Christmas Crafting the Scandinavian Way

by Amy Sinar, age 13, from York

"I know it’s only November," but Saturday honestly felt like Christmas had already arrived—Scandinavian style. The York Anglo-Scandinavian Society held a Christmas craft event at the Norwegian Study Centre, and about fifty people showed up. It felt like stepping into a tiny Nordic village for the afternoon and it was a-mazing!

When we walked in, the first thing I noticed was the giant screen showing a crackling fire, like those cosy TV fireplaces from Norway that go on for hours. Scandinavian Christmas songs were gently playing in the background and even though it’s November, there was a decorated Christmas tree already up.

There were about eight different crafts to try; each craft had its own table, like tiny “workshops” you’d find in a Nordic Christmas market and there was always someone to give a helping hand. You could make gift cards and gift tags using stamps of red houses and green trees—very Swedish-looking—and then fold paper stars in two different ways at two other tables.   Another table had paper angels, simple but elegant in that minimalist Scandinavian way.

At another table, I tried my hand at stitching little hearts out of red and white felt. It was surprisingly relaxing to poke the needle through the soft felt and watch the shapes come together.  I’m going to put one of mine on my Christmas tree at home.   Another fun activity was making paper hearts which reminded me of Danish julehjerter. We folded, cut and weaved the paper carefully to make pockets that could be filled with little treats like chocolate or candy.

My favourite, though, was the table where you could make your own nisse out of air-drying clay. Mine came out a bit lopsided, but that just made him look more like a classic Norwegian barn nisse who’s slightly annoyed all the time.  I ended up chatting with a few of the other members at the table.

Some were shaping their nisse with big, exaggerated noses and ears, and we laughed together at how funny and mischievous the little figures looked. Others made long plaited hair and gave their nisse pointed hats which made theirs look like a cross between Noddy and Rapunzel.   We all got a bit messy, but it didn’t matter because it was such fun.

My 16 year old sister spent most of the afternoon crocheting with two senior members of the society. They were SO impressed that she had taught herself everything online. They told her that in Scandinavia, handcrafts are still a big part of tradition and not just at Christmas, and she looked like she’d just earned an honorary Scandinavian badge.

The refreshment table smelled like someone had opened the door to a bakery. There were homemade pepperkaker we could decorate with white icing, proper ginger cakes with little icing decorations, and a warm apple cake that tasted like hygge in cake form.

What I loved most was how everyone mixed together, young and old, Scandinavian and British and all sorts of other backgrounds. Little kids made paper angels next to teenagers, established members stamped cards beside new ones, friendships were formed and everyone just enjoyed being part of something cosy and communal.

When we finally left, it was dark outside, but I still felt warm from the lights, the crafts, the music, and the Scandinavian Christmas spirit. It might only be November, but if this is what early Christmas looks like, I’m all for it.

Since everyone loved the pepperkaker, here’s a simple recipe you can try at home:

Ingredients:

• 250g butter, softened

• 200g sugar

• 1 tbsp dark syrup (or golden syrup)

• 1 tbsp ground ginger

• 1 tbsp cinnamon

• 1 tsp ground cloves

• 1 tsp baking soda

• 500g plain flour

Instructions:

1. Mix butter, sugar, syrup, and spices in a bowl until smooth.

2. Add baking soda and flour gradually, kneading until you get a firm dough.

3. Chill the dough in the fridge for at least 1 hour.

4. Roll out the dough thinly on a floured surface.

5. Cut out shapes with cookie cutters (stars, hearts, nisse shapes…).

6. Bake at 180°C (350°F) for 6–8 minutes until golden brown.

7. Let cool and decorate with icing if you like!

These smell amazing while baking and are perfect for decorating with friends or family. Definitely worth trying if you want a little Scandinavian Christmas magic at home.