Christmas Markets in Sweden

The best about Swedish Christmas markets: you don’t have to go far to find one. Most communities here in Sweden have their own Christmas market, and they are held in castles, schools, churches and even in barns in the countryside. In fact, my favorite ones are the ones held in the countryside inside the red barns and full of handmade goodies and ideas for crafts and DIY gifts. The Christmas markets start early in November, and we have been in a different Christmas market each weekend. Some are held only for a few days, and what we learned pretty fast, the same merchants travel around the country selling their products in various Christmas markets. So if you forgot to buy the specialty mustard for your Holiday ham, or want more of the fresh bread, the chances are you will find the same or something very similar again the next weekend from a different Christmas market.

Our first Christmas market this winter was Hantverksgården in Linköping, where all of these photos are from. We didn’t have snow yet, but as I am typing this we have a around a foot of fresh snow outside. Christmas time in Sweden is pretty magical, and it’s a great time of the year to come for a visit.

Hantverksgården in Ledberg, Linköping Sweden

Enjoy a virtual tour of the Hantverksgården, and share in the comments what’s your local favorite thing to do during the Holidays in your corner of the world. Often we find gems right around the corner, if we just want to look.

I love how the market welcomes you and the outside is almost prettier than the inside!

Note: We use interactive images – click on the product info and links in the photo.

Design gifts on a budget

What is great design? Great design is beautiful, functional, and high quality. Typically with the high quality design comes a high price tag, and it makes it often difficult to find affordable Holiday gifts for design lovers. Don’t be alarmed just yet, like in good design – sometimes less is better. Here are 7 functional modern design gifts for any design lover for less, and all under 50 bucks. Many of the gifts are unisex, or suitable also for those hard-to-buy teens or college students, or make a great gift for a co-worker in the office.

1. Kaunis Kauris deer mug by Marimekko ($22)
Kaunis Kauris mug by Marimekko is a beautiful mug, a perfect gift for a design-lover co-worker to keep on her desk. The mug was designed by Sami Ruotsalainen, and it’s part of Marimekko’s Oiva dinnerware collection. Finnish design brand Marimekko know has an online store in the US as well, making it super easy for you to shop for this and other design gifts this year.

2. iPad Cover by 10-Gruppen ($44)
iPad Cover by Swedish 10-Gruppen is a necessity of modern times. The same bold prints can be found on iPad and laptop covers, and also on phone covers/pouches. Great gift for dad, grad, teen or stylish mom.

3. Sagaform Upside-Down Vase/Candlestick Holder ($39.95)
The Sagaform Upside-Down Vase/Candlestick Holder also from Sweden is a design object with two functions: it’s a candle holder that turns into a flower vase by turning it upside down. Get it for your girlfriend for Christmas and you’ll know she’ll always have a vase to put those flowers you’ll keep (or start!) buying her. Perfect also for office, small apartments or even college dorm, great inexpensive design gift for co-worker, college student or a special friend.

4. Nuance Bottle Opener ($19.99)
The Nuance Bottle Opener looks like a water drop, and is elegantly designed and a beautiful object on its own – but at its best opening a refreshing cold drink. Design from Denmark.

5. Poster print ($29)
If you can’t get the design object.. get a picture of it, right? Posters and art prints are a great option for inexpensive gift items for design lovers, and I am particularly fond of the prints by Yumalum on Etsy, check out the vast collection, all under 30 bucks.

6. Design House Stockholm Bamboo Accessories ($19.95 and up)

The entire Design House Stockholm’s bamboo collection makes excellent gifts for anyone who likes great design and cooking or entertaining. The cutting boards serve both as cutting boards and serving trays.

7. Iittala Lempi glasses ($32 for two)
One of my favorite purchases this year has been the Lempi glasses designed by Matti Klenell for Iittala. They make a perfect gift for almost anyone. They stack and go well even in smaller kitchens, yet they are high quality, high design, and go from everyday table to dinner parties.
Two of the clear Iittala Lempi Glasses is $32 making it an inexpensive gift and you can start collecting design for someone you care about.

Read all of the Holiday Gift Guide posts and stay tuned for more from all of our writers.

Enter the Scandinavian State of Mind

Welcome to Holiday Headquarters and my Scandinavian Summer feature at Skimbaco Lifestyle! Holiday Headquarters is a collaboration between several lifestyle, decorating and party experts and we are happy to participate in this summer party special today. I’m inviting you over for “fika in the backyard” – fika is a Swedish word for a coffee break. Get some coffee, sit back and learn how to host a summer party the Scandinavian way. Make sure to subscribe to our feed to get more ideas like this delivered to you.

