How to make Winter Planters

Looking to make your own winter planters for your front porch?  Here we show you how to put together simple planters.  

I needed a new look for the porch this year for Christmas so I created the planters below.  And guess what?  I took pictures so I could share this project with you!    

I already had everything to create these Christmas planters for the porch.  I found the branches in our garage this past summer while I was rummaging around and kept them in the back of my mind of what I could create with them. I had purchased them for our wedding and then never used them.  I hate letting things just lie around and go to waste, but I just did not have a vision for them yet.      

The planters came from Big Lots this past summer.  I had my eye on them and had plans for them for Christmas this year, but as it turned out, this is not what I had in mind when I saw them. As you can see, nothing goes to waste around here. When I purchase something, I keep the styrofoam for decorating and flower projects, no need to purchase the green planters styrofoam, just use what you have around the house.  I had to cut it to size and then pushed it down in the bottom of the planter.      

  

As you can see, I did not have matching styrofoam for each planter.  Oh well, no one knows but us.  😉  Excuse the mess in the background, I was working on getting decorations out for the dining room and inspiration struck!  Ha!  I just go with it when it hits.

I made this up as I went... so the first one, I just started putting the branches down into the styrofoam, but then learned quickly I needed something to fill in so the styrofoam did not show once it was more put together.  

The wreaths came from Walmart.  I keep them on hand for projects like this.  They make perfect filler for not a lot of money.  On the second planter, I was better prepared and put the wreath on top of the planter before I started placing the branches down into the styrofoam.  

As you can see, these are not the most perfect wreathes, but again, low-cost filler is the way to go when you are using other items that will disguise the lower cost parts of a project.  I started placing the branches in the styrofoam.    

Once I had the branches placed, I started fluffing the wreath and filling in where I had gaps and to better disguise that white despicable styrofoam.

Then I found the poinsettias and started to fill in even more and arranging them as I wanted.  And then... I shopped the house and started pulling the gold stems from other planters I already had made up.  

As I was arranging, I remembered I had gold bows in the attic so I made the trip upstairs to find them.      

I went back and forth with myself if I liked them or not, but decided I liked the bow even though it does touch the ground.  It just gives that extra hey, it's CHRISTMAS look... and we all know, I love that look!  

In case you forgot what they looked like on the porch, here is another gander.   

Getting ready for Christmas at the cottage... if you stick around, you will see more Christmas goodness to come.  🎅🎅