Deck The Halls... - Plaids and Poppies

Let’s “Deck The Halls” friends! I actually looked that up..the word DECK. In its verb form it means to decorate or adorn brightly or festively. Those are words that would definitely describe my idea of Christmas decor! At our home Christmas literally spills over to the outside, and it’s one of my highlights of the season to decorate my porches! I have always admired a home with a big front porch, so when building our home my desire for a front porch multiplied into 5 porches total! We have the front porch, that I so desperately wanted, as well as a side porch where my clients enter the salon and a covered porch in the back. Also there’s a porch off the barn and just this summer a pool house was added that also includes a porch.

Lots of spaces to decorate. Which means it has to be economical as well. I always start with several varieties of fresh greens, twigs, and lots red berries, most of which I can find right around our property. Then the FUN begins. My hubby made aluminum liners for the front porch containers to make them easier for me to remove and work on. I always start with the same white birch logs I’ve had for years, (from a tree that died at our last house) and I love to use those in my front pots. By keeping the dirt right in the liners, the logs and branches easily get pushed into the soil and stay secure.

Last year I purchased the dipped red branches, but in years past I always had red twig dogwood to clip.

I have saved several DIY’s in highlights on my instagram @plaids.and.poppies.

For my window boxes I follow the same format, adding in greens and berries into the existing dirt.

I also love hanging wreaths on every door and every window! Wreaths are somewhat of an obsession for me, all year long actually. Most of the them are faux but at Christmas time I love to add in some real ones with big red bows. To hang most of them, I just open and close the window on the ribbon at the top, and that’s how they’re “hung by the window with care”..Ha! The ones up in the dormer windows don’t open so my hubby made an aluminum strip that sticks to the window and holds the ribbon flat. Works like a charm.

And this year I added a grapevine wreath, that we hung from cables in the ceiling of the porch, and decorated it with the greens and berries as well as battery operated lights and galvanized snowflake ornaments. It has been quite the showstopper, especially at night!

If you love wreaths as much as I do, I highly recommend a wreath making party. It’s such a fun girl’s night out that I actually did two of them this season!

You can usually check with your local florist or nursery and inquire if they hold classes. Some will even come right to your home and hold the party there.

Along with all the greenery, lights, berries and bows, adding in festive elements like lighted trees, brightly colored pillows and even a FUN entry rug all add a touch of MERRY! This “Oh what Fun” rug, I purchased online at Target this year…I’m in love!

And let’s not forget the birdhouse..give them a little “merry and bright” as well!

I especially love when the snowfall accentuates all the outdoor decor! It adds that “Winter Wonderland” element! I’ve done several winter walks in the snow on my Instagram stories. So for those of you that don’t get that “Hallmark” falling snow where you live… you can always hang out with me during the winter months and get all the snow without the cold or the shoveling.