SCANDINAVIAN DECORATING: BOLD CONTRASTS

Skimbaco Lifestyle is all about Scandinavian-inspired living, and many of the ideas that actually come from Scandinavian home decorating apply to other aspects in life too – or other way around. Same way as using what you have in home decorating applies to life – make the best with what you already have. Combining traditional with modern is also an important aspect of Scandinavian lifestyle – and home decorating. There are hundreds of years of heritage and history that still is seen in everyday living in Sweden, Finland, Denmark and Norway, yet Scandinavia is the mecca for modern design and modern technology. Strong contrasts can be seen everywhere, from weather to design: cold dark winters veiled with white snow contrast with warm colorful summers with never ending sunshine letting the gardens bloom in bold colors, and all of this inspires art and design. Scandinavian decorating style has always included combining very rustic elements and natural materials with sleek modern design, and it is trendier than ever – everywhere in the world.

SUMMER IN SCANDINAVIA

Summer is short in the Nordic countries, and when sun shines in Scandinavia, everybody goes outside. People leave the work a few minutes early, and the shirts come off no matter the age, sex or body type. I just witnessed my over 70-year-old neighbor across the river to go dipping in the river on a hot day just wearing her granny panties. Talk about swimsuitless confidence! While skinny-dipping may not be for you, there is something to learn about it: enjoy simple pleasures in life, no matter what others think. When sun shines – enjoy it like it’s going to be snowing tomorrow. (Here in Sweden, it just might.)

KEEP DECORATING SIMPLE

When it comes to summer entertaining the Scandinavian way, there is one word that describes it better than anything else: EASY. Since you want to spend most of your time outside enjoying the summer, the party decorating and cooking is all very simple. Use what you have, make crafts like the soup can vases, which you can even make outdoors, pick flowers from your own garden or from a nature walk, and enjoy fresh fruit and vegetables straight from garden or farmer’s market in your menu – the point is: enjoy the process of creating the party as much as hosting it.

SCANDINAVIAN SUMMER FOOD

Create a menu that you can make ahead of the time – or whip up quickly by the BBQ grill. Enlist kids to help and make it a family effort. My daughter’s specialty is Swedish chocolate balls, and my 9-year old son knows how to make Finnish summer berry pie and loves it with blueberries.

The night before the party I boil extra potatoes and throw a huge salmon file on the grill and enjoy the night with my family (this makes a great party dinner menu too – if you are having a dinner party). The next day I make a potato salad with radishes, and salmon wraps (recipe coming this summer) for the party. Easy, since the cooking was already done. And while Scandinavian summers are more than pickeled herring, typically there is some sort of seafood in Scandinavian parties. Try the easy Danish Smorrebrod, an open shrimp sandwich, make it smaller as an appetizer, or larger for lunch menus. Taste of Scandinavia – and super easy.

NATURAL, RUSTIC, SUSTAINABLE

One key element to Scandinavian lifestyle is sustainable living. When it comes to decorating this means upcycling old things to something new, using flea market finds, and purchasing quality that lasts for years to come. And above anything else: avoiding waste by any cause. That also means avoiding paper plates, anything disposable, using the cheap dollar store decorating items that you can only use once. I cheat on one thing – sometimes I use paper napkins, like I did in our “Fika Party in the Yard”. The mix match flea market plates look great as a collection and when you match them with simple modern dinnerware – it all sort of goes together very well.

Use natural materials like linen and cotton, when it comes to picking the textiles. I used vintage kitchen towels as a table runner, and get the details how to recreate this above rustic dinner party and read the tips from a Scandinavian interior design store owner.

DANCE & SING… AND DRINK

I told you that traditions play a big role in Nordic countries. Well, singing and dancing is part of that, and when summer comes – the somewhat reserved Nordic people start singing and dancing. Often fueled a little with vodka, beer or wine, or all of it. And often outdoors where there is space to dance, and the singing echos in the lakes. Swedish have drinking songs that are not just for college students, but what they sing even during fancier dinner parties. It’s normal to sing and then drink, Swedes prefer Aquavit, and Finns drink vodka. While singing songs in the dinner table or around a pole decorated with flowers in the yard might not be for you – why not add a backyard karaoke and add some funky music to your party and get people dancing (don’t forget adding ABBA to the playlist!).

