Want some simple outdoor decor using fresh greenery this Christmas season?
Bust out your summer flower hanging baskets and try these easy Christmas arrangements in your hanging baskets!
I started decorating for Christmas immediately after Thanksgiving. This year, with my son almost two, I was excited to jump into the spirit of the season by decorating the inside and the outside of our home.
I walk my dogs every day — so it’s easy for me to get inspired by Mother Nature and all of the beautiful colors and textures she provides for us.
I really wanted some fresh greenery around the house, so I thought I should try to use materials that I had readily available — without having to spend a small fortune.
I had a double shepherd’s hook and coconut-lined hanging baskets from my summer plants. All I needed was some festive greenery to put into those hanging baskets for the holidays.
After a trip to Hobby Lobby, I realized that I could easily replicate some of their hanging basket ideas using real greenery from my own backyard without having to spend a dime!
Materials Needed
Here is a list of the materials I used to create these fresh cut hanging Christmas arrangements:
- Shepherd’s hooks
- Hanging baskets
- Potting soil
- Pruning shears
- Pine cones
- Crystalized twigs (from Hobby Lobby)
- Leyland Cypress clippings
- Winterberry clippings
- Pine tree clippings
How To Make Outdoor Christmas Hanging Baskets
These hanging baskets take less than 10 minutes to make once you’ve gathered all the materials.
Here are the steps I used to make these outdoor Christmas arrangements:
- I filled the hanging baskets with potting soil.
- I cut the Leyland branches to approximately 12 inches and created a stem by cutting off any excess branches near the bottom. (I used about 12 Leyland Cypress branches for each basket.)
- I held the Leyland branches like I would dump spaghetti into a pot and put them in the center of the basket — folding them down to lay and fill in the perimeter.
- I cut Pine tree branches down to bunches with a stem and plugged in these pieces anywhere I thought could use the lime green color.
- I filled in the gaps with the red Winterberry for punches of color.
- I decided I wanted to add some white in these Christmas hanging baskets — so I spray painted some pine cones and added 3 per basket.
- I added 1 crystalized twig (left over from a previous project) to the center of these Christmas arrangements.
- I hung the baskets on shepherd’s hooks — just off the side of the front walkway and steps.
- I added water to the soil to help keep everything hydrated as long as possible, and I continue to water every few days.
The Bottom Line…
I absolutely love how these outdoor Christmas arrangements turned out! They add a festive and welcoming touch to our home.
I think I’d like to line the walkway with a row of these because I have several more shepherd’s hooks and hanging baskets just begging to be filled.
The best part about these Christmas arrangements is they didn’t cost a thing, and they will just return to the earth after the holidays. No storing… and no adding to the landfills!
Since these are the first ones I’ve made, I have no idea how long these outdoor Christmas arrangements will last — but I do suspect they will fair better in the cooler states versus somewhere like Florida.
I will be keeping the soil moist, so they should last throughout the holidays. But if not, I can easily refresh the baskets with fresh clippings, as needed.
I hope this Christmas hanging baskets tutorial inspires you to take another look at your surroundings and see what Mother Nature provides for arrangements that you can create… Merry Christmas!
