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A Welcoming Sight
Decorate Your Front Porch for the Holiday Season
By Teri Brown
- Ready-to-finish wooden planters
- Thompson's Water Seal Deck & House Stain (we used Arbor Green, but there are 114 colors to choose from)
- Sponge brush
- Craft glue
- Holiday design (can be cut from wrapping paper, greeting card, old book, etc.)
- Scissors (if your design is intricate, you may need a pair of nail scissors to trim in small/tight areas)
- Sponge
- Polyurethane
Directions:
- Using a sponge brush, coat the entire planter, inside and out, with Thompson's Water Seal Deck & House Latex Stain in the color of your choice. Let dry.
- Cut out the paper design and glue to the front of each planter. Smooth down firmly with a damp sponge.
- Allow to dry for two hours. Coat the front of the planter with polyurethane to protect the paper design.
- Let dry and re-coat for extra protection.
- For a different design idea, try stenciling a Christmas motif using two colors of Thompson's stain. First stain the planters as in step 1. Once dry, apply a contrasting color to the stencil on top of the first color. Once the second color dries, the planter can be used outdoors.
- Place a plant or small holiday tree or topiary in each planter to create a festive environment. These planters can be re-used for years to come!


