If you dream of a calm, cosy Christmas, Scandinavian decorations are a lovely place to start. They are simple, natural and made to be kept for years, and they bring a warm, candlelit feel to any home. Here is our guide to traditional Scandi Christmas decorations: what they are, where they come from and how to use them.
What makes Scandi Christmas decorations different?
Scandinavian Christmas decor is built around natural materials such as straw, wood, wool and felt, and a classic palette of red, white and natural tones. Pieces are often handmade, small in scale and meant to be hung, tucked on a shelf or grouped together rather than packed on. It is closely linked to hygge, the Danish idea of cosiness, so light and warmth matter as much as the objects themselves. You can browse our full range of Scandi Christmas decorations in one place.
Danish woven paper hearts and stars
Woven or plaited paper hearts, called julehjerter in Denmark, are one of the best-loved Danish Christmas traditions. They are usually made from red and white paper, woven into a little basket shape, and hung on the tree or filled with sweets. Danish paper stars are another classic, folded or woven from paper strips. Our Danish Christmas paper crafts include ready-made hearts and stars and kits to make your own, and you can follow our step-by-step guide on how to make Danish paper Christmas stars.
Straw, wood and felt decorations
Straw ornaments are a long Scandinavian tradition, and the Swedish Yule goat, the julbock, is one of the best-known. Wood and felt give the same natural look, with a softer touch. Hang them on a tree, tie them to a wreath or lay them along a mantelpiece. Browse our natural fabric, straw, wood and tin decorations for traditional shapes in red, white and natural colours.
Swedish Christmas decorations often feature straw goats and the painted Dala horse, while Danish Christmas decorations lean towards paper hearts and stars. Nordic Christmas tree decorations in general tend to be small, natural and handmade, which is what gives a hygge Christmas its calm, cosy look.
Nisse, tomte and Christmas gnomes
In Denmark and Norway the Christmas gnome is called a nisse, and in Sweden a tomte. According to folklore, he looks after the farm and keeps the family safe, and families traditionally leave him a bowl of porridge or rice pudding with a knob of butter at Christmas. Our nisse, tomte, gnomes and pixies are made in felt, wood and straw, and they are easy to tuck into a window, a shelf or the branches of the tree.
Candles, lanterns and advent candles
Candlelight is at the heart of a Nordic Christmas. In Denmark many families burn a calendar candle, a kalenderlys marked with the days of December, a little each day as the countdown to Christmas. Lanterns and tea lights make a simple, warm glow for tables and windowsills. See our Christmas candles, lanterns and tea lights to add that soft light to your home.
Christmas biscuits, snacks and treats
Baking is a big part of a Nordic Christmas, and the kitchen smells of spice for most of December. Sweden and Norway share a tradition called sju sorters kakor in Swedish and syv slags kaker in Norwegian, meaning seven kinds of biscuits, where a host serves seven different home-baked biscuits to guests. Fewer than seven is said to look stingy and more than seven showy, and the busy baking weeks before Christmas are the perfect time to try it. In Denmark, Christmas baking usually means pebernødder, tiny spiced biscuits, brunkager, brown spiced biscuits, and vanillekranse, buttery vanilla rings. Sweden’s thin pepparkakor gingerbread biscuits are cut into hearts, stars and little horses, and a Danish Christmas Eve dessert of risalamande, rice pudding with cherry sauce, hides a single whole almond for one lucky guest.
You do not need to bake seven kinds to join in. Start with a few from our kitchen:
- Danish Christmas pebernødder, traditional tiny spiced biscuits.
- Brune pinner, Norwegian brown stick spiced Christmas biscuits.
- Finskbrød, Danish cookies.
- Fedtebrød, Danish lemon and coconut biscuits.
- Chocolate amaretti biscuits.
- Spiced Scandinavian Christmas biscuits.
For more ideas, see our top ten favourite recipes for a traditional Danish Christmas, the top fifteen easy edible Scandi gift recipes, and our brændte mandler, the sugar-roasted almonds sold at Danish Christmas markets.
To bake the shapes, you will find Scandinavian baking tools and cookie cutters in our shop, and for something to sip with your biscuits, our Danish teas, cocoa and treats make a cosy pairing.
Glass and ceramic baubles
For the tree, delicate glass and ceramic ornaments add a little sparkle without being fussy, from small hearts and stars to woodland shapes. Our glass and ceramic Christmas baubles mix well with paper stars and natural decorations.
Wreaths and garlands
A natural wreath on the door is a warm, simple welcome. Look at our Scandinavian Christmas wreaths, garlands and candle rings for door, mantel and table. Candle rings are a very Scandi touch: the Nordic countries are famous for their love of candlelight, and a ring of greenery or velvet berries around the base of a pillar candle is a simple, lovely way to dress one.
Bring the outside in
Scandinavian homes borrow from the forest and the garden at Christmas, and you can too for almost nothing. A few simple ideas to try:
- Tuck small sprigs of fir, spruce or pine around the base of a candle dish or lantern, and add a few pine cones.
- Put a handful of bare twigs in a vase, wind some ivy through them, and hang a few light ornaments such as paper hearts or small glass baubles from the branches.
- Fill a bowl or tray with pine cones, dried orange slices and little sprigs of greenery for an easy table centrepiece.
- Lay a sprig of greenery along the mantelpiece or windowsill with a row of tea lights in glass holders.
- Wind ivy or fir around a plain pot or jug to make a mini wreath.
Keep real greenery and pine cones well away from the flame, trim anything that touches a candle, and never leave burning candles unattended.
How to style a Scandi Christmas
You do not need a lot to get the Scandinavian look. A few simple ideas help:
- Keep to a small palette of red, white and natural tones, with a little green.
- Mix textures: paper, straw, wood, felt and glass sit well together.
- Hang paper stars and woven hearts in windows so light comes through them.
- Group small pieces, such as a nisse with a candle and a few ornaments, in one spot rather than scattering them.
- Add candlelight in the evening for the hygge feeling.
Scandi Christmas decorations: your questions
What are traditional Scandinavian Christmas decorations?
Classic Scandinavian Christmas decorations include woven paper hearts and stars, straw ornaments, wooden and felt decorations, nisse or tomte gnomes, candles and glass baubles, usually in red, white and natural tones.
What colours are Scandi Christmas decorations?
Most are red and white, mixed with natural wood and straw, soft greys and a little green from fir, ivy or pine cones.
What is a nisse (a Scandinavian Christmas gnome)?
A nisse, or tomte in Sweden, is a small Scandinavian household gnome from folklore who is said to look after the farm and family. At Christmas he is traditionally treated to porridge or rice pudding with butter.
What is a Dala horse?
The Dala horse is a small painted wooden horse that comes from Dalarna in Sweden, and it has become one of Sweden’s best-known symbols. Dala horse ornaments and decorations are a popular, traditional touch at Christmas.
What are good Scandinavian Christmas gifts?
Small Scandinavian gifts work well, such as paper stars and hearts, nisse gnomes, Dala horse ornaments, candles, and Danish teas and cocoa. Browse our stocking fillers and Secret Santa gifts for affordable ideas.
How do you decorate a Christmas tree the Scandi way?
Keep it simple and natural. Choose paper stars and hearts, small wooden or felt ornaments and a few glass baubles, add warm white lights, and leave space between decorations so each one can be seen.
Find your Scandi Christmas decorations
Whether you are starting a collection or adding to one, you will find traditional Nordic Christmas decorations, Scandinavian gifts and little stocking fillers in our Scandi Christmas Shop. UK delivery is free over £30.
