Carl Larsson Christmas: 16 Cozy Swedish Cottage Ideas From the Artist Who Painted His Own Home

Carl Larsson Christmas style is the coziest kind of decorating: red painted wood, simple handmade textiles, apples on the windowsill and rooms full of soft winter light. Larsson was a Swedish painter, and in 1888 he and his wife Karin, also an artist, were given a small house called Lilla Hyttnas in Sundborn. Together they decorated it in their own cheerful way, and his watercolors of family life there, gathered in the 1899 book A Home, still shape how people picture a Swedish cottage today. Many of the rooms he painted were actually Karin’s designs, since she also worked as an interior designer. We gathered 16 easy projects inspired by their home, all made with paint, fabric, paper and greenery you can find on a budget. Grab a cup of something warm and start making..

Carl Larsson Christmas Living Room in Red and White

A Carl Larsson Christmas room starts with a happy mix of red painted wood, white walls and handmade touches. Think of a small fir tree hung with red apples and paper hearts, a painted bench piled with gingham cushions and a striped rag rug on bare boards. Nothing is fancy, but everything is chosen with love, and that is the secret of the look. You can read more about the painter and his family on the Carl Larsson page. Which corner of your home will get the cottage treatment first..

You will need: red and white fabric, a small fir tree, red apples, white paper, a striped rug, a few pine sprigs.

How to make it: 1. Pick one corner and clear it of clutter. 2. Add one red painted piece of furniture and a small tree. 3. Layer gingham cushions, a rug and simple paper ornaments.

Falu Red Painted Side Table and Stool

Deep Falu red is the color of country houses all over Sweden, and it shows up again and again in the Larsson home. A tired side table or wooden stool from a thrift store becomes a holiday star with two coats of matte red paint. The soft finish looks old in the nicest way, especially with a bowl of apples and pine on top. It is a weekend project that costs very little and lasts for years. What thrifted piece is waiting for its red makeover?

You will need: a small wooden table or stool, sandpaper, a damp cloth, matte red chalk style paint, a brush, clear matte wax.

How to make it: 1. Sand the piece lightly and wipe away the dust. 2. Brush on two thin coats of red paint, letting each one dry. 3. Rub on clear wax for a soft, durable finish.

Hand Stenciled Folk Flower Wall Border

Painted borders of flowers and swags run along the walls in many of the Larsson rooms. You can get the same charm with a simple stencil and two colors of paint. If you rent, stencil the border onto a long strip of lining paper and tape it up instead. Small red flowers and green leaves look sweet above a painted wainscot or along a shelf edge. Work slowly, one repeat at a time, and enjoy the calm rhythm of it. Where would a little painted border make you smile?

You will need: a folk flower stencil, painter’s tape, red and green acrylic or wall paint, a stencil brush, paper towels, a level.

How to make it: 1. Mark a straight line with a level and tape the stencil in place. 2. Dab paint with an almost dry brush, blotting off extra on paper towels. 3. Lift the stencil, line up the next repeat and continue around the room.

Carl Larsson Christmas Painted Panel Over a Door

One of the sweetest Carl Larsson Christmas details is a painted panel over a doorway. The Larssons liked to decorate the tops of doors and walls with painted flowers, scrolls and little sayings. Cut an arch from thin plywood or sturdy cardboard, paint it soft green and add red flowers around the edges. Leave the center blank or write your own family motto in your neatest hand. Drape a pine garland under it for the holidays. What words would you paint above your door?

You will need: thin plywood or heavy cardboard, a jigsaw for adults or strong scissors, green, cream and red paint, small brushes, picture hangers.

How to make it: 1. Draw an arch shape and have an adult cut it out. 2. Paint the base green with a cream center and let it dry. 3. Add red flowers and scrolls, then hang it above the door with a garland.

Red and White Gingham Cushion Covers

Checked fabric was everywhere in the Larsson home, and gingham cushions are the easiest way to borrow that look. You do not even need to sew. Wrap a cushion like a present in a square of gingham and tie the corners into soft bows, or use iron on hem tape for neat edges. Pile a few on a painted bench with a wool throw and a pine branch and the room instantly feels warmer. Would you choose red checks, blue checks or both?

