My friend, Melissa of Lulu the Baker, wrote a book called Scandinavian Gatherings and it’s beautiful! Her book is a gorgeous collection of simple recipes and crafts, all with Scandinavian flair. Some of my ancestors hail from Scandinavia. Sadly, we don’t do much to celebrate this heritage but Melissa’s book sure gets me excited. Everything looks so yummy and lovely and intriguing. Norwegian Silver-Dollar Pancakes, Nutella Swirl Crumb Cake, Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream, Swedish Meatball with Gravy (a must) and, the recipe I got to taste-test beforehand, Dill Muffin Dinner Rolls. Plus, the lovely projects, the drool-worthy styling and photography and the most darling Scandinavian illustrations. It makes me feel good just flipping through the pages.
Each chapter of Scandinavian Gatherings provides ideas to create a complete gathering for family and friends which I adore because gatherings are the best. They are not stuffy or formal but comfortable and cozy with the best company. You’ll have everything you need for each one; Melissa thought of everything.
As I went through the book, I found so many things I wanted to eat and make (including that tray from the front cover. Cute, no?!) I fell in love with the white clay stars. There is something peaceful and exquisite about them. Which I realize is a lot to say for simple white stars. But it’s true!
Don’t you feel more calm now? I won’t go into detail about the steps for the project – it’s all right there in Melissa’s book! – but here is a bit about some of the smaller details of our hanging stars:
-Love Bug found the stick I used (Pipsqueak helped!). She picked up a handful during her brother’s soccer game instead of watching. :) To clean it up, I soaked it in a solution of water and bleach for 5-10 minutes. Then rinsed and laid it in the sun to dry completely. I like how it turned out.
-The suede cord is from the Target Dollar Spot. Where all the cool things are.
-MJ looked at it once it was all finished and hanging on the wall and said, “It’s weird but I kinda like it.” If that’s not a ringing endorsement, I don’t know what is. Haha!
Get Scandinavian Gatherings for yourself!
**It’s an affiliate link.
Would love to know how you knotted these with the suede? At first glance it looked like a slip knot but after looking closer it appears to be just wrapped? Is it glued or something?
The main photograph with the blue wall inspired me to not only make the star hanging, but paint my entire dining room! My daughter and I put this together just in time for a family dinner tonight. thanks for the inspiration
Very inspiring….. keep posting stuff like this…