After 20 years living in the south and rarely seeing snow I embraced the festivities of Christmas decorating outside. Granted, in Georgia it was warmer hanging lights, but we could never have the lush evergreens in pots that were so prevalent up north. I had lots of fun creating my own holiday versions not only at home but outside our family church. Let me tell you what I did…..
Christmas Pots at Highover
Because I was now in “cold” country, evergreen branches can be placed in outdoor pots and they last all winter. In the summer I have to wait for flowers to grow before my pots look full. Not so in the winter, they look great from the get-go. The key is to add lots of water that freezes and then the evergreen does not turn brown as long as it stays cold outside.
My inspiration for creating an evergreen planter was the photo below. The materials used were: several spruce tips, an assortment of evergreen branches, brown Magnolia leaves, red berries, red sticks, sugar pinecones, and dried hydrangea flowers. I imagine if I priced all the items it would be well over $100. And, that does not include the assembly labor.
Not all Christmas planters have to look like the one above. That is what makes it interesting each year. In this photo my focal spruce tip was light and airy and very tall.
Hanging ice skates on an old wooden sled says the snow is coming. These vintage signs nestled in the evergreen branches add an unexpected twist to my pots on the front porch. The birch branches were collected from the forest floor and the pine cones and evergreen were purchased at the local nursery. After the holidays I remove the signs, holiday berry sticks, and reindeer but leave the evergreen and skates until spring.
Not all sticks have to be red or white. On the stacked stone wall to the right of our front door, I inserted silver branches spray painted for a church gala earlier that fall. Nested in the draped evergreen are white painted pinecones.
The front door had a simple pop of red color with a cranberry wreath and plaid reindeer ornament from Target.
Between the garage doors, I created a large assortment of evergreens accented with brown magnolia leaves and large sugar pinecones. These pinecones are very cool, but expensive. I had originally “bit the money bullet” and purchased several online. The next year I was excited to find even more at a garage sale for a fraction of the price. I drilled a hole in the bottom of the cones and inserted a dowel with glue to fashion my own pinecone picks. The birch branches were found on the forrest floor.
I loved these hanging pinecone arrangements I saw Tonkadale Greenhouse.
Upon closer study I decided to try my hand at making my own hanging pinecone decorations. After all, I already had all the materials. I connected the 3 pinecones using wire wrapped around the top of each cone and then made a loop at the top to thread the hanging ribbon through. Hot gluing the soft evergreen branches and colored picks worked the best. The elaborate wired ribbon was purchased at Costco or at Tonkadale.
They turned out so well I made one for my friend… my sister… and my mother.
Above the garage doors, the porch, and front door I hung evergreen garland, purchased from the Boy Scouts, and then added the large sugar pinecones and copper bows made from wired ribbon. I then strung white lights through the garland and placed it on a timer. The garland is not anchored in frozen dirt, so only lasts through Christmas before becoming brown.
Evergreen branches are expensive, so I was thrilled when one year I could harvest spruce tips and branches left on the ground from a huge snowstorm in northern Minnesota. We were spending Thanksgiving with my friend, Diane, and her family the day after the storm. Prior to feasting on our turkey dinner, we worked up an appetite cutting lots of foliage from the fallen trees. Fortunately, we had the truck and we filled it full of free (my favorite price) evergreens and treetops.
Another year I gathered supple birch branches from a tree up north that had just fallen. The branches had not yet touched the ground, thus they were not rotten. The light airy branches were a nice change up from spruce tips.
The elaborate brown reindeer ribbon and copper berry sticks were purchased at an after-holiday sale at Tonkadale.
The two iron reindeer were found at a unique store in the country called Mud Lake Furniture. To give them a distinguished look I dressed them in a simple bowtie I made from brown satin ribbon.
Christmas Planters at Church
I not only decorate my own pots, but I also did the pots at my church, Mount Calvary Lutheran. The birch branches were more logs than branches, but I wanted the height so I got a ladder and muscled them into the dirt. The tall willow sticks were purchased at a garage sale.
I always strive for height as the two planters flanking the entrance sit beside two story stone pillars.
On this particular year the pots were incredibly full, and tall, as a result of the free evergreen from the Thanksgiving storm.
To shake it up, another year I stuck a small tree in the pots and wound poinsettia ribbon in and out of the branches. I added cranberry picks and pinecones and then wrapped burlap around the base.
Christmas Planters at Elshire
In Iowa, birch branches are hard to find, so I added lots of tall red dogwood branches cut from the side of the road in northern Minnesota. I liked the different look of the tall airy red sticks. The front porch pots looked beautiful day and night.
I not only did the front porch, but also the back porch.
Back deck planter design the next year.
The back deck planters could be viewed from the inside through the sliding glass door. They looked particularly festive covered with white snow.
These front porch arrangements were designed to be tall and slim with the spruce tips as the focal point.
There was a wide variety of items, but not a lot of quantity, so as to stay true to the slim and streamlined pots.
I did not know where to purchase evergreen garland in Iowa so I simply hung white lights inside my front portico and centered my sugar pinecone arrangement at the top.
The beautiful reindeer ribbon framed the front door and the elaborate faux swag completed the look.
With each fall season I begin to think of what Christmas decorating I will do outside. I am always on the lookout for new ideas. Do you have any you could share? I would love to hear about them in the comment section below.
For my Christmas ideas inside the home check out my post, Beautiful Interior Christmas Decorating Ideas You Will Love! And, for ideas on beautifully wrapped Christmas packages view 60+ photos on my post, How to Create Beautiful Bows for Stunning Christmas Packages.
Meanwhile, “Happy Christmas Decorating”!
I’ve always loved the outdoor decor you do for the holidays.
Thank you Samuel, #1 Son. 🙂
Brings back memories…missing Tonkadale. You may have to visit our acreage this year for all the free fur branches you can carry.
I do love FREE! Thanks sis!
You certainly have a gift Cheryl. Wish you could come to my house sometime. I miss you!
Thank you Linda. I miss you too!
Love all of them! You are so creative!
Thank you Brenda!
Just wonderful to see, wish I had your energy and creativity.
Thank you Sandy!
Thank you Sandy.
Very beautiful Cheryl. So warm and welcoming for the holidays.
Thank you Karen!
YOU’RE SIMPLY AMAZING!!!
How sweet… Thank you Barb!
I didn’t see any mention of finding birch branches at the mountain bike races! It always cracked me up that you would disappear between races into the woods and come out with your bounty of birch branches. At the same time, I thought it was brilliant!
I forgot about that! Yes, mountain bike races were in some beautiful venues with lots of foliage! Fun memories….
Such beautiful photographs Cheryl! I miss my Mexico adventure buddy. Please call next time you’re in town. I could use your design expertise to finish up our remodel…
Thank you Mary. Miss you too!
I will call you next time I travel up north. I would love to see your remodel!
Absolutely beautiful! The pinecone decorations are amazing!
Thank you Karen!
Love your decorating skills could you please tell me where did you get the metal deer head Thank you
Hi Tina
I apologize for getting back with you so late. Thank you for visiting my site!
I purchased the whimsical metal reindeer at a unique furniture store (now closed) in Minnesota. I tried to find them with a Google search, but unfortunately I could not. However, I did find this festive reindeer:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/1747081741/rustic-reindeer-christmas-metal-wall-art?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=metal+exterior+reindeer+curly+antlers&ref=sr_gallery-1-46&pro=1&ret=1&content_source=10863111a6363158e32a976f615af8a4b6f89a27%253A1747081741&search_preloaded_img=1&organic_search_click=1&variation0=4574360733
Happy Decorating!
Thank you so much Cheryl