HOW TO MAKE A DIY OUTDOOR CHRISTMAS PLANTER FOR YOUR FRONT PORCH

In five easy steps, make an outdoor Christmas planter you’ll love for the holidays.

This DIY holiday planter is a great afternoon project.

When it comes to holiday decor, I like to set the scene from the start. And that means it all starts with a festive front porch.

Now is the time to start thinking about your outdoor holiday decor.

Before you know it, guests will be knocking on your front door to celebrate the most wonderful time of the year.

So greet them with a porch full of holiday cheer and some gorgeous decor, full of Christmas spirit.

These beautiful outdoor Christmas planters are one of my favorite outdoor Christmas decorations and DIY projects.  

Why?

Because transforming an outdoor planter for the holiday season isn’t  as difficult as you think. 

In fact, I’ll show you how to create gorgeous, holiday planters for your front porch in just five easy steps.

I just love how great these look by the front door and the first impression they make. 

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These DIY Christmas Planters also provide a great focal point for your outdoor decor. 

They are an easy, afternoon project that you’ll enjoy throughout the Christmas season and even into the winter season. 

Step by step, I’ll show you how simple it is to transform your summer planters into winter porch pots, with birch branches, berry branches, fresh cut greens, berry picks, and a few Christmas ornaments.

SUPPLIES YOU’LL NEED:

Outdoor planters
Birch branches (you’ll need three to four sets)
Berry picks
Evergreen picks (I also like these combination picks)
PIne cones
Holiday ornaments in a variety of sizes (I’ve curated great choices below)
Battery operated fairy string lights
White accent branches

HOW TO MAKE AN OUTDOOR CHRISTMAS PLANTER STEP ONE

The first step in this project is to choose the outdoor planter or planters in which you want to build your holiday arrangement.

Typically, I simply use the tall planters that are next to my front door throughout the year. By December, the ferns that have been growing in them aren’t looking their best, so it’s a great time to refresh the pots.

While I chose these tall, square, modern planters, you could also build these festive holiday arrangements in smaller, round pots. It’s your personal preference.

The one rule of thumb is to make sure the planters you choose are sturdy enough and large enough to not become top heavy. You don’t want to go to all this work to have them blow over or fall over in the middle of the night.

HOW TO MAKE AN OUTDOOR CHRISTMAS PLANTER STEP TWO

After you’ve chosen your pot, place one birch branch in the exact center of the pot. Like any flower arrangement, you want something to literally center the arrangement, So putting something in the true middle of the pot is essential.

​From there, I like to add additional branches at different heights. The varying heights will add interest to your pots.

Usually, I put about seven to nine birch branches in each pot. I always like to use odd numbers in arrangements. It’s a design rule I learned a long time ago and I just can’t let go of it.

The birch poles and cut branches need to be placed in the large planter firmly. You want to make sure they are secure and won’t fall out.

When you’re finished, the birch branches should fan out a bit. You want them to form a bit of a “v” from the top to the bottom. Again, this will make your arrangement more interesting. It needs both height and width.

HOW TO MAKE AN OUTDOOR CHRISTMAS PLANTER STEP THREE

After the birch branches are in place, the next step is to add some natural accents 

You can choose fresh or artificial picks for this task. Personally, I like to use faux greenery and berry picks. They look nicer throughout the season and can be used year after year.

But there are some people who love using fresh greens. Just remember you’ll need to water them to keep them looking in tip, top shape. And be mindful of your animals if using fresh berries. Many can be harmful to dogs and cats if eaten.

At the edge of the planter, I place a large, berry and pine cluster in each of the corners.

You’ll want to spread the evergreen branches on the picks out a bit to make them fill up the space. In addition, you can add pine cones to fill in the bare spots and cover the dirt in the pots.

I also like it when the greenery “flops” over the edge of the planter. It creates a rich, full look that also adds a bit of width to the bottom of the arrangement. In essence, it grounds it.

HOW TO MAKE AN OUTDOOR CHRISTMAS PLANTER STEP FOUR

Every holiday porch planter needs ornaments! For my arrangements, I chose red ornaments in a variety of sizes.

You may have to reposition a few of the picks to work with the ornaments. Use your best judgement. There are no rules. You want the pot to looked balanced.

I like to mix different sheens of ornaments in the arrangements. Some are shiny metallic, some are a satin finish. For outdoor use, I try to avoid glass ornaments, in case they are blown out of the pot. Plastic ornaments are less apt to shatter. Here are some great choices I’ve curated that I think are perfect for an outdoor Christmas planter:

This is a great set in a variety of finishes, textures and colors.
I love all of the shapes that are included in this 24 piece ornament set.
The three sizes of this ornament set make them perfect for this project.

Look at how GORGEOUS this is turning out!

HOW TO MAKE AN OUTDOOR CHRISTMAS PLANTER STEP FIVE

The last step of this project is my favorite! It’s time to make the planters sparkle. And string lights with battery packs are perfect for this task.

My favorite are these string fairy lights. They are battery operated and also feature a timer. So you won’t be changing their batteries every other day. 

I also like these lights because their wire is fairly transparent, so they don’t distract from your arrangement, especially during the daylight hours.

After I’ve wrapped them around the porch branches, I like to hide their battery packs under the ornaments and greenery. This makes them virtually invisible, except for their sparkly glow!

 

I just love how these winter planters give my front porch a festive touch! 

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