Nordic Style Christmas

As I surfed Pinterest in November I was drawn to a Nordic inspired Christmas.

The love affair with black transferware that began last summer inspired some searches for a black and white Christmas. 
It was that search that revealed pins in black and white Nordic style.
The Nordic countries are 
Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Iceland and Finland.
Contrary to some boards I've seen on Pinterest, 
France is not a Nordic country. There are elements of French design that are similar to the design style of this region but they are on two different parts of the continent.
These five countries take up a region of the world that is almost uninhabited. The climate is cold and dark for most of the winter. Certain areas only get 5 or 6 hours of sunlight on a winter day.
White rooms reflect what little natural light there is. 

Candles are a big part of Nordic style. 

I transformed some old bottles into advent candles.

Bill cut holes for votives to make a little yule log.

I decorated a chalkboard above it with popular Nordic motifs.
My reindeer could use some work. Haha.

There is a candle in the window in the dining room at the front of the house. 
Our paperwhites are just beginning to sprout.

Stars are a prominent motif. 

There are several hanging on keys and knobs.

There are a few reindeer prancing around as well.

A faux sheepskin rug from Tuesday Morning warms up a corner of the living room.

My little gingerbread or pepparkakor house is the final touch.

I have a few gingersnaps to bake and decorate.
I also plan to make some clay hearts. 
I'll let you know how that goes.
I hope you are having a wonderful weekend.
We are in New York!
I'll tell you all about it when we return.
Thanks for stopping by.

Katie   
Linking with,
Savvy Southern Style
French Country Cottage
A Stroll Thru Life

Nordic Wreath

Hands down one of my favorite Christmas images on Pinterest is a simple Nordic wire wreath with a candle. 

You can see it and my Christmas board here.

I wondered if I could make one myself for our Nordic inspired Christmas.

I thought about using a hanger but soon realized that there was not any way I would be able to get a perfect circle.

I saw this wreath at Hobby Lobby.

It's two perfect circles and those pine branches are perfect for a Nordic wreath. This type of wreath is typically used with mesh or ribbon. 

The two circles only needed to be clipped apart. 

Easier said, than done.

I tried everything and couldn't get them apart.

I tried

wire cutters

tin snips

sawsall

hacksaw.

Nothing! 

Bill would have to come to the rescue and he did but even he said these were hard to snip apart.

I moved the pine branches to the bottom and reattached them with wire.

The candle holder is made by twisting the wire around the candle. 

A simple black gingham bow finished it off.

I promise you that this will probably be the only time that this candle is lit. 

The gingham ribbon slipped over and almost hit the flame.

I couldn't put the camera down fast enough. 

It sure is cute though!

Katie 
Linking with,
A Stroll Thru Life 
Savvy Southern Style