Christmas Porch Planters: 12 Festive Ideas Made From Things You Already Own

Christmas porch planters are the first thing guests see, and they set the mood for the whole season before anyone rings the bell. The good news is that you do not need fancy urns from a garden center. People online are building gorgeous, full planters from laundry hampers, kitchen bowls, buckets and even tomato cages, and one reel about a hamper planter pulled in 125,000 reactions. Add fresh clippings from the yard, a few pinecones and a big bow, and suddenly your front door looks like a magazine cover. Most of these take an afternoon and cost very little. Grab your pruners and a cup of cocoa, because your porch is about to get very merry..

Christmas Porch Planters Start With a Laundry Hamper Urn

Would you believe a tall woven laundry hamper can become a porch urn? That idea took off in a Christmas porch planter reel with 125,000 reactions and 12,000 shares. Set the hamper by the door, weigh down the bottom with a few bricks, fill it most of the way, then pack fresh evergreen branches into the top so they spill over the rim. Add berries, pinecones and a big plaid bow. Make two for a matching pair. It looks so expensive that nobody guesses the secret..

You will need: A tall woven laundry hamper, bricks or a heavy rock, filler such as an old pillow or packing material, evergreen branches, berry picks, pinecones, wide plaid ribbon.

How to make it: 1. Put the weight in the bottom. 2. Fill the hamper to about 6 inches from the top. 3. Add a layer of floral foam or soil. 4. Push in branches, tallest in the back. 5. Finish with berries, pinecones and a bow.

The Pool Noodle Filler Trick for Tall Urns

Tall Christmas porch planters need a lot of soil, which makes them heavy and costly to fill. The fix is a few cut up pool noodles. Chop them into short pieces and drop them in the bottom two thirds of the planter, then add a layer of soil or foam on top for the branches. The urn stays light enough to move, and you use far less potting mix. When the season ends, the pieces pull right out and can be saved for next year. Do you have a faded noodle in the garage?

You will need: Old pool noodles, a serrated kitchen knife (adult use), a tall planter, potting soil or floral foam, evergreen branches.

How to make it: 1. Cut the noodles into 4 to 6 inch pieces. 2. Fill the bottom two thirds of the urn. 3. Add soil or foam on top. 4. Insert your branches firmly.

Christmas Porch Planters From Stacked Bowls

Two inexpensive plastic bowls can turn into elegant Christmas porch planters that look like classic stone urns. Flip one bowl upside down to make the base, glue a second bowl right side up on top, and spray paint the whole thing matte black or stone gray. Fill the top bowl with greenery, red berries and pinecones. Everyone on social media seems to be trying this trick this year, and it is easy to see why. Which color would match your front door best?

You will need: Two large plastic bowls, strong outdoor adhesive, outdoor spray paint (adult use in a ventilated area), floral foam, evergreen branches, berry picks.

How to make it: 1. Turn one bowl upside down as the base. 2. Glue the second bowl on top and let it cure. 3. Spray paint it outdoors and let it dry. 4. Add foam and fill with greenery.

A Tomato Cage Cone Tree

That wire tomato cage from summer has a holiday job waiting. Flip it upside down, tie the top wires together to make a point, and wrap it in fresh or faux garland. Wind battery fairy lights around it and set it in a large pot by the door. It makes a slim, tall tree that fits narrow porches perfectly. Add a bow or a star at the top and you are done. Make a pair to frame the door. How tall is your tomato cage?

You will need: A wire tomato cage, zip ties or garden wire, garland, battery fairy lights, a large pot, soil or gravel to hold it steady.

How to make it: 1. Flip the cage and tie the top wires together. 2. Push the legs into a pot of soil. 3. Wrap the garland around from bottom to top. 4. Add the lights and a bow.

A Vintage Sled Leaning on the Planter

Nothing says snowy afternoons quite like an old wooden sled. Lean one against a planter full of greenery and suddenly the whole porch tells a story. Tie a plaid scarf or a wide ribbon around the top and tuck a few evergreen sprigs under it. If you do not own a sled, check thrift shops and garage sales, where they often sell for a few dollars. Even a child size sled works for a small porch. Did you have a favorite sled growing up?

You will need: A wooden sled, a plaid scarf or wide ribbon, evergreen sprigs, an existing planter full of greenery.

How to make it: 1. Fill the planter with greenery first. 2. Lean the sled against the side at a slight angle. 3. Tie the scarf around the top. 4. Tuck a few sprigs under the scarf.

Oversized Ornament Toppers

Big ornaments make Christmas porch planters pop from the street. Cluster three to five oversized shatterproof balls in the center of your greenery, mixing a couple of sizes and finishes. Push a floral pick or wooden skewer into each cap so they stay put on windy days. Red and gold feel traditional, while silver and white look wintry and modern. Shatterproof is the way to go outdoors. It is the fastest upgrade on this list. Which colors are on your tree this year?