You will need: red and white gingham fabric, cushion inserts, scissors, iron on hem tape, an iron, a measuring tape.

How to make it: 1. Cut a fabric square big enough to wrap the cushion with extra at the corners. 2. Hem the edges with iron on tape. 3. Wrap the cushion and tie opposite corners into bows on the front.

Woven Paper Heart Baskets

Woven paper hearts are a much loved Scandinavian Christmas craft, and they would feel right at home on a cottage tree. Each heart is woven from two folded strips of paper, so it opens into a tiny basket. Fill them with small wrapped sweets, nuts or a folded note for each child. Red and white paper looks classic, but any two colors work. This is a calm, cozy craft for a winter evening at the kitchen table. Who will find the first sweet in a paper heart?

You will need: red and white card stock, a heart basket template, scissors, a pencil, a glue stick, thin ribbon.

How to make it: 1. Cut two folded loop pieces from the template, one in each color. 2. Weave the loops through each other until the heart is complete. 3. Glue on a ribbon handle and fill the basket with treats.

Carl Larsson Christmas Rag Rug From Old Fabric

Striped rag rugs lie across the floors in Carl Larsson’s paintings, and Karin was known for her woven textiles. A Carl Larsson Christmas hallway looks complete with one of these cheerful stripes. You can make a small version from old sheets and shirts cut into strips, braided or crocheted with a big hook. It is a thrifty way to use fabric you already have, and every stripe tells a story. Add a non slip pad underneath for safety. Which old clothes will become your first stripe?

You will need: old cotton sheets or shirts, sharp fabric scissors, a large crochet hook or a braiding clip, a needle and strong thread, a non slip rug pad.

How to make it: 1. Cut the fabric into long strips about 1 inch wide. 2. Braid three strips together, adding new strips as you go. 3. Coil the braid into an oval and stitch it together, then set it on a non slip pad.

Painted Bench With a Cozy Sheepskin

A simple painted bench under a window is one of those spots everyone ends up sitting on. Paint an old bench pale gray or soft green, then throw a faux sheepskin over the seat and fold a wool blanket at one end. A basket of pine cones below adds a little woods feeling. It becomes the perfect spot to watch the snow, read a story or pull on boots. Do you have a window that is asking for a bench like this?

You will need: a wooden bench, sandpaper, pale gray or green chalk style paint, a brush, a faux sheepskin, a wool blanket, a basket and pine cones.

How to make it: 1. Sand the bench and wipe it clean. 2. Paint two coats and let it dry overnight. 3. Add the sheepskin, blanket and a basket of pine cones.

Lingonberry Red Table Runner With Cross Stitch

Lingonberries are a favorite in Swedish kitchens, and their deep red color is perfect for a holiday table. Make a runner from red linen or cotton and add a simple cross stitch border in white. Even a beginner can stitch small crosses along a straight line while watching a holiday movie. Set it on a white cloth with white plates, bowls of berries and pine and the table looks like a painting. What will you serve on your new runner?

You will need: red linen or cotton fabric, white embroidery floss, an embroidery needle, a water soluble marker, a ruler, iron on hem tape.

How to make it: 1. Cut the fabric to the length of your table plus 12 inches and hem the edges. 2. Mark a straight line 2 inches from each end. 3. Stitch a row of small white crosses along each line.

Carl Larsson Christmas Cross Stitch Curtains

Plain linen cafe curtains become heirlooms when you add a few red cross stitch hearts and stars. This Carl Larsson Christmas idea is all about simple handwork, the kind Karin loved. Stitch a little row near the hem or scatter tiny motifs across the panel. The light through the window shows off every stitch, and red geraniums on the sill finish the look. It is slow, peaceful work, perfect for cold evenings. Will you stitch hearts, stars or both?

You will need: white or natural linen cafe curtains, red embroidery floss, a needle, a small embroidery hoop, a water soluble marker.

How to make it: 1. Draw tiny hearts and stars along the hem with the marker. 2. Stitch each one with small red crosses using a hoop. 3. Rinse away the marker lines and press the curtains.

Lingonberry Style Berry Wreath

A wreath of glossy green leaves and little red berries looks like it was picked from a Swedish forest. Use faux boxwood or berry picks on a grapevine base, then tie on a red and white checked ribbon. Against a pale blue or white door it looks fresh and old fashioned at the same time. It also lasts all winter, so you can leave it up after Christmas. A cozy welcome for every guest! What color is your front door?

