On our property we have white pine, blue spruce, yews other evergreens. So when the weather turns cold and continually staying in the 30s or below- I walk around the yard with my clippers and a bucket.
I cut low lying branches from a variety of trees. Cut larger bows, you can always trim them down later. Feel free to also collect dead branches, sticks and pine cones...these also work nicely in the planters.
I fill a few buckets with water and set them in garage. Then I soak all my clippings overnight. This ensure they last through the season and not dry out prematurely.
The next day I lay out all my branches in groups. And then start layering the pots.
Blue spruce bows hang nicely so I put those on the bottom. And then top those with yew clippings. I stand some white pine clippings in the back. White pines are airy and thin - so they basically just add height.
Start nestling in some pinecones. I sprayed painted some branches white, but red would be pretty too. Stick those into the dirt to add more height and color. If your planters have no dirt- you can use styrofoam, just place it on the bottom of the pots before you start. You may need to anchor them down with some rocks.
You end up using more than you think...so do your spring trimming early and cut back more than you think when gathering branches!
Beautiful birch wood I saved from when we had to cut one down!
If you end up needing more bulk...you can always fill in with faux greenery. I added a few sprigs from the craft store. But for the most part this project was FREE!!! So easy and cheap!
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