Glitz-Free Glam: Scandi-Inspired DIY Holiday Decor from David Stark

If the thought of dragging glitter-covered reindeer out of the attic makes your eye twitch,
you’re going to love “glitz-free glam.” Inspired by event designer David Stark’s holiday
collaboration with Remodelista, this Scandi-style DIY decor approach proves you can have
a magical, festive home without sequins, neon tinsel, or vacuum-clogging confetti.

Stark’s winter tablescape leans into a “modern naturalist” vibe: cane and wood instead of
plastic, straw ornaments instead of glass baubles, warm candlelight instead of LED color
explosions. It’s very Nordic: calm, simple, and cozy, yet still special enough that your guests
will ask, “Wait, you made this?”

In this guide, we’ll unpack the design principles behind glitz-free Scandi decor, walk through
Stark’s clever DIY ideas, and show you how to adapt the look to your own home, whether you have
a grand dining room or a studio apartment with exactly one outlet that works.

What “Glitz-Free Glam” Really Means

Scandinavian-inspired holiday decorating is basically the introvert of Christmas decor:
low-key, thoughtful, and happiest surrounded by natural textures and warm light. Designers and
home editors consistently point to a few key elements of modern Nordic Christmas style:

• A soft, neutral palette: whites, creams, warm grays, blonde wood, and soft green.
• Natural materials: wood, straw, paper, linen, twine, and fresh greenery.
• Simple shapes: cones, stars, spheres, and clean lines instead of fussy silhouettes.
• Warm, layered lighting: candles and soft string lights instead of flashing multicolor strands.
• Intentional minimalism: fewer pieces, chosen carefully, with plenty of breathing room.

In his Remodelista project, Stark and his team asked a simple question: what would holiday decor
look like if you removed the glitter and focused only on natural materials? The answer is a
winter wonderland that still feels festive, but also calm and grown-up. Think Scandinavian straw
ornaments, cane webbing, wood veneer, and paper stars all working together in layers of texture
instead of layers of sparkle.

And no, “glitz-free” doesn’t mean “joy-free.” The magic comes from contrast: matte paper against
glowing candles, pale straw against evergreen branches, delicate ornaments floating above the
table. It’s cozy, not cold; hygge, not hospital.

The David Stark x Remodelista Tablescape, Deconstructed

Stark’s holiday setup for Remodelista is a masterclass in doing a lot with a little. The
overall effect reads like a snowy forest scene: cone “trees” marching down the center of the
table, straw and paper ornaments, soft candlelight, and a sprinkling of DIY surprises. Let’s
break it down.

1. Cone “Trees” Made from Everyday Materials

Instead of a traditional evergreen centerpiece, Stark uses sculptural cones as stand-in trees.
Some are wrapped in cane webbing, others in thin wood paper or plain cardstock. The silhouettes
are simple, but the textures do all the talking.

You can recreate the look in a few easy steps:

1. Cut wide triangles from your chosen material (add a little extra on one edge for overlap).
2. Roll into cones and secure with hot glue, tape, or clips while they set.
3. Vary the heights and materials so the “forest” feels organic, not matchy-matchy.
4. Top a few cones with a small straw or paper ornament for a subtle nod to traditional tree toppers.

Because the palette is neutral, you can group lots of cones together without it feeling chaotic.
It’s like a mini forest, minus the pine needles on the floor.

2. Quietly Festive DIY Party Poppers

Each place setting in Stark’s design includes a party popper styled in the same Scandi spirit:
no cartoon Santas, just natural textures and a tiny, thoughtful surprise inside.

To DIY your own:

1. Start with store-bought crackers or cardboard tubes as a base.
2. Wrap them in kraft paper or plain white paper.
3. Add a band of cane or textured paper, tie on a straw ornament and a simple name tag.
4. Fill with small, lightweight treats: wooden beads, handwritten jokes, tiny chocolates, or paper fortunes.

