How to make colorful outdoor planters for winter & Christmas decorations. Best porch pot ideas with evergreen branches, berries & pine cones!
Most of us think that colorful outdoor planters are only possible in spring and summer. You might be surprised how easy it is to create beautiful winter planters and porch pots perfect for Christmas outdoor decorations!
Even in very cold winter climates, nature has plenty to offer. In the following 24 inspiring and beautiful examples, we will look at :
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How to choose pots and urns, use a variety of evergreen plants and branches, colorful berries, seed pods, and other decorative elements such as ribbons and ornaments to create winter planters and gorgeous Christmas outdoor decorations which last for weeks and months!
( Some of the helpful resources are affiliate links. Full disclosure here. )
A step by step video tutorial on how to make winter outdoor planters
A great video tutorial below on how to make a gorgeous Christmas planter urn using Red Twig Dogwood, Holly Berry and mixed conifer branches.
Best plants and cuttings for winter planters and Christmas outdoor decorations.
Here are the most popular plants and elements used in some of my favorite winter outdoor planters: conifers such as Pine, Cedar, Spruce, etc. and evergreen trees and shrubs such as Magnolia, Eucalyptus, Boxwood, Holly, Privet, etc. ( Source )
To add a splash of color, use colorful berries from red, yellow to purple, and bright colored branches such as White Birch, Red Twig Dogwood and yellow Twig Dogwood. ( Source )
Actually, you can create a mini version of these planters for a Christmas table decor centerpiece using the same elements! Below is a super easy Christmas centerpiece tutorial!
Choosing containers for outdoor winter planters and porch pots.
When choosing a container for an outdoor winter or Christmas planter, we need to consider the following-
Size: Is it the right scale for the space? Material: Can it withstand the outdoor winter temperature, snow, rain, etc? For example, when we lived north of Seattle for 6 months, many terra cotta pots we brought from California cracked due to rain and freeze.
Materials like metal milk containers or half wooden wine barrels are all durable choices for outdoor winter conditions. ( The vintage milk tin original image source is lost. Please let me know if you find it!)
Get Creative: If you can find something you absolutely love, such as a real or faux stone urn, go for it. There are also many possibilities by putting durable plastic pots inside something more stylish.
Pam at House of Hawthornes used a gorgeous harvest basket, you can check out her wonderful project here.
A galvanized tub filled with conifers and berries makes a beautiful farmhouse porch planter in the winter, and a great DIY solar fountain in the summer. ( Source )
How to make a Christmas planter arrangement.
Here is a wonderful tutorial on how to create your own outdoor winter planters with birch, magnolia and conifer branches.
You can use soil and/or floral foam to support the mix of birch logs, leafy branches, berries etc, like in this winter planter.
To make it more festive for Christmas outdoor decorations, add beautiful accents like white birch branches, red berries, and big pine cones.
Another beautiful example of the birch – magnolia – conifer mixed planter.
Add festive details to your winter planters for Christmas outdoor decorations.
The color red can really add a festive cheer to your winter outdoor planters and door decor. ( Source )
In addition to red berries such as Holly branches, you can add more festive style to Christmas porch planters using ribbons and big pine cones. ( Original image source lost, please let me know if you find it!)
Farmhouse style outdoor winter porch pots
A vintage watering can makes the perfect outdoor pot for a small porch. ( Source )
This charming winter porch pot is decorated with realistic looking Red Cardinals like these! and a bird house. ( Source )
Next, let’s look at some more creative elements to add to our winter and Christmas outdoor planters!
Use decorative elements for a stunning Christmas outdoor planter.
Kimberly‘s painted red branches in a Christmas planter urn are beautiful alternatives to branches with red berries.
Chartreuse green ornaments are gorgeous accents in this all green winter planter palette!
A classic urn planter filled with evergreens and berries is beautiful as Christmas outdoor decorations. (Source: 13 )
Mix pinecones with other accents like dried lotus pods and colorful Christmas ornaments to create festive winter planters. ( source lost, please let me know if you find them!)
There is so much variations even in evergreen branches. The above winter planter has cedar, pine, and fir all mixed together beautifully. ( Source )
Save this post for spring! 16 colorful container gardens for shade areas with plant list for each!
Mix of colors and textures to create beautiful winter outdoor planters.
From silver green Spruce to forest green Fir, from burgundy red Dogwood to bright red Holly, nature offers an infinite range of colors and textures for our Christmas outdoor decorations and winter planters! ( Source )
Add lights to your winter and Christmas planters.
Add magical glow in your outdoor planters with waterproof outdoor fairy lights such as these, or solar string lights like these. ( Source )
Another beautiful example of outdoor Christmas urn with lights. ( Source )
Window box outdoor planters in winter.
Now you have beautiful winter planters by the door, it is time to decorate the window boxes for Christmas! ( Source: A | B )
Fall and winter planter transitions.
