How to Make Scandinavian Felt Trees for Your Table 2023

How to make Scandinavian felt trees for your table for a little bit of rustic decor with a modern twist. A while back I joined a group of bloggers to share tabletop trees and this is what I came up with for our corner banquette. I like to soften the Saarinen table with a wood trivet and a plant or fresh flowers all year long. So adding these little wood-based felt trees for the holidays was just the look I wanted.

What I love about the Scandinavian felt trees

Simple Christmas ornaments have always been my favorite kind so it’s not surprising I was drawn to these trees for the holiday season. And there are a million things to like about these little felt trees. Here are just a few of them:

• You probably have everything you need except the felt.
• I try to Incorporate elements of nature in my holiday decorations. The wood bases are from a small limb we picked up in the woods in Maine when we visited the Lost Kitchen Cabins).
• It takes little more than an hour to make all three trees and even less if you have a helper.

The Supplies you’ll need:

• About a yard of felt (a little less if you are careful) – I used all one color, but you could use three different colors or variations of the same overall color. I found mine on Etsy and it’s the exact color I was hoping to find.
• A pattern (I printed out three sizes at 75%, 60% and 45%)
• A good pair of scissors
• Straight pins
• A hot glue gun
• Tree limbs in three different sizes cut into 1/2″ thick wood slices
• Sticks or bamboo stakes
• Christmas Tree Pattern to print in three sizes

Christmas Tree Pattern to print in three sizes

Here’s how you make them:

• Gather all your supplies
• Cut wood discs from tree branches in three sizes to use as the base for each tree
• Gather sticks or use bamboo wood stakes and cut into three lengths
• Drill holes into the round wood discs to hold the stick or wood stake.
• Glue the stick or bamboo stake into the hole using a glue gun
• Make Christmas tree patterns in three sizes – print out the pattern at 75%, 60%, and 45% or whatever size you want
• Cut 12 felt squares for each of the three sizes
• Fold each piece in half, pin the folded tree pattern to the folded side and cut out 12 trees of each size
• When you are ready to begin gluing the felt trees to the stick, divide each set of 12 into two stacks.
• Begin by folding the tree in half and using a glue gun, run glue along the seam, leaving a little space at the top without glue, and then glue to the stick.
• Continue gluing all six and then glue the remaining six on the opposite side.
• Glue the points together at the top
• Separate each folded tree a little. If you have a steamer, use it to loosen the felt a little. A steamer is not critical but it helps just a bit.

Scandinavian felt trees for any corner that needs a little holiday

Scandinavian Christmas traditions are magical

You can read more about them here, but here is a quick summary of the six key components of a Scandinavian Christmas:

1. The Christmas Tree – But not just any tree, it has to be a fir tree preferably chopped down yourself.
2. A Tradition of Celebrating the Light – Saint Lucia’s Day is celebrated with a candlelit procession of boys and girls dressed in white gowns.
3. A Sunday Ritual – This ritual consists of four candles and lighting one for every Sunday in December. Sometimes they have one candle marked in fourths and lighting it every Sunday only burning down to the next mark signifying the four Sundays in December.
4. Gifts From a Magical Source – During the Christmas period the man in red delivers presents to boys and girls that have been good.
5. Scandinavian Christmas Food – Food is central to a Scandinavian Christmas. From November on, they drink a hot spiced wine. And on December 24th, they all sit down together for a hearty meal.
6. A Happy Christmas to All – Translated directly it’s God Jul, pronounced just like Yule. A little bit old-fashioned in most of the English-speaking world, Scandinavians still call Christmas “Yule.”

Here are some additional holiday ideas from some blogger friends

Pink Tabletop Christmas Tree DIY // My 100 Year Old Home

Felt Tabletop Christmas Tree (DIY) // Happy Happy Nester

Cozy Tabletop Christmas Tree DIY // The Happy Housie

How to Make Scandinavean Felt Trees // Most Lovely Things

Vintage Ornament Tree // Modern Glam

Easy and Inexpensive Tabletop Tree Decor Hack // Twelve On Main

Vintage Inspired Nutcracker Tabletop Tree // Sincerely, Marie

Gingerbread Men Tabletop Tree // Tatertots & Jello

Tabletop Trees Inspired by the Forest // Finding Lovely

Natural Christmas Arrangement // Craftberry Bush

Scrap Fabric Tabletop Trees // My Sweet Savannah