Celebrate the Season with a Striking Outdoor Christmas Planter
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You’ve decked the halls with live garlands, hung your Christmas wreath, and crafted a few DIY Christmas ornaments with the kids. Even your Christmas cactus is starting to bloom for the holidays. Now it’s time to give some love to those outdoor planters!
Creating gorgeous outdoor planters gives your home instant curb appeal, and you don’t have to be a designer to make a pretty seasonal planter that will last for months.
All you need to start is a container and your imagination! Outdoor Christmas planter ideas can incorporate everything from natural or faux greenery to found items you’ve foraged from your garden, such as pine cones, sticks, willow or birch branches, and berries. A mix of different textures and shapes makes the planter more aesthetically pleasing and interesting.
There’s no real trick to arranging greenery and other decorative items in outdoor planters. Simply follow the “spiller, filler, thriller” rule that you’d use to create any garden container. Combine plants and objects that can be:
Spillers: A plant material that drapes dramatically over the edges of the pot, such as large boughs of fir, spruce or pine or pieces of boxwood snipped from your yard; short pieces also can be tucked along the edges of the planter to cover the container rim
Fillers: A material that’s more upright, such as curly willow sticks, large branches that you’ve spray painted white or silver, or red twig dogwoods
Thrillers: A material that adds the “wow” factor, such as rattan balls, an LED lantern, shiny ornaments, or sparkly glittered pine cones
If inserting real evergreen stems into soil in warmer climates, water the planter regularly. This will help the cuttings stay supple.
In colder climates, don’t worry about it: Most mixed evergreen containers will last for months, especially if they’re not in direct sunlight, such as on the front porch.
As the season progresses, you can remove the more Christmas-y parts of your display, such as ribbons or ornaments, and your planter will look appropriate all winter long. Just snip out any pieces of greenery that begin to turn brown.
Ahead, get inspo for your own designs with these ideas for outdoor Christmas planters:
Classic Outdoor Urn
A stone or fibercast stone urn looks magnificent with an abundance of different types of greenery, including broadleaf evergreen leaves such as magnolias. A few berried stems add all the color you need.
Country-Style Window Box
This pretty window box is overflowing with greens, red twig dogwood sticks, and rattan balls. A gingham bow is the finishing touch.
Flocked Christmas Branches
Now you can have a white Christmas, even if you live where it doesn't snow! White pine is dressed up with flocking to simulate a snow-dusted arrangement. Berried branches add some color and contrast.
Gold and Gilt Planter
A tall planter with simple lines is accented with gold ornaments and a gold star. Curly willow and berried branches add height and drama.
Live Tree
A tiny live tree is a fun addition to your balcony or small deck. Simply add a few simple ornaments, and you're all set for the holidays with a minimum of fuss!
SHOP DWARF ALBERTA SPRUCE TREES
Boxwood and Birch Planter
A combination of boxwood clippings and upright river birch branches make this a handsome window box arrangement.
A few berries and a pretty poinsettia-themed bow add the finishing touches.
Ceramic Winter Planter
Cedar branches mixed with faux berries make this a simple but striking arrangement which will last for months.
After the holidays, remove the decorative trims for a beautiful winter display.
Vintage Country Christmas Display
This whimsical display of winter-themed items, such as a vintage sled and snowshoes, offer a Country Christmas feel.
A basket of pine cones and a few boughs atop the old barrel make this a one-of-a-kind Christmas display.
Double Christmas Planters
Two are better than one, especially when it comes to these lush and lavish planters.
Filled with various types of greens and a collection of faux fruit and green stems, these eye-catching planters prove that more is more!
Greens and Pine Cones Planter
This window box keeps it simple with greens, draping vines, and an arrangement of large pine cones, which pick up the russet tones in the brick. It will look appropriate all winter long.
Hanging Basket Planter
A petite hanging basket becomes a Christmas planter with the addition of greens and small ornaments, scaled to the size of the basket.
Perfect Poinsettias Window Box Planter
This bright blue planter gets a dose of holiday cheer with a row of poinsettias. You can use real plants in the South, or stick with faux in the North because they're plants that are native to Mexico.
Read more: 4 Simple Steps for Caring for Poinsettias
Driftwood Christmas Tree
If you live in a coastal region, instead of a planter filled with evergreen boughs, craft this driftwood Christmas tree.
Add a strand of lights for a pretty nighttime display.
Natural Topiary Christmas Planter
Dried flowers, live vines and evergreen garland twined around a conical topiary make a lovely, understated display.
Holly Basket Planter
This holiday montage is too cute! Keep it simple with this country-inspired display using your favorite vintage pieces, such as the rustic basket filled with holly and a few pine cones.
Stacked Pot Topiary
Three pots of increasingly larger sizes are stacked and filled with greenery to create this unique topiary! An LED lantern tops it all off.
Heather-filled Window Box
This understated window box is filled with live heather, then finished off with tiny evergreen clippings. Read the plant tag to make sure the type of heather you buy is hardy in your climate.
Read more: How to Grow Heather Shrubs
Tiny Trees
A grouping of potted live trees make the front steps feel festive and welcoming. Small bows and mini ornaments offer the finishing touches.
Faux Topiaries
Sometimes, faux is the way to go! These topiaries can be used year after year, adding a subtle elegance to your front door.
Matching Wreath and Christmas Planter
Matching bows and identical faux greens make this front door display extra-appealing. The height of the planter is further accented by inserting tall birch branches.
Trio of Holiday Baskets
Matching baskets unify this handsome outdoor planter display. Two live trees and a basket full of berried stems and grasses make an appealing combination that will look good all winter.
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