Holiday Headquarters

Discover more summer inspiration from all of the Holiday Headquarters experts and follow the #HolidayHQ on twitter today. Join us tonight on Twitter for a #HolidayHQ tweet chat 8pm EST. More tips abut summer entertaining, and we are also giving away Hamilton Beach Fastpop Ice Pop Instant Frozen Popsicle Makers.

SECOND CITY SOIREE | How to Turn Your Gas Grill into a Smoker

THOUGHTFULLY SIMPLE | 4 Summer Cocktails

SKIMBACO LIFESTYLE | Scandinavian Summer Party Ideas

VALLEY AND CO. | Perfect Summer Cocktail Recipes

PARTYBLUPRINTS BLOG | Super Summer Pie

CELEBRATIONS AT HOME | Make A Watermelon Cake

PAPER&PIGTAILS | Favorite Summer Printables
HOUSEWIFE BLISS | Summer Bunting for Playful Parties

Subscribe to our feed and see more Scandinavian Summer Party ideas on our Pinterest board.

PHOTOS: Katja Presnal, Werannas Warehouse (rustic boathouse), IKEA (sing & dance)

Scandinavian Summer Home tips from Weranna’s

I’m excited to introduce you to a new interior design store Weranna’s Warehouse offering you the best of handmade Scandinavian products, heirloom quality linen mixed with the trendiest home accessories carefully picked from around the world, but maintaining the Scandinavian thinking: things have to be good quality to last for long and be esthetically pleasing. Weranna sells products that are made with respect to fair trade practices, made with natural materials and most likely handmade by artisans from around the world. They support women’s rights and entrepreneurship, and the shop owner herself is a mother of three. Weranna’s ships worldwide, but is based in Finland.

Today we are getting tips how to create a natural rustic Scandinavian style summer party at you home from Riikka Hytönen of Weranna’s Warehouse. Riikka is originally from Finland, currently living in Stockholm, Sweden. As she says it, her thousand small and larger projects going on any moment related to the kids, the house, Swedish learning (ouch!) knitting (too many) and reading (not as many).

Set the Mood for Scandinavian Summer Party

This Scandinavian Summer Party feature was shot in Riikka’s summer house – in a boat shed! But you definitely don’t have to own a summer house nor a boat house – you can create the same look in your home or in your yard. I created something very similar in our backyard on our deck. But the entire look takes you to the mindset and feeling of a summer house — lazy days, easy cooking, never-ending sparkling wine supply and setting the table with what ever you have in hand and serving fish from the sea and fresh veggies and fruit from the garden.

THE SETTINGS INSPIRATION: THE SUMMER HOUSE

By the sea. Weathered wooden cottage, all grey from years of sunlight and sea water splashed to the walls.

A small deck or boathouse. A cozy corner built with old fishnet and old apple boxes, they are perfect to have around. Have a variety of nautical lanterns in all shapes and forms and ages around us to be lit when the evening starts to get cooler. We bring everything needed to our perfect spot in hand-made chip-baskets.

As we are at the summer house, the chairs never match. They are whatever can be found. The table is perhaps put together of old wooden planks found in the shed.

In the corner an old rattan chair with a blanket made of grandma squares.

SET THE MOOD WITH TEXTILES & DECORATE

Linen cushions. Linen blankets for all. Linen table cloth. Linen napkins. White, linen, blue. A splash of aqua or turquoise perhaps. Or bright pink peonies in the middle of the table with lots of green found in the garden.

Crisp, pure, simple.

FOOD & DRINK

To drink? Ecological champagne or sparkling wine, like Sugarless Sparkling Wine. Perhaps throughout the meal. This year I would also go for a punch made of home-made fruit juice. With a touch of lime and fresh mint (from your own small herb garden, of course). Lots of frozen strawberries and melon scoops as ice cubes.

Popcorn. Keep it simple, and inexpensive.

Smoked fish. Sour dough bread. Strong local cheese. Grilled Asparagus with feta or parmesan cheese and bacon, and olive oil, salt and pepper. A huge salad with edible flowers on top. As a dressing I would have ecological raspberry vinaigrette or similar.

For dessert: Strawberries and whipped cream.

ACTIVITY

Playing cards. Enjoy the summer sun.

The products!

Most of the products to create this mood for your summer can be found at Riikka’s store at Weranna’s Warehouse, but the appeal of the entire look is to use old items you already have, flea market finds, and mix them with heirloom linen or new textiles to bring the old things alive. See the products and links to purchase them below!