The popper becomes both place card and party favor. It’s functional decor, which is very on-brand
for Scandinavian homes where every item earns its keep.

3. A Floating Pendant of Ornaments

One of the most charming elements of Stark’s setup is the ornament “pendant” hanging over the
table. Instead of a bulky garland or giant wreath, he simply ties lightweight straw and paper
ornaments to the existing light fixture using twine or clear line.

The result: ornaments that seem to float in the air, echoing the shapes and colors on the table
without crowding the surfaces. It’s a great trick if your table is small but your ceilings are
decent look up, not out.

4. Votives with Paper “Shades”

To finish the scene, Stark wraps simple glass votives with perforated strips of paper. Tiny
punched holes create delicate patterns that glow when the candles are lit, like mini paper
lanterns.

Try this at home by:

1. Cut strips of cardstock or wood veneer slightly taller than your votive holders.
2. Use a small hole punch (or even a needle and patience) to create simple patterns: rows, stars, or random constellations.
3. Wrap each strip around a glass holder and secure with double-sided tape.

Safety note: always keep paper outside the rim of the glass, use real glass containers, and never
leave open flame unattended. You want warm glow, not an unplanned bonfire.

Scandi-Inspired DIY Ideas You Can Steal Today

You don’t need to recreate Stark’s tablescape perfectly to embrace glitz-free glam. Mix and
match these Scandinavian-style ideas from designers, stylists, and DIYers across the U.S. to
build your own look.

Stick to a Calm Color Palette

Most Scandinavian Christmas inspiration you see in magazines and design blogs sticks to a muted
palette: white, cream, soft gray, natural wood, and gentle greens. If you love red, keep it
to a few deep, rich accents instead of covering the house in candy-cane stripes.

A simple rule of thumb:

• Choose one light base color (white, cream, or pale gray).
• Add one natural tone (wood, rattan, straw, linen).
• Add one accent (evergreen, deep red, or charcoal).

Limiting your palette makes everything look intentional, even if you pulled half your decor from
the craft bin and the other half from the grocery store’s floral section.

Layer Textures, Not Tinsel

Without glitter, texture becomes your best friend. Think:

• Woven placemats or runners made from jute, seagrass, or rattan.
• Raw wood chargers or cutting boards as serving pieces.
• Linen napkins tied with twine and a sprig of greenery.
• Wool or faux-sheepskin throws over dining chairs or benches.

When you layer textures like this, even a mostly white table feels warm and inviting, not sparse.

Go Big on Paper Crafts

Scandinavian paper stars and ornaments are all over Nordic homes for a reason: they’re cheap,
lightweight, and visually striking. Home and craft sites regularly feature folding tutorials for
paper stars, book-page ornaments, and simple geometric garlands you can make in an evening.

A few easy paper ideas:

• Fold large white or kraft paper stars to hang in windows.
• Cut simple circles or diamonds from cardstock and sew them into garlands.
• Wrap gifts and food boxes in plain kraft paper and draw minimalist trees or stars with a black pen.
• Use old book pages or sheet music for nostalgic, textural ornaments.

Paper decor also stores flat, so “future you” will thank “present you” when next year’s holiday
bin is not bursting at the seams.

Bring in Real Greenery

Scandinavian-inspired decor leans heavily on nature: spruce or fir branches, eucalyptus, pine
cones, dried orange slices, and berries. You’ll see these in everything from HGTV-style room
makeovers to DIY blogger projects.

You can:

• Lay a loose line of branches down the center of your table as a runner.
• Tuck small sprigs into napkin rings or under place cards.
• Fill simple vases or jars with mixed greenery instead of formal bouquets.
• Hang a basic evergreen wreath and dress it with just one ribbon and a few straw ornaments.

Fresh greenery automatically softens all the whites and neutrals, so the space feels like a
winter forest, not a showroom.

Embrace Negative Space

One of the biggest differences between traditional American Christmas decor and Scandi-inspired
style is what’s not there. You’ll see plenty of “barely there” trees in modern interiors:
simple string lights, maybe a handful of ornaments, and lots of open branches.

