Welcome to My Danish Christmas Advent Calendar! Join me every day in opening a new door. Just like last year, I’ve got a host of goodies to share with you – traditional Danish Christmas recipes, traditions, songs, games, decorations, crafts and landscapes… So sit back, relax and enjoy!
9 DECEMBER
Okay, it’s 9 December and – as you can see – we’re a bit behind with our Advent candle! So, while we burn it like fury, and try to catch up to the right day, get out your scissors and let’s get crafty! 
Today we’re making kræmmerhus (cones). Which – along with paper woven hearts – are a common decoration you’ll see hanging on Danish Christmas trees. And don’t worry – they are very easy to make. Just ask any Danish nursery kid… Giant ones, tiny ones: you can use them in lots of ways. Make a large version, fill it with a gift to give to a friend. Hang them in your hallway or in windows. Or, as we usually do, on the Christmas tree – filled with nuts, pebernødder, a clementine or some sweets. Buy you may have to refill them…’cos pesky little nisser (elves) have a habit of empyting them when you aren’t looking! 
Okay, let’s get started! Take a piece of carton or thick paper. Wallpaper works really well for this. Take a plate, draw a circle on the ‘wrong side’ of your paper, then cut out.
Cut out a long rectangle of paper – this is going to be the ‘handle’. If you have a glue gun, this is the time to get it out. Otherwise use glue or a glue stick. Fold the circle in on itself to form a cone. Stick down the edges.
Take the ’handle’ and stick it on. Leave the kræmmerhus to dry.
Decorate your cones with doillies, bits of pipe cleaner, glansbilleder (scraps), feathers, beads, ribbon. Just let your imagination run riot. We’ve just started working on these ones…more glue and bling bling coming up!
So, now that we have some kræmmerhuse, all we need is a Christmas tree. But – as we’re in Denmark – and will have a real fir tree (not the plastic variety) that won’t be happening until the week before Christmas…
Don’t forget to check back here tomorrow when we open the next door!
Diane 
