20 Ways to Decorate With Poinsettias for the Holidays

Whether red, white, pink or variegated, poinsettias always bring the traditional holiday spirit to whatever space they’re in. Check out these beautiful ideas for using poinsettias to create a chic Christmas look for the happiest of holidays.

Keep in mind, poinsettias are tropical plants, they will perish in weather lower than 50 degrees. So use faux poinsettias for outdoor wreaths, planters and such, and keep the live plants indoors away from drafty windows and doors.

Above, a simple wood box is filled with poinsettia plants and surrounded by fresh greenery to create a charming rustic-style centerpiece.

If your fireplace is just for show, fill it with fiery-red poinsettias to provide visual warmth and a ruby glow.

Handmade stockings, evergreen topiaries, poinsettia cuttings and a variety of shimmering holiday baubles create this traditional Christmas mantel.

Use poinsettias to provide a beautiful splash of color on your holiday table. This version uses a tall white vessel, poinsettia stems, and a mix of sprays, twigs and ornaments to create this majestic centerpiece that is truly unforgettable.

An easy way to incorporate poinsettias into your existing decor is to swap out any plants you might already have. They look great on windowsills and plant stands (and happen to be the same size as many common houseplants), so they’re easy to substitute. Relocate your existing plants to another space in your home, then after the holiday season, you can easily put them back.

Instead of the typical wreath, use an old pair of ice skates filled with poinsettias to decorate your front entry. To make this display, you will need: pair of old ice skates (we scored these at a thrift store for $8), two plastic water bottles, scissors, medium poinsettia stems (faux or live), hanging hardware and a raffia bow. Clean the skates thoroughly. Use scissors to cut off the tops of the water bottles. Place the water bottles in the heel of each skate. Add soil and poinsettia plants or fill with artificial stems. Tie a knot at the tops of the laces. Install hanging hardware and hang skates with laces. Finish with a bow.

If you really, truly, madly love poinsettias, use them to cover your entire Christmas tree. This would be an especially stunning display if you have several trees in your home and you’re looking to mix up displays. While this example shows a very large outdoor display, this design works well on smaller trees, too. Just make sure to use live plants indoors and faux plants outdoors if you live in a cold climate.

Add holiday flair both inside and outside your windows with a fabric poinsettia garland. Cut the ribbon to the proper size of your window or blinds. Next, create fabric poinsettias by tracing leaf silhouettes onto felt and cutting each one out with scissors. Layer the leaves together with a needle and thread, then fasten a button to the center. Stitch or hot-glue each poinsettia directly to the ribbon and place it along the vertical lines of the blinds for a seamless, tailored look.

Create a fun, unique arrangement by using unexpected vessels to hold your poinsettias. Here, old thermoses in different sizes and styles make the perfect pairing for a collection of plants and greenery.

If you run out of flowerpots and holiday planters, grab an old pair of boots and fill them with poinsettias.

If your cowboy boots are just too precious for a holiday display, try an old pair of rain boots instead.

Impress your dinner guests this holiday season with a festive poinsettia folded napkin.

Even if you don’t have any poinsettia plants, you can still use them as part of your Christmas decor. These linen napkins feature easy, DIY cross-stitched poinsettia designs for instant holiday cheer.

A foraged greenery wreath with tallow berries, 'Carolina Sapphire' cypress, magnolia, Scotch pine, nandina berries, pinecones, camellia branches and boxwood serves as the perfect base for poinsettias.

Dress up your yard and porch decor with a festive touch for the holiday season. This concrete lamb's poinsettia collar fits perfectly, making him a welcoming holiday mascot.

If the weather outside is frightful, add a poinsettia to your window to brighten your view. If the temps dip well below freezing and your windows are drafty, protect your poinsettia with a thick curtain or move the plant away from the window until the temps warm up.

Consider adding two or three oversized poinsettia ornaments to your holiday tree. This is a great way to pull together a color scheme and play with pattern mixing. Designer Britany Simon created these black, white and red poinsettias from solid-colored felt and patterned cotton fabric. Once added to the tree, they become the first thing guests notice and then help draw the eye around the room to other coordinating design elements.

Poinsettia flowers (real or faux) look great mixed in with traditional Christmas greenery. Here, fabric poinsettias are tucked into a lush garland. To make these florals, trace leaves directly onto the fabric using a marker or chalk. Next, cut along the traced leaf silhouette with scissors. Once cut, layer several pieces of fabric together, and fasten them with a needle and thread. Finish with a button to add an instant graphic pattern and classic holiday charm with minimum expense.

Upcycled wine bottles wrapped in grapevine are filled with white poinsettia stems to create a unique centerpiece. An antique silver tray adds a sweet touch of class.