Don't Get Rid Of Dead Mums: Use Them For DIY Outdoor Holiday Decor

Chrysanthemums — or mums for short — are a genus of gorgeous flowers in the aster or daisy family. They can be planted in your garden to keep pests out, but they're also popular potted porch plants, particularly in fall. While some mums (called garden mums) are perennials and will bloom again next year, mums are sometimes grown as annuals instead. Also called florist mums, these annuals are generally the ones that go in pots, so it's important to pick the best mums for your garden or front porch. As these annuals dry out and die at the end of fall, you might decide to toss them or compost them. Or perhaps this year, try this fun DIY idea to give them new life as colorful holiday decor. Essentially, you're giving these dead blooms a vibrant coat of paint and decorating them with shiny holiday ornaments.

As with a lot of craft DIY projects, the original source is hard to track down. One of the earliest examples online comes from Jennifer Allwood on YouTube, posted in 2015, although she mentions learning the hack from a friend. Safe to say, the idea to turn dead potted plants into festive decor using spray paint has been around for a while. The DIY is extremely simple, which is great when you're busy and looking for a quick way to make your porch festive. And if you don't like the way it comes out, you haven't expended much in the way of time, effort, or resources. Alternatively, it's also easy to customize if you want to spend a little more time on your holiday display. You won't be able to compost the mums afterwards, though, since they'll be painted. Gather spray paint and some ornaments and get started!

You'll be spray painting your mums, so if they're in a pot you want to keep, you may want to wrap it in paper or masking tape first. Set paper or cardboard on the ground underneath and paint in light, even strokes, approaching from all directions to entirely cover the stems, branches, and blooms. One of the most commonly used colors for this DIY is silver, but you're free to spray paint your mums any color you want! Red, green, silver, gold, and white are all associated with Christmas, blue-and-white with Hanukkah, and red, green, and black with Kwanzaa. You can even add stripes or spirals if you want — it's your decor, anything goes as long as you like it!

Lay down paper or cardboard underneath your mums to protect the ground, and be sure to paint in a well-ventilated area. Once you've painted your mums completely and are satisfied with how they look, return them to your front porch, deck or wherever they'll bring a little holiday sparkle. If you want to add extra decorations, now's the time to do so. Hang ornaments, wrap tinsel, and add fake holly berries or wreaths to the pot. The mums will need to be thrown away after the holiday season is over, as spray paint is not compostable, nor will it prevent your mums from withering further. If you're itching for another project to go with your festive mums, try out this DIY holiday garden art made from repurposed pot and pan lids.