Window boxes can be a wonderful addition to the exterior of your home. There are many ways to build window boxes yourself so that they are unique and special. You certainly do not need to buy window boxes at the store since there are a plethora of materials and techniques that you can master to make them yourself. Making a basic window box is simple, but you can expand on the basic box by using terra cotta pots, baskets, and stencils. Set aside a weekend to make your window boxes - you should easily be able to complete the project by just putting in a couple hours on Saturday and a few more on Sunday (you could do it in one day if your project didn’t involve waiting for paint or glue to dry).
Regardless of the style of your window box, the mounting process will be pretty much the same. Keep in mind that you can mount the window boxes inside or outside. Indoor window boxes add a fantastic decorative touch to the interior of your home. If you are worried about pets or young children tampering with the plants or flowers in an indoor box, use artificial plants or flowers instead of fresh ones. The mounting process is very easy, and the same procedure can be applied to either indoor or outdoor boxes. At your local hardware store, purchase support brackets that are long enough to support the size of the bottom base of your window box. Two support brackets should be sufficient to support your window box, but if you are worried about the stability, you can use three brackets instead. Screw one bracket to each bottom corner of your window frame, and if you are using a third bracket, screw that one midway between the two corner brackets. Finally, position your window box onto the brackets, and enjoy!
THE BASIC BOX
To make a basic window box, you will need wood, nails, a hammer, and some paints and stencils. Measure the length of your window, and get three pieces of wood that are the length of your window. The width of these three pieces should be eight inches. These three pieces are going to be the bottom, front, and back pieces of the window box. You will also need two more wooden pieces for the sides of the window box. These pieces should both be eight inches by eight inches. To assemble your window box, use wood glue. Once the wood glue has dried, reinforce the structure of the box by hammering nails into each corner. If the wood is rough and splintery, use sandpaper or an electric sander to smooth down the sides and edges. Paint your window box with two or three coats of a color you have chosen. Once the paint has dried, you can either hang your box as is, or you can decorate it more by sponging on some stenciled shapes, such as hearts, ducks, flowers, or anything else you’d like. You can get as intricate with the decoration here as you want to – hand painting is certainly an option is you have artistic talents. Once all of the paint has dried, you can go ahead and mount your window box.
TERRA COTTA POTS
Terra cotta pots are excellent for window boxes because they look great, and if they break, they can be replaced for less than $10. Measure the length of your window, and then buy enough terra cotta pots so that when you line them up they are equal to that length of the window or slightly smaller. You can buy big pots or tiny pots – it’s just a matter of personal preference. You also need two pieces of wood that are equal to the length of the window and that are wider than the widest part of your terra cotta pots. Use a hammer and nail to make a back and bottom out of wood for the window box. Use strong wood glue to mount the terra cotta pots to the bottom piece of wood. Wait for the glue to dry, and then paint the entire unit (meaning the wooden pieces and the terra cotta pots). This will create the illusion that the window box is one piece rather than many pieces put together, especially if you use multiple coats of a matte paint. Once the glue has dried, you can either decorate the window box more, or you can mount it.
BASKET BOXES
You may not have thought about decorating the exterior of your home with baskets before, but they can actually look quite lovely as window boxes. You can find baskets in an array of styles and sizes at your local craft and hobby store. For your window box baskets, purchase baskets that do not have handles, because the handles will only get in the way when you are trying to fill your baskets with flowers later on. Follow the same instructions as you would for the terra cotta pot window box (mount the baskets onto a wooden platform with a back, paint, and mount). Unlike the basic window box or the terra cotta window box, when you use baskets, you should put some inexpensive flower pots inside instead of just pouring the soil or dirt right into the baskets.