You will need: a grapevine wreath base, faux boxwood or leafy greenery picks, red berry picks, florist wire, checked ribbon, wire cutters.

How to make it: 1. Tuck greenery picks all around the base in one direction. 2. Add berry clusters in groups of three. 3. Tie a checked ribbon bow at the top and hang the wreath.

Red Apple LED Tea Light Holders

Shiny red apples have long been part of Swedish Christmas, on trees and in bowls by the window. Turn a few into little lights by hollowing a small hole in the top and setting in a battery LED tea light. Line them up on a white windowsill with pine sprigs and they glow softly as the afternoon gets dark. They are safe, cheap and smell lovely. Swap the apples for fresh ones after a few days. Will your windowsill get a row of glowing apples?

You will need: firm red apples, an apple corer or small spoon, battery LED tea lights, pine sprigs, a little lemon juice.

How to make it: 1. Have an adult core a shallow hole the size of a tea light in each apple. 2. Brush the cut with lemon juice so it stays fresh. 3. Set in the LED tea lights and arrange the apples with pine.

Hand Painted Folk Flower Cupboard Doors

Painted cupboards with flowers and scrolls were a big part of Swedish country homes, and the Larssons loved bright painted furniture. Choose a small cabinet or even a bread box and paint cream panels with red and blue flowers and green leaves. Simple shapes made from dots and teardrop strokes are easy to learn. Seal it with clear varnish so it lasts for years. It makes a sweet kitchen piece and a fun gift too. What piece would you paint first?

You will need: a small wooden cabinet or box, sandpaper, cream, red, blue and green acrylic paint, round brushes, clear water based varnish.

How to make it: 1. Sand lightly and paint the door panels cream. 2. Paint simple flowers with dots and teardrop strokes, then add leaves. 3. Let it dry fully and brush on clear varnish.

Carl Larsson Christmas Advent Board With LED Lights

A Carl Larsson Christmas wouldn’t feel complete without a cozy advent display. Paint a simple wooden board red, then stand four battery LED pillar lights on it, nestled in moss with little apples and pine cones. Each Sunday in December, switch on one more light. It is a gentle countdown that kids love to help with, and there is no flame to worry about. Keep it on the kitchen or dining table all season. Who in your family will turn on the first light?

You will need: a wooden board about 16 inches long, red paint, a brush, 4 battery LED pillar lights, preserved moss, mini apples, pine cones.

How to make it: 1. Paint the board red and let it dry. 2. Spread moss along the board and set the four LED lights in a row. 3. Tuck apples and pine cones around them.

Framed Children’s Christmas Art Gallery Wall

Carl Larsson painted his eight children again and again, and his home was full of their life and laughter. Celebrate your own little artists by framing their Christmas drawings and paintings in simple red frames. Hang them in a neat row along a hallway or above a wainscot and change them every year. It costs very little and means the world to the kids. For more simple Nordic projects, see our Scandinavian Christmas decor gallery. Which drawing will hang in the middle of the row?

You will need: children’s drawings, simple wooden frames, red paint or spray paint for adults, a brush, picture hangers, a level, a pencil.

How to make it: 1. Paint the frames red and let them dry. 2. Slide in the drawings and lay them on the floor to plan the row. 3. Mark the spots with a level and hang them in a straight line.

Carl Larsson Christmas Eve Family Table

End the season with a Carl Larsson Christmas Eve table that feels like one of his family paintings. Lay a white cloth, set out a big bowl of rice porridge, a plate of gingerbread cookies and a bowl of red apples, and add a little tree with paper hearts in the corner. Everyone gathers, nobody rushes and the room fills with talk. It is simple, warm and affordable, just the way the Larssons liked it. Who will you invite to your cottage table this year?

You will need: a white tablecloth, a large serving bowl, rice porridge, gingerbread cookies, red apples, a small tree, paper hearts.

How to make it: 1. Lay the white cloth and set the small tree in a corner. 2. Place the porridge bowl in the middle with cookies and apples nearby. 3. Hang paper hearts on the tree and call the family to the table.