Celebrate a Hygge Christmas
This time of year it’s easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, and together with life happening, and everything that’s going on in the world, it can all feel a bit chaotic. So let’s infuse our Christmas with the essence of Hygge, the Danish art of embracing warmth, simplicity and togetherness. Or as we say in Dutch “gezelligheid”. This way we can step back and enjoy the season, while we hybernate and recharge. Below I’ve put together my 5 favourite ways to spend time with friends, 5 things to do, 5 things to make or bake and 5 ways to wrap your gifts. The Hygge way.
The magic of Winter - Spending Time with Friends
Getting together with friends, being present and enjoying eachother’s company is the true essence of hygge. Here are my five favourite things to do with loved ones:
Holiday Movie Marathon.
Get together for a marathon of classic hoilday movies, a horror theme night or binge a famous trilogy. Just make sure it’s something everyone would like to see. Complete with your favourite snacks like popcorn, m&ms and add comfy blankets and cushions. Don’t forget to turn the lights down low, add some candles and turn on the lights on the Christmas tree!
Game Night
Gather around a table and get that fireplace going, whether it’s real or simulated. I have this great channel on my tv that broadcasts a different fireplace every hour, including christmas decorations and real fireplace sounds. Have everyone bring their favourite game and fill the table with snacks and beverages. Just don’t get to caught up in it you start to knock stuff over!
Cozy Dinners
Host a potluck dinner where everyone brings a dish to the table. Have a fondue night with different types of breads and veggies. Go back to the 80’s and use a tabletop grill. It’s all about sharing and making dinner while you talk and connect. Don’t forget to decorate the table and add some soft lighting.
Nature Walks
I absolute love nature walks! This is my go to remedy when I feel stressed. It’s also one of the best kept secrets of the Dutch; when you feel down, go take a walk in the wind and all your troubles will be blown away. But even if it’s not windy, it’s a great way to slow down and ground yourself. And what better way to do this than with your loved ones. Some of the best talks I’ve had have been on long walks. This is also a great way to include the little ones. Collect items like pinecones, twigs or dried leaves and keep them from some of the DIY tricks I’ll talk about below.
Stargazing
I do this way too little because of the cold, but it is truly magical. Put on your winter coats, bundle up in blankets and get together for a night of stargazing. Starting a fire is optional, but please make sure to keep it small and in a confined spot, so you won’t damage any nature by accident. Bring hot drinks and soups and share stories while you explore the night sky💫.
Cozy Traditions - Things to Make
Most of these can be done with kids, and are some of my favourite ways to spend my time and get creative during the holiday season. Either with kids, fellow crafters or on my own. Just remember, the key to hygge decorations, as everything hygge, is to keep them simple, natural and personal.
Build a Snowman
If You’re lucky enough to have snow, please please please go do this. Or have a snowball fight, go sledding. Basically, do anything that includes snow. We don’t have it often in the Netherlands, but when we do, everyone gets out to make the most of it. Usually because it’ll melt before the end of the day😅
Create a Foraged Garland
Remember that DIY activity I talked about before? All the pinecones, acorns and twiggs can be turned into a nature inspired ornament. Paint them in classic Christmas colours or go for white and soft pastels. Whatever suits your home and holiday style. Attach them to cords with pins, glue or clips and create some cute wall decorations.
If you want a DIY garland without the hassle of foraging, check out my Hygge Homes printable Garland on Etsy here.
DIY Wreath
Another way to use those foraged collectables is to create a DIY wreath. Use a plain wreath form, or make one using twigs. Decorate this with pinecones, dried oranges and cinamon sticks. You can also google some videos on how to create pompoms and pine tree tassels to add to the wreath as well. Get creative and make it as colourful or natural as you like!
Create paper Snowflakes
This must be one of the most accesible things on my list, as most of us have some white paper, scissors and cord lying around. Just cut white paper into delicate snowflake shapes. The easiest way to do this, is to fold a square piece of paper two times, until you get a smaller square. Then cut the shape into the outer sides, leaving the middle part and folded edges uncut. Unfold and you have a perfect symetrical snowflake! You can use these to decorate tabletops, window sils, or hang them from strings in the windows to create a cute snowflake mobile.
Hygge Lanterns
When it’s getting dark early, what better way to light up your home with some cute homemade lanterns. You can repurpose old glass jars and wrap the outside with some festive wrapping paper that you hold together using a small cord of your choice . I love using my Hygge Homes wrapping paper (find it here), but you can use any gift wrap you have lying around. Or you can create some by handpainting a piece of paper and cutting it to the right size. This is also a fun way to get creative with kids. Add a tea light inside and dot the jars around the house for a warm and cozy glow.
