Becci Coombes - Craft Your Own Cosy Scandi Christmas: Gift Ideas, Craft Projects and Recipes for Festive Hygge

craft your own

cosy

scandi

christmas

GIFT IDEAS, CRAFT PROJECTS AND

RECIPES FOR FESTIVE HYGGE

GIFT IDEAS, CRAFT PROJECTS AND

RECIPES FOR FESTIVE HYGGE

BECCI COOMBES

First published in Great Britain in 2022 by

Pen & Sword WHITE OWL

An imprint of

Pen & Sword Books Ltd

Yorkshire Philadelphia

Copyright Becci Coombes 2022

ISBN 9781399093842

Epub ISBN 9781399093859

Mobi ISBN 9781399093859

The right of Becci Coombes to be identified as Author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission from the Publisher in writing.

Photography by Becci Coombes

Design: Paul Wilkinson

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Once again, I am indebted to friends and family for their love and support as they were constantly asked to test recipes, eat brownies or compare gnomes. My dear Mummy, Gem, Lou, Katie, Sarah, Angela, Heather, Sue, Tim, Nessy, Vic, Dan B., Elsie and Alex; thank you all so much for your help. Massive love to the Coombes family too, for answering the siren call of herring and the schnapps bell over the years, while Noah and Vince are the best super models an aunt could have. Sada helped me style the rice pudding (not an easy task) and Jane also deserves huge thanks for starting me off on the fabulous roller-coaster of writing. Dan W. merits a special mention for his love, help and having to listen to me interminably bang on about everything from the manufacture of Scandinavian paint to rye bread texture, and my cousin Claus was kind enough to endure many phone calls on the niceties of Danish grammar. I am also eternally grateful to my grandmothers for teaching me to cook, crochet, paint and be creative, and to my grandfather who taught me to try and be patient even when things arent going quite as well as I planned.

Huge thanks are due to everyone at White Owl for giving me the opportunity to write this book, and for all the fun I have had doing so.

Lastly, the biggest love goes to my son Wolf (chief recipe tester) and the cat, who has engaged in every craft project in this book with great enthusiasm, particularly when it involves yarn, ribbon, sewing thread or string.

Becci grew up with a love for all things Scandinavian. Originally she trained as an archaeologist (Vikings, of course), before travelling the world and becoming a successful glass artist. She now runs www.hyggestyle.co.uk , an online boutique specialising in Danish and Scandinavian gifts, homewares, recipe and craft ideas. She is also a youth group leader, teaches bushcraft, foraging and survival to local teenagers. She lives with her son, cat and chickens, and loves herring and sci-fi.

Hearts and baubles.

INTRODUCTION

For the last few years hygge (pronounced hoo-gah), has become a byword for cosiness and is often associated with socks, candles and a luxurious fluffy blanket. While all these accessories can definitely contribute to a hyggelig feeling, it is not necessarily a definition that Danes would recognise. Hygge, in Denmark, is more about a sense of connection: warmth, family and friendship, whether gathered around a table for a meal together or sharing a flask of cocoa on a really otherwise quite miserable drizzly walk.

I think that most people have always experienced the concept of hygge, even if they didnt know the name for it: family roasts, Sunday walks, rainy afternoons with board games and cake all these embody that special feeling. And no season says hygge quite like Christmas, with its emphasis on sparkling lights, twinkling candles, festive comfort food and time with loved ones.

Denmark at Christmas is one of the most magical places on Earth. Crowds stroll gently through fairy-lit markets, sipping mulled wine, breath frosting in the night air, and gathering around fire pits to sample bleskiver dumplings and jam. Illuminated paper stars glow in every window, welcoming the weary traveller home through the long dark winter nights, to enjoy long, convivial family feasts.

As a child, I was taught traditional Danish recipes and crafts by my grandmother (having been forced to curtsy, most resentfully, to her first) and childhood holidays were spent at the family farm on the island of Sjlland. Long golden summers were whiled away playing in the dark pine forests and on the white sandy beaches, but Christmas was a time for cutting paper decorations, baking, and singing carols, and trying to discreetly lose bags of pungent salted liquorice that were given to us at every house we visited.

Shoppers enjoying a stroll through Tivoli Gardens, Copenhagen.

The author being forced by her mother to pose as The Little Mermaid on Vemmetofte Strand.