My Long-Lasting Winter Planter

This winter planter is going to be outside for months! Not just weeks, which is what would have happened if I themed it for Christmas instead of winter. Pretty smart, huh? Sure, the bows will have to go after Christmas, but everything else can stay till I change the planter a bit for Valentine’s Day. That will take a whole 5 minutes and give me even more use out of this one design.

The birch branches are from a tree we took down a few years ago, but you can buy them at craft stores these days. We even saw them at the garden center when we bought our tree last night. We also used some evergreen branches that Mike cut off the bottom of the tree, as well as some from our yard, and some not-quite-natural ones that have lasted from year to year.

And how about that snowman? He’s from a birch branch too, one that had a tiny branch sticking out that was just the right size and place for his nose. I made him a few years ago and he has survived well. The hat is actually a Christmas tree ornament.

Here is the key – Even the sign is for winter, not Christmas. I did the same thing in the past using a birdhouse.

So go scrounging in your yard for branches, and if you must buy a decoration, resist the temptation to get one that is specific to Christmas. If you live if Chicagoland like we do, better get out there soon, cuz once the dirt in your planter is frozen, you won’t be able to put anything in it.

And if you think I did a really good job of buying just the sign without buying anything that screams Christmas, well, my resistance is not that good. This cute puppy picture had to come home with us. It will be a nice reminder of the year we got our own cute puppy.