DIY Christmas Wall Hanging: Festive Nordic Decorations

Discover an easy DIY Christmas wall hanging tutorial to add festive Nordic decor to your home. It’s perfect for small spaces and will bring holiday cheer!

Updated June 2024

Embrace the festive spirit this holiday season by creating your own DIY Christmas wall hanging. Inspired by a visit to the Skandium shop in London, I’ve crafted beautiful and eye-catching Christmas wall decorations using Marimekko paper napkins.

Marimekko designs are a favourite of mine, with their vibrant colours and patterns. I have a habit of picking up a pack of their gorgeous napkins whenever I visit a Scandi interior shop, as they always add a touch of elegance and charm to any project.

Last year, I made some Marimekko Christmas wall art by decoupaging a whole tabletop with these napkins. This year’s project is a bit smaller but just as impactful. The wood slices I used for these Christmas decorations were decoupaged on both sides, making them versatile and perfect for a festive display.

These Marimekko wood slices would also make great coasters, but I’ll hang them on the wall as a Nordic Christmas decoration.

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Materials Needed for DIY Christmas Wall Hanging

To create your festive wall decor, gather the following materials:

• Marimekko paper napkins (KUUSIKOSSA pattern and various Unikko colourways). You can use any festive paper napkin design to suit your decor.
• Wood slices (approximately 12cm in diameter). Preferably with predrilled holes.
• Gold leaf and adhesive
• Decoupage glue
• Colourful velvet ribbon
• A branch for hanging
• A drill is only needed if the wood slices don’t have pre-drilled holes.

Step-by-Step Tutorial

Adding Sparkle with Gold Leaf

Step 1: Prepare the Wood Slices: Begin by brushing the bark of the wood slices with adhesive.

Step 2: Apply Gold Leaf: Dab small bits of gold leaf onto the adhesive. Don’t worry if some gold leaf sticks to the face of the wood slice; this adds to the festive sparkle.

Decoupaging the Wood Slices

Step 3: Choose Your Pattern: Select the part of the Marimekko napkin you want to use. Place the wood slice on the napkin and draw around it.

Step 4: Cut and Prepare Napkin: Cut the shape from the napkin, trimming a few millimetres inside the line to fit the wood slice. Remove two plies from the napkin, leaving only the printed layer.

Step 5: Apply Decoupage Glue: Cover the wood slice with decoupage glue and carefully lay the napkin on top. Use a brush to flatten the napkin as you stick it down.

Step 6: Seal the Decoration: Once the glue has dried, add another coat of glue to the napkin to seal and varnish it. (If you use them as coasters rather than decorations, I suggest using a waterproof sealer.)

For more details and tips, check out this paper napkin decoupage post.

Creating a Double-Sided Decoration

Step 7: Decoupage Both Sides: Decoupage the other side with a different Marimekko pattern after one side is dry. This lets you switch between festive Christmas tree designs and the iconic Unikko pattern for year-round Boho wall decor.

Hanging Your DIY Christmas Wall Decoration

Step 8: Drill Holes: Drill a hole in each wood slice large enough for the ribbon to pass through. If you bought pre-drilled wood slices you can skip this step.

Step 9: Thread the Ribbon: Use the velvet ribbon to hang the wood slices from a branch.

Step 10: Display: Hang the branch on your wall to create a beautiful and festive focal point in your home

Tips for a Festive Makeover

• Use Natural Elements: Incorporate tree branches and natural materials for a rustic, Nordic look.
• Play with Sizes: Use wood slices of different sizes to create visual interest.
• Add Festive Touches: Use colourful velvet ribbons to enhance the festive spirit.

Conclusion and Other Related Posts

I love the red and blue pine trees for a Nordic Christmas decoration. When you want a different Scandi wall decoration, just turn the wood slices around to the Unikko Marimekko poppy. The Unikko pattern is a favourite of mine. I’m a bit obsessed with it, so much so that I even have Marimekko stairs in my house!

You can also print on wood slices if you don’t want to decoupage them.

Another way to use Marimekko napkins for Christmas is to make a decoupage baubles flower display.

If you like this decoration then you will probably like some of my other Marimekko crafts and DIYs or these cool Christmas crafts for adults.

Marimekko Christmas Wall Art
Decorative Tin Can Planters
Marimekko Decoupage On Wood Bowls
Unique Marimekko Bench

Check out this great round up if you are looking for more Scandinavian DIY decorations.