Don’t let any of the wrapping paper fold over the top edges, as this could cause a fire when you light the tea lights.
The Smell of Cinamon - Festive Recipes
We’re not getting into roast turkey here, but small bites to make and bake, to enjoy during the whole holiday season. Hygge baking is all about creating comforting treats and they’re fairly easy to make and ideal for sharing. Also, they’ll leave your home smelling of cinamon, turmeric and other warm spices.
Quick Cinamon Rolls
Get a can of instant croissant dough and unfold all of the dough in one long strip. Paste the cutting seams back together using a little bit of pressure and add some water if needed. Mix some butter with cinamon and cover the whole strip until it’s brown. Add sugar to taste. Now cut the strips in lenght in about 6 thinner strips, and roll each strip into a bun. Bake them in the oven at 200°C for about 10-12 minutes. Easy peasy right? If you want to have a failsafe option, I’m sure google has got your back on the exact numbers and amounts.
Gingerbread Cookies
These are really fun to decorate with kids. Get creative with a mixture of coloured icing, cookie shapes and toppings. Or go classic and only use white icing. These are the best cookies to share for those instant Christmas vibes!
Mulled Wine
This one’s only for the parents and we love it. Take some time to brew some mulled wine for a loungy afternoon. This mulled wine goes sow ell with some activities mentioned above, it’s a miracle I’m not addicted to this stuff 😅 If you don’t like or want alcoholic beverages, there’s also plenty of alcohol free recepies out there on the interwebzt.
Hot Chocolate
I couldn’t leave this one out now could I? This must be the most simple recipe ever, you just warm the cocoa in a saucepan until it almost boils, pour it into a mug and top it with whipped cream. But there’s ways to make it even better! You can enhance your hot chocolate with spices like cinamon, nutmeg, ginger or even cayenne pepper. But even better are all the different toppings! You can add mini marshmellows, candy cane or toffee bits if you have a sweet tooth. But did you know you could also opt for coarse sea salt and ground nuts? You can even create a whole hot chocolate bar where everyone could mix and match their perfect cocoa recicpe. Perfect to mix with the Holiday Movie Night.
Homemade Marshmallows
I didn’t even know this was a thing, but Oh My! Now we need to try this! Apparently, there’s an easy way to make your own marshmallows and according to the internet it is marshmellow heaven. It’s nothing more than whisking together sugar, gelatin and water. Letting it set, and cutting it into squares. I need to try this, and so do you 😉 Let me know if you find the perfect recipe and I will do the same!
Creating Heartfelt Moments - Gift Wrapping
Putting some extra effort into wrapping your gift will make the recipient feel extra special. There are some simple ways to add some extra love and hygge to your gift using these small tricks.
Twine or Ribbon
After wrapping your gift, use a fancy twine, cord or ribbon to wrap around your gift. This will add some texture and colour. You could wrap it around the width, the length or both, and have a single string or multiple. Play around until you find something that looks and feels just right.
Washi Tape
Have you ever considered using washi tape instead of cellotape for giftwrapping? There are plenty of options around that have some simple patterns and a bit of gold to them to add a little touch of flair to your present.
Dried Flowers of Greenery
Adding a little sprig of dried flowers, pine branches or eucalyptus to the gift will not only add a natural element, but also a subtle fragrance. Dried flowers are best as they won’t wither away, and you can go as colourful or rustic as you’d like. Match the colour and texture to the ribbon or twine if you use any. Or you can use a little bit of washi tape to stick them on.
Personalized Gift Tags
You can cut any shape and use a holepuncher to be able to attach it to the cord or twine. Handwrite them with a personal message or simply decorate the tag with a small illustration and the recipients’ name.
Personalized Gift Wrap
Create your own custom wrapping paper by hand-stamping or hand-painting simple patterns or elements onto plain paper. Or glue your white paper snowflakes to a dark sheet of paper for a dramatic contrast and a textured gift.
DIY Embellishments
Craft some simple embellishments to add to your gift. This could be the paper snowflakes from this post’s DIY section, hand cut christmas trees or even some small painted acorns. Small handmade pompons or tassels also work.
The goal is to create a gift presentation that feels warm, thoughtful and personal. So each element you add should contribute to this making the act of unwrapping the gift a special moment on it’s own.
Time to Enjoy your Hygge Christmas
Remember, it’s not about grand gestures or spending money. It’s about the simple things, about sharing moments with loved ones. About grounding, taking time for yourself and recharging. Whether it’s through crafting, baking, going out or staying in with friends. Let every moment be an opportunity to embrace the warmth of the holidays.
Merry Christmas!
