Chicken wire transformed this garden parasol into a show-stopping Christmas display

You might think your garden parasol is redundant over the winter months, but one homeowner used her umbrella base to create a show-stopping Christmas display.

Along with some chicken wire and some striking Hobbycraft decorations, Laurie Davidson from Surrey turned her home's porch into a magical setting bursting with Christmas ideas. A standout foliage tower, a sleigh with presents and a double door Christmas wreath prove decorations aren't just for inside.

Chicken wire Christmas decorations are proving to be the latest trend and are easy to make yourself. 'I wanted to create a display that had a real impact,' says stylist Laurie Davidson. 'That person would want to stop and look at – but without costing a fortune.'

Chicken wire Christmas porch display

Before

The porch is a good size, but it also meant that single decorations, like a wreath, can look a little lost, which is why Laurie decided to go for such a big display.

Creating the foliage tower

Using the parasol base, with a metal pole inside was the first step, then chicken wire was wound around the pole and secured into place using cable ties. You can find the full tutorial on the Hobbycraft Ideas Hub.

'Using the parasol and chicken wire meant I could just weave in lots of foraged foliage for the tower, and I've added fairy lights to make it magical at nighttime,' says Laurie.

'I had some help from the festive elves at BBL Floral Design, but it's easy to create your own version and something the kids could help with too,' says Laurie. 'You do need a lot of foliage if you're going to make one the size I had, but I used a lot of cuttings from the garden and foraged the rest.'

Choosing lots of Christmas picks and faux foliage stems from Hobbycraft meant Laurie could give it extra colour, with poinsettias, red berries, pine cones and baubles all adding the finishing touches.

'I used lots of picks and faux stems. I love the ones with berries and poinsettias on, as they add a lovely deep punch of red to all the greenery. It's quite a traditional look.'

Artificial pine branches with white berries and pine cones: £14.89, Amazon
Scatter through these snowy pine branches and white berries for an understated yet festive look. They measure 15cm and would look great tucked into your festive display if you prefer a frosty winter look

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Finishing touches

A vintage sleigh piled with presents sits on the porch itself. 'I wrapped up empty boxes and decorated them with ribbon, twine, small picks and clip-on robins from Hobbycraft, along with some fan toppers and bows that I made out of the same wrapping paper,' says Laurie.

Clip-on Robin | £6.49, Amazon
Add a little festive wildlife to your display with these clip-on Robins. They are currently £6.49 each on Amazon and can be used on garlands, wreaths and much more.

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Using garlands to trail down the stairs and wrap around more faux presents, gives the display another touch of greenery – and it's easy to weave fairy lights into the garland to add extra sparkle if you want to.

WeRChristmas Pre-Lit Decorated Garland: £34.99, Amazon
The faux poinsettia flowers already woven onto this garland make it perfect for creating your own statement piece. Half the work is already done for you with this pre-lit garland.

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'Hobbycraft have such a good range of wintery stems and I'll use them in a different way next year, either on my Christmas tree or in vases,' says Laurie.

'I already had the parasol base and chicken wire, so it was just a matter of getting a good mix of foliage – it's an easy and affordable way of transforming your doorway.'

Have you been inspired to give your porch a festive doorscape?