Decoration for the Holidays for ZERO DOLLARS

For the past 4 years I have decorated my home's exterior for zero dollars. How? I walk around my yard and look for pine/evergreen branches, I cut a ton of branches. I then walk to the edge of a woods near my home and get cutting of red twig dogwood shrubs and this pretty red/orange berry stems. Then I start arranging.

I suggest walking around your yard see what is there that is a "green", look for branches that still have color especially red and any crab apple or any ash tree with berry clusters. Ask your neighbors if you can take some cuttings from their shrubs and trees. Now get your container or your window box, make sure the soil is not frozen (mine was this year), just poor some hot water over, until the soil softens. I recommend starting with berries stems, then add the red twigs, fill in with the variety of greens you find.

My window box contains, cedar cuttings, blue spruce cuttings, scotch pine, and another spruce cutting. I added red twigs and stems with red/orange berries.

Some great greens to use, juniper, box wood, holly, and yew. Red twig dogwood branches would work great for accents. Rose hips and bittersweet will work for the berry stems. I do not recommend using artificial berry stems, birds may ingest them. Happy Decorating!