Today is such a fun post that I want to share with you! It didn’t quite turn out the way I envisioned it at first, but I like it anyways, and I hope you do as well. It all started when I went grocery shopping and saw these milk cartons…. See, I normally do my weekly groceries online and they get delivered right into my kitchen, which is great btw. It saves me SO much time as I usually save the list and with only a few adjustments each week it’s just a click and I’m done. But back to the milk cartons! So the other day I ordered from a different store and they had the milk we drink in these milk cartons I had never noticed before. I knew right when I saw the cartons that they’d be turned into a nordic winter village. I ordered a few more and we all had a lot of milk this past week, lol! Let me show you what I mean and how to make a nordic Christmas village from milk cartons!
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How To Make A Nordic Christmas Village From Milk Cartons
What I’ve used:
empty and washed milk cartons
twiggs & pine cones
I started by painting the previously washed and dried milk cartons white. They needed about three coats and the paint did chip off here and there but I don’t mind that, it kind of gives it all a charming look. (I was so eager to paint these, that I didn’t take a photo of the before milk carton. This is what it looked like. I used the back of it )
When the paint was dry, I carefully decorated my houses with a black sharpie. Be careful with this, because more paint will chip off…
You know that I don´t have a lot of room, so I love using my cabinet top for these kind of vignettes and displays. And so I set up my Christmas village here as well.
I leaned the branches against the wall and just added the houses, trees and pine cones. At the end, I randomly wrapped the fairy lights around it all. They are battery operated and the batteries are hidden behind one of the pine cones in the back.
This is what it looks like at night…
Sharing is caring, please pin this for later!! Thanks!!
Well, I hope you like my little Christmas village! It is easy, on the cheap side and adds a lot of interest and cozy feel to our living room.
Gabi
14/12/2017 at 14:20I got stuck with this project in my head since I saw it on Facebook. Last weekend, I’ve been in the countryside, at my parents in law, and dig into their pile of wood to find some wood cones and pieces to make my own winter village. I could have bought some milk too, but I just needed to add my own trend to this project. It’s awesome, like all the other projects that you have.
Actually, I can’t get enough of your white house…
Katrin
23/12/2017 at 08:14Aw you are so sweet Gabi, I am so happy you got inspired and can imagine it looking great with wood pieces!! Thank you so much, Merry Christmas!!!
Marie
02/12/2017 at 21:16Seriously girl, you always come up with the greatest ideas! These are adorable and as with all your amazing projects, I love simplicity. Pinned 🙂
Katrin
04/12/2017 at 20:54Thanks so much, you’re the sweetest!
Keri Roberts
23/11/2017 at 20:23Katrin, this is so clever and beautiful!! I love how you repurposed the milk cartons into a Christmas village and the drawings you did to give the buildings detail are really awesome!! It looks great with the fairy lights!
Katrin
26/11/2017 at 09:12Thanks so much Keri, it was so much fun to make!
Christina Makri
21/11/2017 at 17:53So cute, so beautiful, so nordic!!! You always make things even the simple ones to look amazing !
Katrin
21/11/2017 at 21:58Thank you Christina, you’re so sweet!
Naomi S.
21/11/2017 at 05:43These are so charming. I simply MUST get a mantle so I would have a place to display them! I just love the simplicity of the vignette. Lovely!
Katrin
21/11/2017 at 21:57Thanks so much Naomie, I really want a mantel too, they’d look amazing on one!
iHome Studio
21/11/2017 at 05:24I love milk cartons, Wonderful ideas, for this Christmas. Thanks Katrin for sharing this wonderful ideas.
Katrin
21/11/2017 at 21:57Thank you so much!!
Brooke @ farmhouse1820
20/11/2017 at 23:01Such a cute idea! Would be so fun to create with kids!
Katrin
21/11/2017 at 21:56Yes, for sure! Thank you Brooke!!
Libbie
20/11/2017 at 20:10These are darling! Love and am pinning them like crazy!
Katrin
21/11/2017 at 21:55Thank you so much Libbie!!
Chloe Crabtree
16/11/2017 at 16:55Just adorable! I might have to copy this idea! Thanks so much for sharing!
Katrin
18/11/2017 at 13:03Thanks so much Chloe!!
Sandra L Garth
16/11/2017 at 01:05I love the way you see beauty and possibility in the most mundane things. This is so pretty and especially with the lights. Thank you for sharing with us this week at Celebrate Your Story and we hope you will join us again next week.
Katrin
18/11/2017 at 13:00Thanks so much Sandra!!
Kim~madeinaday
14/11/2017 at 16:07I love these! I love the designs on them! They are perfect. Sharing on Fb. Thank you for sharing on Merry Monday! Hope to see ya next week!
Kim
Katrin
17/11/2017 at 22:02Thanks so much Kim!!
Ardith
14/11/2017 at 06:36Wow, these are beyond cool, Katrin. They remind me of buildings in Amsterdam. Just fantastic. Cheers, Ardith
Katrin
14/11/2017 at 07:16Thank you SO much Ardith, yes, they do look like buildings in Amsterdam, hahaha!!
Claire
13/11/2017 at 20:19What a gorgeous upcycle. I love your little houses they are so cute. The fact they are tall and skinny, they remind me of the harbour side houses you get in Bergen and Copenhagen.
Katrin
13/11/2017 at 21:26You’re so nice, Thank you Claire. I like that they’re a little different shaped than the normal milk cartons here….
Mary
13/11/2017 at 16:38Katrin I love EVERYTHING about this village. he shape of the cartons is perfect and gives the illusion of roofs for the top of the houses! The way you have decorated them is also adorable. Must copy that! And then you turned on the lights at night it was pure magic!! You should shop at different places more often! 😉
Katrin
13/11/2017 at 21:24Thank you dear friend 🙂 I´m happy you do! My girls really love it at night with the lights on!
Colleen
13/11/2017 at 15:29These are so charming! I just love the look of this hand-crafted and hand-drawn little village!
Katrin
13/11/2017 at 21:23Thank you so much Colleen, it is looking really cozy here in my living room 😉
Michelle Leslie
13/11/2017 at 11:49OMW Katrin, your milk carton village look so beautiful. What a lovely idea and I’m sure we’ve got similar milk cartons in the shops here too. Guess we’ll be drinking lots of milk too 😉
Katrin
13/11/2017 at 21:23SO happy you like it Michelle! Thank you 🙂
Julia - Vintage with Laces
13/11/2017 at 09:20Oh Katrin, these houses are so adorable and make a beautiful Christmas decoration!!! I’ve never seen cartons shaped like houses before. I guess I have to move to Spain, lol.
Katrin
13/11/2017 at 21:22Thank you dear Julia! I have never seen these before either, so when I spotted them I thought of houses right away… 😉