DIY Window Boxes

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I love flowers.

When my husband and I first got married I didn’t have such a green thumb. I always planted pansies in the spring in Texas. Then I would wonder why they died so quickly. (Pansies don’t love heat,  and they really should be planted in the fall not spring.) I’ve gotten just a little bit better over the years. It’s a mix of planting the right type of flowers and watering and feeding them enough, too.

DIY WIndow Box at Gingersnapcrafts.com

These flowers are called Vincas. They are one of my go-to flowers that I plant every spring. They are great to grow this time of year, too, because they are drought and heat tolerant. I always plant several of these around the yard in containers and in flower beds. They do well in both. I even had them seed out before, and they started growing everywhere under my deck. That was kind of neat!

800 flower box tutorial

Recently we added these DIY Window Boxes to the back of our house. I just love them. I love opening my windows and seeing nothing but flowers. Plus, I’d love to share how easy it was to make my own custom cedar window box planters for around $30 each.

Remember safety always comes first. Please use eye protection, ear plugs and follow all safety precautions when using power tools. They can be dangerous!

If you follow this tutorial you will enough wood and supplies to make two 36 inch window boxes. So please adjust the measurements as needed to fit your windows. Let’s get started!

Things you’ll need for this project:

  • 1Ă—12 cedar board
  • 1Ă—8 cedar board
  • Table saw
  • Miter saw
  • Drill
  • Clamps
  • Wood screws
  • 1 inch nails
  • Hammer
  • Wood glue
  • Wood stain (optional)

Step One: Trim your wood.

I chose cedar wood for this project because it holds up well outside and is resistant to decay. You could also use treated wood if desired.

First, you will trim (3) long ½ inch strips off your long 1×12 cedar board. Set them aside to use later on for the trim. Then trim your long board down to match the width of the 1×8 board.

Step Two: Cut the pieces of your window box.

Next cut (6) 36 inch boards & (4) 6 inch boards using the 1×8 & the trimmed down 1×12. Assemble your boxes as shown and clamp each box into place using (3) 36 inch pieces and two shorter 6 inch end pieces. Remember you will be able to make 2 boxes from the wood we cut just cut. Also, on this step you will need to decide if you want the rough side of the board or the smooth side of the board on the outside of your window box. Since I wasn’t planning on staining mine, I decided to have the rough side of the wood out. I love the texture it gives the window boxes.

Step Three: Screw your pieces together.

Next, you will screw your boxes together using wood screws. Always predrill your holes before screwing in the screws. This will help prevent the wood from splitting. Use two screws, one at the top and one on the bottom, on each side and on both ends of each of your window boxes.

Flip your window box over, clamp on the bottom piece, and then you’ll be able to screw the bottom piece into place. You’ll screw in two screws on each end and two screws along each side of each window box.

Step Four: Drill drainage hole.

You’ll want your window boxes to have good drainage for watering and when it rains. You’ll want to drill four drainage holes along the bottom of each window box using a ½ inch drill bit.

Step Five: Cut and add the trim pieces.

Do you remember the ½ inch trim pieces we set aside in step one? Well, now it’s time to get those out.

For each window box, you will need (4) 34 ½ inch pieces and (2) shorter 8-inch pieces. Using wood glue and 1-inch nails nail them in place with a hammer. To make the x we nailed down one strip going diagonal across the box. Then we used a pencil to mark where to cut the other trim piece where it overlapped. Then we cut that piece with a saw, and then nailed and glued it into place.

All done!

The only thing left to do was to hang these window boxes under our favorite windows. To hang ours we used coated wire threaded through the weep holes of our window frames. Then we screwed some wood screws on the back of our boxes and then attached the wire that way. You could also use shelf brackets, screws or wooden braces depending on what your house is made out of and what is recommended.

Then it was time to plant some beautiful flowers.

flower box

 

Megan Whitworth
Megan Whitworth is the former creative director of Texas Forest Country Living. Growing up in East Texas, Megan discovered her love of writing at the age of 11, writing song lyrics and poetry, which turned into essays and articles for publications around East Texas. She later added photography into the mix capturing Friday night football games, the latest fashion looks, and portraits of people around the nation. Megan enjoys karaoke, blogging, reading, and road trips. She resides in Lufkin with her husband, Ryan, and two cats, Felix and Lucy.

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