We are in a really fun and exciting season for entertaining and decorating.  Decorating for the holidays is rarely an arduous task but something that most of us look forward to (probably because we can just add more sparkle and shimmer!). The start of my holiday decorating begins outside at my front door.  As I detailed in my post, The Front Door Decor, the entryway to your home is the first spot to really showcase your home and if you are entertaining, is a fantastic place to really set the tone for your party inside.

The start of doing planters outside usually finds you at the garden shop, perusing what foliage there is this year and what boughs and things you’ll be using.  For me, it’s a trip to my basement to see what I may have from years previous, or a trip to my craft or decor store.  It may sound totally not festive, but I use artificial boughs, branches, florals and such in my planters for the winter season and I really like it.  I’ll tell you why.

First, I can find a great variety of interesting things to use that go beyond what natural plants can offer.  Second, I can use and reuse items over and over again and if I want to shake things up a bit and try something different, then I can change up the planters and use the older items inside my home like in wreaths, garlands or even the tree.  And lastly, it allows me to incorporate more colour and interesting hues that I may not be able to find amongst the varying shades of green.

The one thing that you do need to be cautious and aware of is that, contrary to what some might believe, artificial could be much more expensive than the real deal.  So, as with everything, set a budget and do some comparison shopping.  Many craft stores sell a huge array of interesting things and if you keep up to date, there are usually fantastic sales where you can snatch up some really beautiful items (I got the sage green hydrangeas with sparkle detail for 50% off this year!). Spend on the important things, the items that add the weight to your planters like evergreens and large florals.  You can use fewer of these but the impact is great because it really fills up the space.  You can then add fun and whimsical details, like peacock feathers or crystal droplets, that add extra texture and dimension to your arrangement.

You can pull some natural aspects into your planters like twigs or thin branches that add height and don’t need to be watered or taken care of.

Also try to design planters for the whole winter season.  It’s so easy to focus primarily on the holidays but when January hits, some of the holiday decor just doesn’t work.  Limit the bells, ornaments and Christmas elements in the overall planter design.  Once you have your finished product, you can add in these little touches for all of your parties and entertaining over the holidays.  Once all the festivities are over, you can remove those little extras and still be left with a beautiful arrangement that will last for the remainder of the season.

However you design your planters and whatever elements you use, remember to keep height, dimension and consistency as your main objectives and you’ll have beautiful planters to last throughout the entire winter season.

Step 1 – Start with your raw materials

Step 2 – Create your base

Birch pieces are the base of the planter. Using elements like branches, twigs or stems allows natural pieces that do not need maintenance to be incorporated.

Step 3 – Add in Anchor pieces

Use boughs or evergreens as your base to anchor and weigh down the planter

Step 4 – Fill gaps with interesting florals

Look for pieces that can add a bit of shimmer or sparkle and play with colour pops if you’d like.

Step 5 – The Final product

By using items with varying textures, heights and scope, you can create interesting planters that will last all season.

Do you have any tricks that you use when doing your winter planters? What is your favourite thing to incorporate? Let us know!