day. It is said that Lucia brings the light in the dark and is the symbolises light as she carries (live) candles in her hair. The Lucia and her train go right through Helsinki.
Image Credit: Petri Pusa
The Christmas preparations should usually start well in advance and include a proper tidy up of the house, sending Christmas cards, preparing food (such as baking gingerbread men and gingerbread houses for the well advanced chefs, baking plum tarts, getting the ham sorted etc.) and taking part in the ‘little Christmas parties’ thrown by companies, friends etc. Lots of glögi i.e. mulled wine is consumed and it doesn’t always have to be vodka fuelled either.
Image Credit: Fine Little Day
Christmas is celebrated on the Christmas Eve (24th Dec) in Finland. Some people may have to work on this day but many will have taken the day off. By 12 o’clock all tasks should be finished and the Finns traditionally turn to watch TV as the Christmas Peace (joulurauhanjulistus) is announced in Turku, the oldest town in Finland. The message is a peaceful Christmas to everyone (literally the people living in the town of Turku).
Image Credit: Veli-Pekka Suuronen
The Christmas morning is started by a rice porridge that is had with cinnamon and sugar. There is also one almond in the porridge and the person who gets it can have a wish. In our family there are more than enough almonds for everyone!
The Christmas tree may have been decorated already earlier but ours is usually brought in on the day. Our tree decorations are of the traditional Christmas tree style, i.e. all sorts of decorations together regardless of the colour or the style. The Finns traditionally top the tree with a star but recently I’ve also seen angels sold in the shops. A wreath is also hung outside the front door, although they may not be as massive as seen in other countries. Also external lights are very modest compared to for example some of the British displays. Other traditional Christmas decorations include for example straw mobiles. The typical Christmas flowers are amaryllis, poinsettia and hyacinths.
During the day and the early evening the Finns visit the cemeteries to light candles for the loved ones that are no longer with us and actually the cemeteries look very beautiful with hundreds of candles in the darkening evening.
Image Credit: Jussi Hellsten
Families usually celebrate Christmas together and might even go to a sauna before the festive meal. The festive meal is based on tradition from farmer houses when the times were tough. The main meat is a ham roast that is usually prepared in advance by roasting the ham in the oven overnight (in a low temperature). There are also always 3 different casseroles of carrot and rice, potato, and swede, many different fishes including gravad lax and herring salad.
Image Credit: Studio Fotoni via Finland.fi’s Christmas Recipes
In Finland we are great believers in Santa Claus, which is a no surprise seeing as he lives in Finnish Lapland, in a place called Korvatunturi! The departure of the Santa on the 23 rd is even shown on the main news and apparently the clip is shown worldwide. If there are kids in the family, the Santa usually pays a visit and always asks if the children have been good. The smaller the children, the earlier the visit takes a place.
Image Credit: Finland Santa for SantaTelevision.com
The rest of the evening is spent together by playing games or watching tv etc. Traditionally there are also Christmas night church masses.
The Christmas day is a quiet day in Finnish families and traditionally the Boxing Day is for visiting families and friends. This is also for ‘Tapanin Tanssit’ Stephen’s Dance and people are allowed to go to dance; there are even particular ‘Tapanin Tanssit’ in some bars.
Hyvää joulua – Happy Christmas from Hei Moose!
It goes without saying, I think, that I love how wonderful and bright all these Christmas details are.
All images via Cox & Cox and link to the items in the photos.
The Oaxacaborn Blog 