Apply the same thinking to your table:

• Leave some spots of bare tabletop visible.
• Don’t feel obligated to fill every inch with decor.
• Keep centerpieces low so guests can see each other and the room feels airy.

Negative space is like white space in graphic design: it makes the elements you do use look
more expensive and intentional. Plus, less clutter means more room for actual food, which is the
true hero of any gathering.

Step-by-Step: Build Your Own Glitz-Free Glam Holiday Table

Ready to put it all together? Here’s a simple roadmap to create a David-Stark-meets-Scandinavia
holiday table at home.

1. Choose your base. Use a white, cream, or natural linen tablecloth. If your
   table is beautiful wood, skip the cloth and use a narrow runner.
2. Create a “forest” of cone trees. Make 5–9 cones in different heights using
   cane, wood veneer, kraft paper, or plain cardstock. Cluster them down the center, with taller
   cones in the middle and shorter ones near the ends.
3. Add greenery. Tuck fresh or faux branches around the cones, keeping the profile
   low. Let a few pieces spill slightly over the edges for a relaxed, natural feel.
4. Place the votives. Wrap paper “shades” around glass holders and nestle them
   among the cones and greenery. Stagger heights so the light feels layered.
5. Style the place settings. Lay simple plates on woven chargers or directly on
   the table, add a cloth napkin, and top each with a DIY popper or a small straw ornament tied
   with twine.
6. Hang a pendant. If you have a ceiling light, tie a few paper or straw ornaments
   to it so they hover above the table. In a rental with no overhead fixture, use a slim branch
   anchored in a heavy vase at the end of the table and hang ornaments from that.
7. Dim the overheads. Turn down bright lights and let the candles and a few warm
   string lights do most of the work. This is where the hygge happens.

The beauty of this setup is that almost everything is reusable or compostable. Pack away cones
and stars, compost the greenery, and reuse the glass votives year-round.

Budget- and Eco-Friendly by Design

One reason Scandinavian-style decor has taken over design blogs is that it fits how many people
actually want to live: less clutter, more meaning, and fewer plastic bins of stuff that only see
daylight in December.

Designers like David Stark are known for using accessible, low-cost materials in high-impact
ways: wood, paper, straw, and basic glassware instead of elaborate, single-use showpieces. That
approach gives you a few big wins:

• Lower cost: Cane webbing, kraft paper, and twine are affordable and go a long way.
• Less waste: Paper and straw can often be recycled or composted; glass and wood store well.
• More flexibility: Neutral, non-themed pieces can work for winter dinners long after the holidays.

Instead of buying another box of glitter-coated ornaments that shed for eternity, you’re
investing in simple, timeless pieces you can adapt year after year.

Adapting the Look for Different Spaces

Small Apartments and Tight Layouts

Don’t have room for a full tree and a separate holiday tablescape? Lean into the wall and table
surfaces you do have:

• Try a slim, wall-mounted “tree” made from wood slats or a simple ladder shape.
• Hang paper stars in the windows and let that be your big moment.
• Create a single, dense cluster of cone trees on a small console or bar cart instead of a long runner.

You still get the Scandi vibe without tripping over decor every time you grab a snack.

Family Homes with Kids (and Pets)

Glitz-free glam is oddly kid- and pet-friendly. Paper and straw ornaments won’t shatter, and
kraft-wrapped crackers are basically enrichment toys with better styling.

• Let kids draw simple line-art trees or stars on gift wrap and place cards.
• Make bead snowmen or simple wooden figures together to tuck into poppers.
• Use flameless LED candles where tiny hands and wagging tails are involved.

The decor becomes an activity, not a “do not touch” museum installation.

Entryways, Mantels, and Sideboards

You can echo Stark’s table in other parts of your home:

• Line a mantel with a few cone trees and small votives, plus a single strand of greenery.
• Turn a console table into a mini “forest” with cones, a bowl of straw ornaments, and one paper star above.
• In an entry, place a cluster of cones on a tray with a catchall bowl for keys and holiday mail.

