25 Beautiful Outdoor Christmas Planter Designs
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When it comes to decorating your home’s exterior for the holidays, there’s a lot of fanfare around the wreaths, garlands, and lights, but those porch planters—the same ones that happily housed geraniums in the summer and mums in the fall—tend to go overlooked this time of year. They don’t have to! Despite the colder temps, there are plenty of ways to twirl up an empty container or window box for the holiday season, from tree-shaped rosemary shrubs to boxwood orbs to lush and loose arrangements of items foraged from your surroundings.
You don’t even have to do any planting, necessarily. From freshly clipped tree branches and faux greenery to clusters of pinecones, you can embrace a mix of materials and textures to create an impactful and aesthetically pleasing display befitting any cottage, farmhouse, or cabin.
How to Arrange Outdoor Christmas Planters
Generally speaking, the classic “thriller, filler, spiller” rule is a good frame of reference to create any container. Start with your “thriller,” which is your focal plant or element (it could be a mini Christmas tree, for example). Next, layer in your “filler,” which is a material to round out your container. Finally, your “spiller” is any material that drapes or trails dramatically over the edges of the pot, such as large boughs of fir or trailing ivy. Below are 23 beautiful planters to give you inspiration.
How to Care for Outdoor Christmas Planters
As the season progresses, you can remove the more Christmas-y parts of your display, such as ribbons or ornaments, and your planter will look appropriate all winter long. Just snip out any pieces of greenery that begin to turn brown. If inserting real evergreen stems into soil in warmer climates, water the planter regularly. This will help the cuttings stay supple. In colder climates, don’t worry about it: Most mixed-evergreen containers will last for months, especially if they’re not in direct sunlight.
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Greenery-Filled Crock Planter
Collect extra branches of greenery and put them upright in a stoneware crock for an easy outdoor planter. Adjust the height as desired by the length of your branches. You can even add a little water to the crock to help prolong the greenery’s freshness.
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Woven Basket Christmas Tree Planter
It’s no secret that we’re big proponents of a porch tree. Whether you deck it out or leave it untrimmed, a woven basket makes for the perfect “skirt.”
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Natural Topiary Christmas Planter
Dried flowers, live vines, and evergreen garland twined around a conical topiary make a lovely display.
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Pine Branches in a Stoneware Jug
For a twist on a traditional planter, place freshly clipped branches in a narrow-mouthed vessel, like a woven demijohn or stoneware jug.
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Vintage Bucket Planters
Every farmhouse has at least one or two galvanized or enamel buckets around. So, put them to good use come Christmas as planters for small evergreen shrubs. Leave the trees bare or decorate with pine cones and even lights for extra glow.
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Antique Wheelbarrow Planter
Whether you fill it with soil and plantings or simply add a medley of containers, an old wheelbarrow is a great way to lend classically country charm to seasonal blooms.
Galvanized Tub Planter
Dainty hellebores and paperwhites look quite pretty when paired with worn and weathered metal containers. (Champagne buckets could work too.)
Greenery-Filled Urn Planters
The most instant-gratification way to flank a front door: Tuck fresh sprigs or big branches of greenery in large planters, such as these stone urns. The branches may not last into February, but they will at least sit pretty for your holiday party.
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Red Wagon Tree Display
Remember how we said we love a good porch tree? Here, a smaller four-footer—decked only with a scarf—sits atop a red wagon filled with presents.
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Wooden Crate Planter
Whether used indoors or out, a wooden crate is a useful vessel for an arrangement of amaryllis and freshly clipped greenery.
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Antique Watering Can Planter
Dress up a rusty old watering can with an assortment of seasonal clippings.
Potted Boxwood Planter
You can never go wrong with simple boxwoods, real or faux. For extra embellishment during the holiday season, tuck in a few bows.
Wreaths Around Dog Statues
As an alternative to a traditional planter, consider placing wreaths around statues that flank the front door. Here, dog statues look extra festive at a Mississippi hunting lodge designed by Richard Keith Langham.
Potted Trio Planters
Round out your standard wreath-garland combo with a mini sled and assortment of potted plants and trees.
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Woven Basket Bevy
Matching wicker baskets hep unify this handsome wintry display of live trees and berried stems and grasses.
Boxwood and Birch Window Box
A combination of boxwood clippings and upright river birch branches make this a handsome window box arrangement. A light peppering of berries and a pretty poinsettia-themed bow add the finishing touches.
Lush and Lively Planters
Filled with various types of greens and a collection of faux fruit and green stems, these eye-catching planters prove that more is more when it comes to holiday decor.
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Country-Style Window Box
This pretty window box is overflowing with greens, red twig dogwood sticks, and rattan balls. A plaid bow ups the country charm.
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Flocked Branches Planter
Enjoy a white Christmas, regardless of geography. Here, white pine is dressed up with flocking powder to simulate a snow-dusted arrangement. Branches of berries add some color and contrast.
RELATED: A Step-by-Step Guide to Christmas Tree Flocking
Gold and Gilt Planter
A tall planter with simple lines is accented with gold ornaments and a gold star. Curly willow and berried branches add height and drama.
Vintage Country Christmas Display
This whimsical display of winter-themed items, such as a vintage sled and snowshoes, offer a collected feel.
Ribbon-Wrapped Terra-Cotta Planters
A grouping of live trees potted in terra-cotta planters make the front steps feel festive and welcoming. Small bows and mini ornaments offer the finishing touches. (These also make great gifts!)
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Faux Topiary Planters
Sometimes, faux is the way to go. Here, these faux topiaries add just the right amount of flair to a small entry.
Holly Basket Planter
Keep it simple with a country-inspired display using your favorite vintage pieces, such as the rustic basket filled with holly and a few pine cones.
Stacked Pot Topiary
Three pots of increasingly larger sizes are stacked and filled with greenery to create this unique topiary. An LED lantern tops it all off.
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