I’ll let you in on a little
secret, around here we
don’t decorate that much
until it’s closer to
Christmas and our tree
goes up on Christmas Eve.
Just because we don’t put
up the tree until later
doesn’t mean that we
don’t have some bright
lights, and beautiful
branches welcoming friends
and lighting up the porch.
Who wants to look outside at gloomy dark skies when you can see sparkling lights, and colorful branches instead.
This Christmas planter is on my back porch, the lights come on early enough with a timer in the late afternoon so it’s sparkly and bright, and they are set to go off just as we close the drapes for the evening.
How to make a Christmas planter in 5 easy steps, one includes the cat supervising.
1. Gather your supplies, I used a galvanized bucket because clay would freeze here. Branches, evergreens boughs, ribbons, pinecones, a plastic bag of sand, pruners.
2. Fill bag with damp sand that you stole from your husbands winter no slip supply, tie bag up, and put into container upside down. Watch cat sniff bag of soil, he’s supervising.
3. Poke branches into soil, arrange to your hearts content, watch cat sniff branches. Add pinecones, or moss to hide top of bag, or you could put shorter branches around edge of container.
4. Step back, and rearrange branches again. Add some ribbons in strategic places, watch cat play with ribbon, and knock over planter, start again.
5. Add a string of lights, and plug into timer, you will appreciate not having to go out in the cold to turn off the lights in the dark. Enjoy.
5 Easy steps to making your own light and bright Christmas planters to light up your porch, cat sold separately.
Jen @ Muddy Boot Dreams
Cats sure are inquisitive aren't they? Ours doesn't get involved in the creating of the greenery pots as I do it all outside and Shadow is an inside cat. But she certainly is interested when the tree goes up inside.
ReplyDeleteI have everything except the cat, must go get the cat!!
ReplyDeleteThis is beautiful, we never put our tree up until Christmas eve, its just the way its always been, ye s, I must go get a cat!
Do I need a cat to make the planter? Sneeze, sneeze, sniffle, sneeze!! Now back to that planter.... In its simplicity is says volumes!!! Sneeze, sneeze!!
ReplyDeleteSeems that projects do go much better with feline supervision. My friend's tree goes up Thanksgiving week end. Mine goes up around the 10th since it is an artificial tree. My birthday is Dec. 20th so my mom always put up our tree on my birthday. But here, I need to get my school semester finished before I think too much about decorating. Ugh. Your lighted branches are perfect for the porch and they do say "happy season."
ReplyDeleteI had a friend that used to do no decorations until Christmas Eve. after her kids went to bed. When they woke up in the morning the house was bright with lights everywhere. I think that would be magical. Although, I don't think I could wait that long.
ReplyDeleteSimple is often best. I love the look of the little white lights. Can you take a nighttime photo please.
ReplyDeleteVery pretty.
ReplyDeleteA sweet touch Jen.
I have a red light basket I put up.
We go to our family for Christmas so I do not have a tree.
I enjoy the families and friends deco's.
This is really pretty and I love lights outside as night falls in the winter. You have inspired me to try something new on my back patio :-)
ReplyDeleteGreat idea, Jen! How welcoming to come home to that.
ReplyDeleteBrenda
Ah I love this, so pretty. I would have to make sure that sand is totally covered from my cats!!!
ReplyDeleteI will be using this idea and I pinned it already so I don't forget.
Pretty displays always look so nice at the front door. I wish I had an electrical outlet close to my front door. I'd have nearly 20 feet of electrical cord and a tripping hazard if I tried this.
ReplyDeleteI laughed when you added cat to the decorating instructions. Great photos.
ReplyDeleteSimple, easy and pretty. I will take one of each, the decoration and the cat, please. Ann
ReplyDeleteWhat a great idea. Thanks for sharing the instructions. I'm inspired to try making a Christmas planter for my porch!
ReplyDeleteoh, you wouldn't SELL Bootsie? Not even with a 3AM wake up and feed me call?
ReplyDeleteJust love today’s comments. It’s fun to see traditions carried on and learn one is not so far out of sync with the rest of the blogging world. I like your project, Jen. Boo is right in step with his part of the season. We had our calico for almost eighteen years. There is probably a Christmas story involving the tree for as many year as she had us. (no, for once I didn’t get that backwards ~ she reigned as queen in this household). Will you make more pretties or is the garage clear now for your car? Our outside gets decorated as soon as it stops raining (today’s help was cancelled, maybe tomorrow). The tree comes in Christmas Eve eve. I love lights!!!
ReplyDeleteOh I am glad we are not the only one that doesn't decorate for Christmas till it is closer ! We decorate the week before . This year it will be a lot less and simple even a small table tree instead of the usual size . I love your craft here soo pretty . I am trying to collect pine cones and woodsy things for the inside but the drought this summer has caused lots of problems in the trees not producing much of anything ! Have a good day !
ReplyDelete...and hope the cat doesn't spray planter for good measure :)
ReplyDeleteI like that you keep these lit up on the porch. There's something about a soft glow around a porch in the evening that's so beautiful.
ReplyDeleteJen, that is so pretty, and I am SO following your tutorial and doing that too! I'll have to put ours next to the back door because our front porch is still in the 'wishful' stage. The footings are poured, but now that winter has come, I know it's not going to happen this year. :-)
ReplyDeleteI love your galvanized bucket and the birch sticks etc. in it. I also put greens and dogwood along with white LED lights (to save energy) in my milk can by the front door and this year I've added another old tub full of greens too. It is so nice to have the timer isn't it? I keep these going all winter to brighten up the evenings.
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh.....trees and cats. With a live tree, the cat pees and climbs. With a fake tree, they still climb. I put ornaments on the bottom with bells to keep them occupied. But our tree is now on the outside of our dining room window with solar lights:)
ReplyDeleteGreat little Christmasy planter..I have a bucket around here someplace:)
ReplyDeleteI love the sand in the plastic bag to poke the branches through. If Linus is available to supervise, I might have to make one of these. I have the perfect galvanized bucket.
ReplyDeleteCats are curious creatures and not always helpful on a project like this.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this Jen, it looks great.
What a great idea and thanks for showing us how to do it! I wonder how it would look with a palm frond! Enjoy your week and Happy Holidays my friend!
ReplyDeleteI love this - such a great idea. I've been wondering to do with our porch.
ReplyDeleteOh, what a good idea! How pretty. Would it be okay if I added a dog instead? ;-)
ReplyDeleteI absolutely love this idea and will work on it for next year...we just had another snow storm and everything is covered in white
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this, Jen. I love your little planter idea.
ReplyDeleteHugs,
Laura