Show me your urns!!

Outdoor decorating has to be my favourite part of "decking the halls". I love that the outdoors offers up a veritable blank canvas that is less likely to get messed up on a daily basis, and the scheme can be tweaked quite readily each year. Something as simple as distributing your lights differently, taking a more natural approach with elements from nature, picking up a unique wreath from a local department store, and (my favourite approach) switching up what you place in your urns each Christmas, can provide just the originality that you may be seeking for your outdoor holiday setting. One of my favourite approaches to this was in my own snow ball mounds I crafted for my urns last year. A simple grapevine cone, some styrofoam balls dusted with some faux snow, and a hot glue gun was all that it took to create these fun additions.

Dressing up your urns can be as simple as using boughs and winter berries, dogwood branches, or winter kale. Grapevine balls like the one below, entwined in mini white lights have graced my urns more than once.

Evergreen topiaries and grapevine trees left au naturel, or festooned in twinkly lights, are an elegant addition to your outdoor decor.

If you want to add glamour and sparkle, you can also employ the sparkle of a gazing ball or two. Your urns will present with importance if only you let them. Look around at what you have in your decorating arsenal. View your urns as the perfect pedestal to showcase your holiday decorating style and they will serve as the perfect holiday sentries to your outdoor Christmas scene.

******all photos (except top photo): Better Homes and Gardens.com