DIY Natural Christmas Planters

Making your own Christmas planters for your porch or entryway is a fun and affordable project if you follow this simple formula for easy and beautiful results every time.

Years ago, when I was attempting my first homemade Christmas planters, I had quite a few attempts that were not so successful. It actually took me about five years to finally pinpoint what it was that made my Christmas urns look so pathetic and what I needed to do to fix that. One year, I even got so annoyed that I went out and bought pre-made Christmas urn fillers from the store, and while they were beautiful, there really wasn’t anything special about them. After that, I became determined to crack the code, and I’ve been making my own Christmas porch planters ever since. Here’s what I’ve learned about how to make them look really beautiful, even if you’re using the most humble of filler options for outdoor Christmas decorations.

More ideas for how to decorate your home for the Christmas holiday: How to Make a Classic Christmas Bow Tree Topper

Pictured below is the Christmas urn I made over ten years ago when I first started to figure it all out. My porch planters and holiday decorations for the last few years have definitely been less colorful, and my actual planters have been upgraded beyond this spray-painted plastic pot, but it really was quite lovely and festive. I think I might try a version of those oversized Christmas balls again next year. I think this planter cost me $7 to make if I remember correctly, so really, this is a Christmas decorating project that anyone can enjoy.

Budget-Friendly Materials to Use for Your DIY Christmas Planter

The key to a successful Christmas porch planter is to use a large variety of different things. Natural things, fun things, beautiful things, but not necessarily expensive things.

Pictured above: All-weather square planters | All-weather Adirondack chairs | Door Handleset | Inexpensive black lanterns

I’ve found that if you use at least five to seven different things, then you will get a decent-looking planter. Any less, and it will be sad. And, of course, at least two of those five things should be some type of greenery. Some examples of greenery that I’ve used and loved are:

• Trimmings off the bottom of your Christmas tree (usually some type of balsam fir or Fraser fir tree)
• Fresh cedar from your hedge (or from a kind neighbor’s)
• White pine (I have one white pine tree in my front garden that gets a haircut every holiday season)
• Juniper branches
• Boxwood
• Magnolia from the garden center
• Fancier greens from a nursery like incense cedar

More holiday decorating ideas: The 15-Minute DIY Cedar Wreath

After you have your greenery, you’ll need a few other accents to make the arrangement interesting and eye-catching. There are no rules to what you should add. Just use what you think is beautiful and try to include at least two to three of each type of item that you use in a little grouping. Here are some ideas.

• Twigs from the yard. Pretty twigs are not necessary, and sometimes, the most gnarly, twisted branches actually look the best.
• Birch branches
• Faux berries. For outdoor use, fancy berries from the garden center are great, but cheapo faux berries will be fine as well.
• Pinecones
• Seedpods
• Dried blooms
• Wired ribbon bows, either tied around the planter or tucked into the greenery and secured with a small wood or metal peg.
• Large Christmas ornaments or other whimsical items. Attach each sparkling ornament to long dowels to tuck them in and hold them in place, or buy them at the garden center already attached to long posts for this purpose.

Assembling DIY Christmas Planters

Outdoor nighttime Christmas decorations like glittery, twinkling Christmas lights and whimsical inflatables are wonderful, but it’s important to me to have some decor that’s visible during the daytime and makes our home look festive during daylight hours as well. All it takes is a wreath, a few garlands, and these porch planters to make our home feel sufficiently decked during the day.

When it’s time to assemble all the elements you found together into beautiful outdoor Christmas decor for your porch, gather everything together and move to an area out of the wind. The years when I bring everything inside to work are the years when my planters turn out to be the most beautiful. When I just try to do it quickly on the porch so I can get out of the cold, things don’t work out quite as nicely.

You’ll need something to hold everything in place inside your planter. Some people like to use floral foam, but I’ve seen a lot of smart people using the root ball from their fall mums to stick the ends of twigs and branches into, and I love that idea. So earth-friendly and economical, too. I have to admit that I often skip this step and just put the branches right into my empty planters. I fill them so full that the branches usually hold themselves in place just fine. Next year, I’ll be trying the root ball idea, though!

Start by placing the greenery into your planter first, creating a base for the rest of your items. Fill the planter as evenly as possible,  making sure plenty of greenery is visible from every angle and won’t be completely covered by your other additions.

Next, add in any tall elements, like twigs, dogwood branches, or birch logs.

Finally, tuck in your berries, natural elements, and ornaments. Play around until everything seems nicely balanced, and repeat the whole process on all your remaining porch planters.

If your arrangement is going to be somewhere where it’s really exposed to the elements, you can spray on an extra clear coat over the faux berries and the ornaments to make sure they don’t get damaged in any wintery weather that you might be having. The great thing about this project is that even if you invest in store-bought items for your planters, most items other than your greenery can be reused for many years.

Do you make your own Christmas planters for your porch decor every year? What tips do you have for making them look consistently beautiful?