Which Scandi Christmas are you?
What makes a Christmas Scandinavian? Less a single look than a feeling: warmth, light and cosiness against the long, dark winter, with well-designed pieces you'll want to keep and add to. How that looks is different for everyone. For some it's a celebration of nature and the season. For others it's a time for fun, joy and colour, or all about tradition and ritual, or a chance to honour folk heritage and craft. We've sorted our Nordic Christmas decorations into four styles – natural, joyful, traditional and folk – so which one sounds like yours?
Scandinavian Christmas decoration ideas: find your style
Pick the one that feels most like you (or mix and match – plenty of us are a little bit of everything):
- The Woodland Dweller – calm, tactile and rooted in the outdoors. You'd rather have natural materials than tinsel.
- The Merry-Maker – Christmas is about smiles, colour and fun. A bouncing elf? Miffy? Santa candle? Yes, please!
- The Keeper of Traditions – same candles, same rituals, plus one new piece each year to mark another Christmas. You like things that become heirlooms.
- The Craft Lover – you'd turn a decoration over to admire the stitching. Dala horses, wooden elves, paper decorations and folk art designs are your idea of Christmas.
Not sure yet? Browse all our Scandinavian Christmas decorations and see what catches your eye.
The Woodland Dweller: natural Christmas
Calm, tactile and rooted in the outdoors, a natural Christmas brings the Scandinavian forest indoors with birch, wool felt and earthy tones. Two of our favourites:
- Lovi Star Wall Decoration 48cm Cinnamon – a birch plywood star that makes a statement on its own
- Gry & Sif Set of 5 Mini Red Felt Mushrooms – soft, handmade and perfect for tucking into branches
The Merry-Maker: joyful Christmas
Christmas is about smiles, colour and fun – and a bouncing elf on the mantelpiece is entirely reasonable. Bright, playful and full of character, joyful Christmas decorations are for everyone who likes their festive season with a grin. Two of our favourites:
- Hoptimist Elf Bumble Latte Small – the happiest elf you'll ever see, on a springy base
- Pluto Miffy Skating Gold Decoration – Dick Bruna's bunny takes to the ice
And yes, there's a LED Santa candle, too.
The Keeper of Traditions: traditional Christmas
Same candles, same rituals, plus one new piece each year to mark another Christmas. Traditional Scandinavian decorations are the ones that become heirlooms – glass, candlelight and classic designs, passed down and added to. Two of our favourites:
- Holmegaard Annual Glass Christmas Bauble 2026 – a limited edition, and once they're gone, they're gone (also in a bell, star, heart and bird)
- Flensted Mobile Angel Choir – a gentle, hand-assembled mobile that moves with the breeze
See more Traditional Christmas →
The Craft Lover: folk Christmas
You'd turn a decoration over to admire the stitching. Dala horses, wooden elves, paper decorations and folk art designs are the heart of a folk Christmas, celebrating Nordic craft traditions and heritage. Two of our favourites:
- Kosta Boda Horse 20cm – a Swedish folk icon, cast in crystal
- Lovi Elf in Red 16cm – the Nordic Christmas elf, in birch plywood
Something for everyone: rotary candle holders
A rotary candle holder – also called Änglaspel or angel chimes – is a nostalgic Swedish tradition. Light the tealight and the heat sets the figures gently turning, catching the light in a magical way. Whichever Christmas style you are, there's one for you: mistletoe for the woodland dweller, Moomins, Miffy and moose for the merry-maker, nutcrackers for the keeper of traditions and starlings for the craft lover. (There are more, too.) Prices start from £10.95.
See all rotary candle holders →
More Nordic Christmas decoration ideas
- Pluto Hanging Folk Tree in gold – sold out well before Christmas last year, so we've brought it back in case you missed out
- Bjørn Wiinblad Eva Christmas Decorations – four designs that are fun, bold, folk-inspired and retro. Go all in and get the matching advent candle and holder, too
- Holmegaard Annual Christmas Schnapps Bottle 2026 – and there are matching shot glasses, too
- Kay Bojesen Santa Claus – a wooden classic and a modern heirloom
- Gry & Sif Felt Holly Branch with Red Berries – gorgeous
- Lovi Spruce Tree 120cm Forest Green – a sculptural statement wooden tree, also available in smaller sizes
see our christmas collection →
Looking for gifts, not decorations?
Our Christmas gift guides are ready:
- Christmas gifts for her
- Christmas gifts for him
- Christmas gifts for teens
- Christmas gifts for kids
- What we'd buy ourselves
Or browse all our gifts, or send a gift voucher.
We originally published this in 2025, and updated it in November 2026.
