How to Make Great Outdoor Arrangements for Christmas

Making your own gorgeous outdoor arrangements doesn't have to be overwhelming. I've broken it down to a few steps so you can create your own florist quality arrangement this year. urns

Bright, colourful and full of life - that's my theme for the outdoor decor this Christmas. So I chose red tartan ribbon, white hydrangea blooms and red balls.

Start by gathering together 4 -5 different kinds of greens. Choose stiff needled pine, spruce and boxwood for stability. Then add weeping cypress, cedar and long needled pine for graceful draping. You can buy them at most garden centres. But head out to the garden and see what you have - you'll be surprised.

Start with a container filled with potting soil. I've used other methods - foam, oasis, sand, even bunched up newspaper. This works best for me. Add drama with large twigs like these birch pieces. Or you can add dogwood twigs. Either way, secure them into a pot of soil and pack down the earth around them.

Create a base of greens around the top of the container using draping items like this long needled pine.

Then just start filling in the container. Tuck in a variety of greens for drama and colour. The more variety you have, the more interesting you container will be in the end.

You'll also want some natural elements like these hydrangea blooms. I spray painted them white and then added glitter while the paint was still wet. I did the same with some twigs I cut from an overgrown beauty bush - painted them red and sprinkled with glitter. Tuck these into your arrangement.

Add a bow - make your own or buy one. Add some drama with larger decor pieces like these ornament balls. You can add stars, nests, birdhouses.....it's your arrangement, so you decide what looks best.

Work with odd numbers for the accent pieces - threes, fives, etc. It just looks more natural. Once you're happy with the fullness, add some water. This will help the soil pack down and make it faster to freeze.

Original article and pictures take http://www.hometalk.com/11503381/how-to-make-great-outdoor-arrangements-for-christmas site