I’ve been inspired recently by the winter traditions and minimalist holiday designs of Sweden and The Netherlands. We’ve been incorporating some of their customs in our home this year…specifically a tradition from Sweden…use more candle and lamp light during the winter and leave the overhead lights off. It is amazing how cozy it feels to have coffee in the mornings by candlelight. A simple DELIGHT that makes my heart very full!

During the past year I have been collecting “klompen” (wooden shoes) from thrift stores with the help of thrifting sleuth, Hattie. I thought it was a fluke when I discovered the first pair…but…it turns out there are many to be found if you start looking!

This pair of wood shoes are my favorite find (so far)…I just dusted them off and styled them with pinecones and fresh greens for Christmas.

I reached out to my friend in The Netherlands to get the current story regarding wooden shoes and Christmas traditions…this is what she said.

SINTERKLAAS entails kids 'setting' their shoes at the fireplace (or central heating in case there isn't one in the house) with a snack for the horse (on which Sinterklaas moves around towns) preferably a carrot and a glass of water or some hay, and they sing a song for Sinterklaas Then, when you have been a very good child all year, Sinterklaas will give you a treat in the shape of 'pepernoten' (small spiced cookies),' speculaas' (gingerbread cookies) or 'taai-taai' ( a  chewy kind of spice cookie).

Traditionally on his birthday, December 5th, we eat pea soup with smoked sausage. When kids no longer believe in Sinterklaas, we celebrate by drawing a lottery ticket with someone's name on it and you will have to buy him or her a present which is wrapped in a 'surprise': a funny kind of art project which is accompanied by a handwritten poem in which fun is made of the recipient.

She also said they celebrate Christmas Eve and Christmas day with a nice dinner, and as children they never received presents but nowadays it is becoming more and more like the celebrations in America. BUT…Sinterklaas is the most important family celebration!

So…wooden shoe traditions are still alive and well!

This pair had a little too much decoration for my taste so I decided to remove some of the decals and paint.

I’ve heard oven cleaner works for removing paint so I gave it a try. After about an hour, I wiped it off but was not satisfied with the result. So…I sprayed them a second time and let them sit for another 20 minutes.

I was still not impressed with the results so I sanded them to remove more of the varnish and designs. Then I gave them a rub down with mineral oil.

Lessons learned: Next time I will use traditional paint remover which will most likely save time sanding.

If I spend more time working on these it’s possible to take them down to the bare wood…but for now…I like the red accents and…

…their “worn look". They are sitting on the fireplace mantle filled with greens and holly.

These are child size shoes and I like the color and patterns of the original paint. They pair nicely with our blue and white Asian bowls and candleholders. I love “mix and match” decorating especially items from different cultures and traditions!

Are you inspired to look for wooden shoes? Let me know in the comments!