Do you really want to dazzle your guests through the coming holiday season? Here’s an easy way to turn your now faded summer hanging baskets into fall and winter show pieces.

For little or no cost, you can turn your summer flower baskets into eye-catching, conversation pieces. They will enhance your home and bring color where, normally at this time of year, there would be empty space.

May I suggest that you put on your coat and hat, grab a small hand pruner, an empty 5-gallon bucket to hold your cuttings, and take a stroll through your landscape.

Take cuttings of fir, pine or hemlock tips, berried sprigs or maybe tips of rose bushes adorned with bright red rose hips. Or, if you prefer, try some curly willow, red or yellow twig dogwood stems, berried cotoneaster or pyracantha, maybe some Viburnum Tinus with its turquoise blue berries, tree moss or whatever catches your eye.

Take your bucket of collected goodies into your garage and set your radio, CD player, or maybe even a good ol’ “vinyl record” to some relaxing music.

Bring in your now faded summer blooming basket, set on a table or work bench along side of your bucket of collected goodies and put on an apron or some work coveralls.

Remove any debris that might still be left from summer but leave the soil in the pot. It’s important to not remove the soil.

Now the fun begins.

Start by spreading your collected greens on to your table or bench for easy sorting. Using your hand pruner, prune your greenery stems to desired length starting with the longest first, finishing with the shortest.

I would suggest starting with the pine, fir or hemlock first as the main filler pushing the cut ends into the soil within the basket. The soil will be what holds your cut greens in place, then finish off with the berried stems and colored twigs.

Once your basket has been filled to desired fullness, you may then want to top it off or finish it off by adding a bow, holiday decorations and even lights, if so desired.

The sky is the limit as to what you can use in your winter baskets, and don’t stop with your hanging baskets. This works well for window boxes and planter boxes as well.

Now take your finished basket outside and water the soil area as this will help keep your greenery fresh. You may also spray your greens with a product called Wilt Proof, which helps seal the moisture in the greens and extend the life of the greens as well.

Now you are ready to hang your finished product in place and enjoy its beauty throughout the winter months.

Please be courteous and respectful of others property when out collecting holiday decorating treasures. Always ask permission before collecting on someone else’s property and be sure to thank them.

As a surprise gift for the property owner, you could return at a later date with one of your handmade crafts from the gatherings they allowed you to collect.

Have fun.