Picture yourself upon a moss-blanketed floor beneath towering pine trees and a stormy sky. Enchanted mushrooms of all shapes and sizes sprout up around you. Somewhere in the distance, you hear a deer rustling through the bracken…
Nature can be magical and mysterious. The forestcore aesthetic aims to capture these qualities through moody, woodland-themed fashion, art, photography, and décor. In this post, we’ll explore exactly what forestcore means and some fun ways to try out the aesthetic.
What is Forestcore?
Forestcore is an internet aesthetic inspired by woodland themes, deep earthy colours, and a connection to nature. It is a subgenre of Cottagecore, but it places less emphasis on vintage and rural themes and instead on dark, whimsical imagery of forests, cabins, overcast skies, and mystical motifs.

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Common forestcore themes:
- mushrooms
- trees
- woodland creatures
- moss
- ferns
- rainy weather
- foraging
- bush craft
- magic and fantasy
- fallen leaves
Forestcore Hobbies
The forestcore aesthetic is all about connecting with nature, appreciating the beauty of rugged landscapes and gloomy weather, and exploring themes of fantasy and folklore. With these ideas as our compass, let’s discover some skills and hobbies that fit into the forestcore theme…
Learn about local plants and animals
Learning about the plants around you is a rewarding hobby that can deepen your connection to your local environment. You begin to notice details you may have previously overlooked, like the delicate flowers growing in cracks along the curbs or the autumn berries lining the hedgerow. It’s very grounding to see how the plants change with each season, and you can continue to expand your knowledge with each passing year. Plus, knowing your local plants can be very useful – certain varieties can be eaten, used to make tinctures, weave baskets, dye fabric, and more.
I’ve included some digital resources for learning about local plants and animals below, but you could also learn from plant identification and foraging books like Food for Free by Richard Mabey.
Useful resources:
Hike in nature
It is great to see people’s nature-inspired creations online, but nothing beats experiencing the real thing. You could take a walk in your local park or go on a longer hike in a nature reserve. Just make sure to bring enough supplies and stick to trails that match your fitness level and your knowledge of the area.

Read about plant lore, folktales, and herbal remedies
Learning more about local folklore, plant lore, and herbal remedies can also be a valuable way to connect with this aesthetic. There is plenty of wisdom to be gained from these stories and traditions that have been passed down for generations.
Plant lore, folklore, herbal remedies, and countryside lore book suggestions:
Red Sky at Night by Jane Struthers
Healing with Plants by The Chelsea Physic Garden Herbal
Uprooted by Nina Lyon

Bush crafting
Bush crafting doesn’t have to mean taking on complex projects that require lots of time, space and resources. You could start with something as simple as making natural string! I’ve shared a step-by-step tutorial on how to create biodegradable cordage from nettles in this blog post. It’s an easy project to start with if you’re a beginner, and its an incredibly useful skill to have under your belt.
What colours are associated with forestcore?
The forestcore colour palette comes straight from nature. It is a spectrum of fern and emerald greens, deep navy blues, earthy browns and raincloud greys.
A forestcore colour palette can also include the rainbow of colours found in mushrooms and lichens – for example, the rich reds of fly agaric mushrooms and scarlet elf caps.
Woodland flowers are another potential source of inspiration when building a forestcore colour palette. There are the bright yellows from primroses, pearly whites from wood anemones, deep purples from sweet violets, lilacs or blues from bluebells, and delicate pale pinks from cyclamens.

How to dress forestcore
The forestcore style is defined mostly by the use of rich, earthy colours and woodland motifs. Botanical prints, textured fabrics like corduroy or velvet, checked patterns, chunky knits and layered clothing are all suited to this aesthetic. The types of materials used also play an important role; plant fibres like cotton, hemp, and linen (like this linen dress by simplygreylife) help create the raw, natural look characteristic of this style.
However, there’s no right or wrong way to dress for this aesthetic. You could even take a fantasy-inspired approach with capes, corsets, or unique jewellery items such as these sword earrings by openthecellardoor!
How to create forestcore photos and videos
Lighting
When filming or taking photos, I like to underexpose my footage a darker, moodier look that lends well to a forestcore theme.
Natural Materials
Most of my posts are recorded outdoors, often in the woods or amongst flowers, ferns, etc. When filming inside, I aim to always include natural materials or plants like dried flowers or houseplants within the shot.
Filming conditions
I try to avoid filming on days that are bright and sunny – overcast but dry conditions tend to give me the best result. My favourite time to film, however, is when its foggy! It always produces such an atmospheric result.
This post was all about the Forestcore Aesthetic