Ornamental cabbage, kale, pansies and daisies are cold hardy plants which are great to plant when the weather is transitioning from fall to winter, or winter to spring. They thrive all winter in warmer climates. ( Source )
Can’t get enough container gardens? Try these 24 stunning container planting designs with plant lists!
In addition to the planters, here are some more creative DIY outdoor Christmas decoration ideas for you!
Happy creating! See you next week!
Lovely ideas for Christmas planters/centerpieces, etc. However, it is much too early to be thinking about making any one of these. Right now, we are experiencing the hottest summer in a long time, so I am thinking cool and summer! Have a great day.
ha! very true! 🙂 however, lots of nice big planters might be at end-of-summer sales soon! 😉
I absolutely cringe when I see winter pots with birch in them. Birch are beautiful trees that should be left to live and be enjoyed by everyone. How about using red osier dogwood? That’s a shrub that will not die when some of it’s branches are removed. My parents rural property, alongside the Trans Canada Trail, has been robbed of the beautiful birch that used to be there for everyone to enjoy. Stolen. Trees killed in vain. All the ones that are accessible have been cut down to meet some “fashion”. Please consider the beautiful trees…let them live. Find lovely alternatives to birch.
hi anita, i LOVE trees and would not want any trees to die for no reason! i googled “pruning birch branches” and did not see anything about the trees would die if the branches are pruned a bit. i also agree with you that we need to protect native plants and not blindly follow some “landscape” fashion!
I agree completely and that is why i have never bought them from anyone.
are there other ways to hold down a pot full of evergreen cuttings? i have two empty pots on my front steps that i usually just place a potted fern in each they always blow over. i don’t know if plain soil will hold them down. what are other ways to keep them from blowing over, sand? wet soil? i’m not sure what to use
hi brenda, if the pot is big and deep enough, wet soil or sand will work fine. you can add some bricks or gravel at the bottom of the pot for more stability 🙂
Ananda – I live in the cold north/midwest. My planters are a lightweight material. I weigh them down with a few bricks and other material, then fill them with greens and other things.
Someone wrote on a video on my YouTube channel that I should fill the planter with soil, water it, and then put in the winter greens. She said that would make the greens last longer. But that water will freeze starting next week when the high temperatures are expected to be 27 degrees. What do you think?
What should be inside the winter planters in climates with below freezing temperatures all winter? Soil + water like this person suggested? Or other materials?
Thanks!
hi glory, i would use moist soil, because the center of the large pot may not freeze all the way with lots of soil! =)
Thank you, Ananda! That is good to know.
I am in sSouthern. California. Can I do Christmas greenery in urns like these pics? Use oasis and keep wet? We never know if a Santa Ana wind will show up. Would love to do this.
Thanks for answering. They’re just beautiful.
Dawn
hi dawn, yes i would use longer branches so things don’t get blown away, and there are plenty of greenery to choose from in our lovely california! 🙂
I love walking in the woods and can gather these elements easily! I love these Christmas/Winter decors! Thanks for sharing.
These are beautiful! I swap my summer flowers out of my pots every year and just stick the evergreens right into the same soil. No need to spend money on oasis. Give them a good soaking and by spring when I am ready to put flowers back in, some of the evergreens have even rooted in the dirt. They stay nice and green all winter.
thank you so much carlene for sharing your experience! have a beautiful winter season! 🙂
I love these planters! They are gorgeous! I can’t wait to use some if these ideas in mine.
Those are all just beautiful and s such a good idea. I made a live planter of evergreens last year and it’s still growing away. I add little things in it for each season.
These are beautiful and look really great. Thank you for sharing such a nice post!
I don’t have a green thumb but I’d love to give gardening a try even during the colder months of the year! I think this is such a helpful guide especially for beginners like me!
These decor and plants look so good and colorful. A great way to decorate.
I’m so happy we can start thinking about Christmas already! I’m looking forward to this one as it is the first Christmas my husband and I spend together!
I can’t believe it’s time to start thinking about the holidays already! Those plants are gorgeous. The colors are so vibrant and add such a festive touch to everything.
I am super excited for Christmas season! I think the holidays will be around the corner before we know it. These planters are stunning!
It looks fairly easy to put together. My summer flowers will need to be swapped for holiday theme soon so I’ll keep this in mind.
I love seeing all these Fall and Christmas decor and planters! I could keep these up year round lol!
I am already in full blown holiday season mode right now. This post just fed my obsession. Thanks for sharing!
I just love these ideas for outdoor planters! They can be so versatile and changed up for different holidays.
Never too early for Christmas inspiration! These are beautiful and make me wish I didn’t live in an apartment!
ARGHH! I’m actually excited to try this ! Brilliant Idea I’ve never seen these before but these would make fantastic Christmas presents! Thanks for sharing!
Gosh these plants and arrangements are just so so beautiful. I agree winters are gloomy and we should attempt to make it more lively. Your pictures have encouraged me to do some work with my mini garden in our balcony as well. Thanks for such a wonderful idea.