Boathouse Lantern
Basic cushion cover
Chip basket
Jokipii towel
Napkin ring Tindra
Blue napkins

Table Linen
California Lantern
Vintage box
Metal tags with thoughtful thoughts
Striped cushion cover

Photos: Weranna’s Warehouse

It’s so simple to make a fancy looking DIY center piece.
Get a tray, fill it with tea candle holders and candles. Done.

I created my modern turquoise and white candle tray already waiting for terrace season, and I can’t wait to have my deck ready for summer. It’s still been too rainy, and cold, but we are hoping to have our back deck ready this weekend and kick off the BBQ season. We’ll see.

Candle tray is an excellent way to bring indoors out for outdoor entertaining. They are great also for balconies and for smaller yards because they don’t require much space. Candle trays with tea candles are great for spots where you can’t add a fire pit, but still would like to add some natural flame. The tea candles are also better for fire safety than tall candles.

You can use any type of large tray and then collect various votive holders to fill it. Pick one or two colors or a theme, and it’s OK if they are mix match, that’s the whole point. You can even use washed empty jelly jars, small cups, drinking glasses, you name it. Pretty much any glassware works, and the more you mix the better it will look. Start arranging your tray in the middle and add the highest candle holders in the middle, add tea candles and you are done.

I was hoping to find an old tray from a flea market but saw this modern tray in a design store and once I got home I realized I had enough things at home to create a candle tray, and I didn’t have to buy anything else. I didn’t have that many actual candle holders so I used small vases, coffee cups and glasses. I used some of my Finnish Iittala turquoise glassware and added a few old coffee cups my grandmother gave me and filled them all with tea lights.

Now all I need is my deck ready and a table outside to enjoy a glass of wine in the candle light with my hubby at nights. The days are getting longer and longer in Sweden though – and I might have to wait until fall to use my tray outside.

Aqua & White Candle Tray shopping list

If you like some of the items on my tray, here are some of the products I used. Note that I have been collecting these over the years, and I have several different Iittala glasses in turquoise making it easy to mix. You can’t go wrong also when you mix with white or clear glass. Target, Walmart, IKEA and Kmart – every inexpensive store also sells small colorful tea light holders. Mix the inexpensive things with more expensive designer items and flea market finds and you will get the best mix. One of the best online store selections for candle holders of all colors and shapes is the Luna Bazaar.

Iittala Aalto mini bowl in turquoise ($120) – I love these for candles and candies and just as decorative items.

The iittala Kivi Candle Holder ($20) are less expensive and they look great grouped together.

I also added one iittala Kartio tumbler, and two Iittala Verna glasses on the tray to give height. The Verna glasses are older Iittala collection and no longer available but I didn’t want to risk my new Iittala Lempi glasses which would also have worked.

Ralph Lauren Pink Pony candle ($45) shows its support for the Pink Pony Fund in a pink hue, and it’s one of my favorite candles for the charity, the look and the scent. Maybe not the perfect match for the rest of the products, but it works.

I also added some old semi tasse coffee cups with plates and the Röstrand Mon Amie cups have a little bit the same look as my Grandmother’s old cups have. But the point is – it doesn’t all have to be a perfect color match and it actually looks better when you add unexpected surprises in the mix as well.

Our home is finally getting there with our Christmas decorating…

We added Marimekko Hetkiä fabric on the top of the fireplace and while it doesn’t really go with our Christmas theme that includes doves and motives from nature, but I still love it. We thought about hanging it up after the Holidays but now I’m so happy we already hung it up, I’ve been working from the couch and looking at it the entire day today, and I love it.

I bought a few new things this year, mainly craft items and some ornaments from Michael’s and basically just went through everything we already had. I wanted to mix natural elements and white with silver (and a little bit of gold) to get a nice contrast. We did some simple crafts with the kids, they created flower arrangements on the windows – and I used the left over sticks from the greenery to create my own centerpiece for the mantel. It’s kind of crazy – but I like it that way.

My favorite part of our Christmas crafting are these paper doves though. I think they turned out nice, and we didn’t buy anything for them – we used left over wallpaper, paper, ribbon and feathers and the golden parts are from a past Christmas card we got from a family member – the one card had so much golden leaves that I was able to cut golden leaves out for 10 doves!

We have so many nice Christmas tree ornaments that it was difficult to stick in the theme and to the colors we had decided, especially kids got little upset because they couldn’t add all of their favorite ornaments.. But once the tree was ready, we all love it so much in its simplicity. We also created crystal ornaments ourselves by tearing up an old light fixture and taking the crystals out of it and just looping them with white ribbon. On the top of our home made ornaments we added ribbon, balls in white and silver and ornaments that look like squirrels and owls (made out of pine cones) and then a few additional ornaments that fit the colors/theme. The only ornaments that have the red ribbon and bring a little color are the Iittala Taika ornaments that I love reminding me of back home.