Keeping the same color palette and materials in multiple areas ties the whole home together
without feeling overdone.

Real-Life Experiences with Glitz-Free Scandi Holiday Decor

It’s one thing to scroll past a dreamy Remodelista spread and another to live with the look in
a real home full of shoes, backpacks, and that one mysterious cord nobody claims. Here’s what
the glitz-free, Scandinavian-inspired approach feels like once you actually commit.

“My Tiny Apartment Finally Breathed During December”

One renter in a small city studio swapped her usual full-size fake tree for a slim branch in a
large vase, decorated only with paper stars and straw ornaments. A row of cone trees on her
windowsill and a handful of votives on the coffee table finished the setup.

The result? No wrestling with a bulky tree box, no glitter trail to the garbage chute, and for
the first time room for both friends and the cheese board. She kept the cones up long after
New Year’s as generic “winter decor,” which made January feel a little less grim.

“The Kids Loved It More Than the Plastic Snowman”

A family of four decided to retire their aging inflatable snowman and try a more natural look.
They spent one Saturday making cones out of cereal boxes wrapped in kraft paper, punching holes
in paper strips for votive wraps, and drawing tiny faces on wooden bead snowmen for crackers.

The kids were surprisingly into it. Because everything was handmade, they could touch and
rearrange pieces without being told “careful!” every five seconds. On Christmas Eve, the
youngest proudly announced to guests, “We made the decorations. Grown-ups helped only a little.”

“The House Felt Calmer and So Did I”

Another homeowner used to go full maximalist: multiple trees, bold colors, sparkly garlands, and
about 400 ornaments that needed placing just so. The decor was impressive, but the process was
exhausting.

Inspired by Scandi minimalism, she tried something new: one main tree with warm white lights and
only her favorite ornaments, a neutral tablescape with cones and greenery, and a few paper stars
in the windows. She donated the extra decor and stored the rest in a fraction of the space.

She noticed a quiet side effect: December felt less like a project and more like a season. Less
time managing decorations meant more time baking, reading, and actually sitting in the glow of
the candles she’d set out.

“My Budget Survived the Holidays for Once”

Glitz-free glam isn’t just aesthetically lighter it’s financially lighter too. Many people who
pivot to natural, Scandinavian-inspired decor find that once they’ve stocked up on a few basics
(glass votives, scissors, a hot glue gun, some straw or paper ornaments), their yearly spend
drops dramatically.

One DIY fan tracked her costs for a season of Scandi-style decorating. Most of her budget went to
fresh greenery and candles, items she would have bought for winter anyway. Everything else came
from reusing cones, napkins, and paper stars, plus the occasional new set of straw ornaments.
Her verdict: “I’d rather spend money on good food and extra dessert than another glitter garland
that sheds forever.”

“It Works Beyond the Holidays”

Maybe the biggest perk of this style is its versatility. A table built around white, wood,
straw, and simple candles can easily transform for a New Year’s dinner or even a February
gathering by swapping in a few different accent colors or flowers.

Those cone trees? Rebrand them as “winter sculptures.” The paper stars in the window? Keep a few
up as soft, ambient evening lights. The neutral palette and natural materials let you stretch
your effort far beyond one day in December.

Final Thoughts

Glitz-free glam, especially in the hands of a designer like David Stark, proves that holiday
magic doesn’t depend on glitter. A Scandinavian-inspired mix of natural materials, simple
shapes, warm light, and thoughtful DIY details can turn even the smallest space into a calm,
cozy winter retreat.

If you’re tired of decor that feels loud, high-maintenance, or short-lived, take a cue from
Remodelista’s Scandi holiday tradition: trade sparkle for texture, plastic for paper and wood,
and clutter for a curated, quietly festive scene. Your home and your sanity will thank you.