You will need: Oversized shatterproof ornaments, wooden skewers or floral picks, floral wire, a planter of greenery.

How to make it: 1. Wire a skewer into each ornament cap. 2. Pick the spot in the center of the greenery. 3. Push the skewers firmly into the soil or foam. 4. Adjust the angles so each ball shows.

A Plaid Ribbon Wrapped Bucket

A plain metal bucket turns festive with nothing more than wide ribbon. Wrap a band of red and black buffalo plaid around the middle, secure it with double sided tape and add a big bow. Fill it with pine, holly and pinecones and set it on the steps. A few of these in different sizes make a cozy staircase display. They are also easy to bring indoors if a storm rolls in. For more door decor ideas, check out these easy Christmas wreaths. Plaid or velvet?

You will need: Galvanized buckets, wide plaid ribbon, double sided tape, scissors, evergreen branches, holly, pinecones.

How to make it: 1. Wrap ribbon around the bucket and tape it closed. 2. Tie a separate bow and attach it. 3. Fill the bucket with branches. 4. Tuck in holly and pinecones.

Christmas Porch Planters Full of Pinecones and Berries

Sometimes the simplest Christmas porch planters are the prettiest. Fill an urn with big natural pinecones, then push in branches of red winterberry and short sprigs of cedar between them. The mix of brown, red and green looks rustic and warm, and pinecones last all winter without any watering. Collect them on a walk or ask neighbors with pine trees. Shake them out and dry them in the sun before using. Would you go all natural or add a little sparkle?

You will need: An urn or large pot, natural pinecones, red berry branches (real or faux), cedar or pine sprigs, floral foam.

How to make it: 1. Fill the urn with foam. 2. Pile in the pinecones, biggest on the bottom. 3. Push berry branches in between. 4. Fill gaps with short cedar sprigs.

Turn Your Fall Lantern Display Into Christmas

If your porch still has a lantern and basket from fall, you are halfway to Christmas already. Keep the black lantern and swap the mums for fresh evergreen, red berries and a few small ornaments. Nest pine boughs around the base of the lantern and pop a battery LED candle inside so it glows every evening. Real flames are never a good idea near dry greenery, and LED timers turn on by themselves at dusk. It is the easiest seasonal swap on the porch. What is still on your porch from fall?

You will need: A lantern, a woven basket, evergreen boughs, red berry picks, small shatterproof ornaments, a battery LED candle with a timer.

How to make it: 1. Remove the fall flowers from the basket. 2. Fill it with evergreen and berries. 3. Wrap a few pine boughs around the lantern base. 4. Add the LED candle and set the timer.

Ice Skates Hung Above the Greenery

Vintage ice skates bring so much charm to a porch planter display. Tie the laces together and hang the pair from a porch hook, a lantern post or the top of a tall planter, then fill the skates with little sprigs of pine and berries. They look sweet against a weathered door or post. Thrift shops often have old skates for a few dollars, and the more worn they look, the better. Kids love spotting them when they come home. Did you ever learn to skate on a frozen pond?

You will need: A pair of old ice skates, a porch hook or post, small evergreen sprigs, berry picks, ribbon.

How to make it: 1. Tie the laces together with a ribbon. 2. Hang them from a sturdy hook. 3. Tuck greenery and berries into the boots. 4. Add a small bow.

Christmas Porch Planters for Windows Too

Your porch planters can carry right on to the windows. Fill window boxes or long sill planters with evergreen sprigs, then tuck pinecones in so they peek out between the needles. It ties the whole front of the house together and looks lovely from inside, too. Use the same greens and colors as your door planters for a pulled together look. A light dusting of snow makes it look like a holiday card. Which window will you start with?

You will need: Window boxes or long planters, evergreen sprigs, pinecones, floral foam or soil, berry picks (optional).

How to make it: 1. Fill the box with foam or soil. 2. Push in short evergreen sprigs. 3. Nestle pinecones into the greenery. 4. Add a few berries for color.

Christmas Porch Planters With a Mini Lit Tree

A small live evergreen in a galvanized tub is one of the most charming Christmas porch planters, and it can be planted in the yard come spring. Set the tree in its nursery pot inside the tub, fill the gaps with pinecones, and wrap it with warm white battery fairy lights. Tie a red bow around the tub. Water it every week or so, since even winter trees get thirsty. It is a planter that becomes a memory. Where would you plant your tree next year?

You will need: A small potted evergreen tree, a galvanized tub, pinecones, battery fairy lights with a timer, red ribbon.

How to make it: 1. Place the potted tree inside the tub. 2. Fill the gaps with pinecones. 3. Wrap it with fairy lights. 4. Tie a bow around the tub and water weekly.