Is your home already ready for the Holidays?

Finnish Iittala’s Taika collection is whimsical and enchanted and very trendy and now you can get it on sale, 50% off! The collection came out last year and has been a huge hit, and I already featured some of the products in the last year’s Holiday Gift Guides I made, and again this year as one of the inexpensive timeless design gifts. Now there is even better news – Gilt has Iittala’s Taika 50% off.

Even celebs like Kate Winslet like Iittala Taika!

Buying trendy home decorating gifts doesn’t have to be expensive. Most of these home gift ideas are under 30 dollars, the most expensive being $75. And even if you add these gift ideas with candles or some food items, you can make an impressive gift for anyone for under 50 bucks.

SILVER BRANCH CANDLEHOLDER

This Silver Branch Candleholder ($28) from Crate and Barrel makes a wonderful gift for almost any home. It has the trendy tree branch design, and it goes well both in traditional and modern homes. Add candles and your gift is ready! I love the round ball candles on it like pictured, but inexpensive tea candles work as well. The candle holder is pretty large making it look even more expensive than it is.

SATUMETSÄ PLATES

Enchanted forrest pictures adorn the Iittala Satumetsä plates designed by Klaus Haapaniemi for Iittala of Finland. The salad plates are $27.50 and dinner plates $40 each and currently Unicahome is offering 20% off all Iittala orders over $100 and you can get a real deal on this dinnerware collection. Iittala dinnerware is very high quality and this is a set that will easily turn into family heirloom and you can collect it a piece by piece.

OWL SUGAR SHAKER

Owls have been trendy decorating element for a few years now and seems like the trend is just continuing. This white owl sugar shaker ($14) is a fun and inexpensive gift from West Elm. I love the simple owl design, it’s a perfect functional design object especially for apartment living where you might not have as much space for decorative objects. It also makes a great teacher’s gift.

MOOSE BOWL

Sure, reindeer usually takes the spotlight during Christmas time, but try something that goes well around the year – moose. Great design comes in all shapes, also in moose shape like this cool and inexpensive bowl from Scandinavia. Fill the Sagaform Moose Bowl ($25) with candy and it makes a fun gift for anyone.

ALMOND BOWL

Harry Allen has so many great products and seems like they are everywhere. Now you can have your nuts and eat them too. This Harry Allen Almond Bowl in White ($75) is a great gift for someone who has a good humor and loves design. It also comes in gold, but matte white is very trendy in decorative items – and at the same time more timeless.

TWIG CHEESE KNIVES

Say cheese! Another great gift idea for anyone who likes cheese is this cute cheese knife set. The three knife Twig Cheese Knives Set from West Elm is only $29 and it’ll make a nice addition to a cheese basket or give it alone. Truth to be told it looks kind of cute even as a wall decoration as in the photo…

SQUIRREL NUTCRACKER

Classic squirrel nutcracker is one of the “it” items this year, and it makes a great Holiday gift. Lift his tail and add a nut in his mouth and he cracks it for you when you push the tail back down. The squirrel nutcracker is $21.95 from Fishs Eddy. And don’t forget the nuts!

One of the best known Finnish decorative and gift item companies is Aarikka. Aarikka’s wooden Christmas elves are a collectible item everyone knows in Finland, and the company comes with a new elf design or two each year to keep the tradition going and collectors happy. Aarikka’s unique way of coloring wood makes them stand out and a Finnish design staple.

But Aarikka is so much more than Christmas elves – even for the holiday time. Their wooden angles and nativity sets are great for Holiday decorating your home with Scandinavian style.

The wooden Aarikka Pässi, the lamb, is another collectible to have. It comes in different colors and sizes. Aarikka has other fun animals in their decorative items as well, like Finnish native moose, and a funny duck.

Aarikka’s also has great glassware and I like their candle holders. Simplistic design, with high quality workmanship, handmade in Finland – Aarikka is truly a Finnish design house you should check out, if you like Scandinavian design.

Aarikka’s products are sold in some Scandinavian design special stores like FinnStyle.com, some at Amazon and at their own webshop Aarikka.com.

I have traditionally only featured modern Scandinavian design, but Finnish Design is so much more than minimalism.

One great more traditional Finnish design company is Pentik. They have over 80 stores in Scandinavian countries, unfortunately their products are not sold in the US or online, and these pictures are only for inspiration.