April Showers Bring May Flowers/DIY Classic European Style Window Box

Hello, dear lovelies!  Thank you so much for stopping by!  We are now in the full swing of Spring, and I am loving seeing signs of life all over the garden.   It is the perfect time to start planting, or to continue maintaining your perennials and/or to begin refreshing your annuals.

A wonderful way to display your beautiful blooms is in a classic window box.   Some time ago during the beginning of the pandemic, I began perusing multiple sites for inspiration, because I had just finished skip-troweling the exterior of my house, but it still looked a little bland.  I decided the implementation of window boxes would make for a pretty addition to the newly stuccoed and painted exterior.  

I wanted something classic or with European nuances.  Here are some of the window boxes I considered:

I found this one to be just gorgeous!!  It is The Shipman from the Bunny Williams Collection at Ballard Design.  The price tag of this beauty is $489.

Lovely.  The Savannah Window Box from www.flowerwindowboxes.com.  What I liked about this option is that you have a choice of adding a self-watering system, and also a choice five different finishes for the metal box insert.  These vary in price contingent upon size and finishing options, starting at $203.99 for the smallest (24") and $662.99 for the largest (108").

Very pretty.  The European Window Box from Hooks and Lattice. These start at $173.85 and up with many options such as liner choices, et cetera.

Stunning.  Just one of the many pretty options at GardenMetalWork.com.  Prices vary.

Then, one day as I was perusing my local 99¢ Store looking for crafting supplies, I came upon these wonderful fence panels.  Needless to say, inspiration hit!  Being the frugal gal I am, I wondered if I could build my own window boxes using them.

Today, I am sharing a tutorial on how I built lovely, classical style window flower boxes for pennies on the dollar.  I hope you enjoy the post!

This is an intermediate level project, so of course there was a bit of trial and error .  I initially intended these boxes to sit on the ground just underneath each window, so the material I used did not need to be overly sturdy or hardy.  However, since I ended up hanging these boxes, I recommend using a thicker, heavier wood than the particle board I used which is featured in my photos.  

To build your box you will need:  

Pre-treated wood planks

Measuring Tape

Lattice fence sections

Drill with a forstner or wood/spade bit

Paint of your choice

Landscape weed barrier fabric

Staple gun and staples

Brackets strong enough to accommodate weight of your soil, planter, and flowers

Small gauge nails

Panel nails

Small thin wood sections, or 1 X 1 inch flashing, furring strip, et cetera 

Construction adhesive in coordinating color

Sharp razor blade or cutting tool (I used an angle grinder)

Mounting nails or screws intended for masonry 

First, you will want to measure the window to see what size you want your window box to be.  Once you have measured, cut your boards to size.  You will need three boards the length of your window, and two shorter boards for the width of each box.

Once measured, you will need to measure and cut the thin pieces of wood to size to coordinate with the height of the box.  You will need one for each corner, and one for each bottom length…or eight total for each box.  Using the small gauge nails, attach measured furring strip (thin wood pieces) to form a topless rectangular form.  You may use the diagram below as a reference.  First, create the shorter sides of the form.  Attach the side of Strip A to Strip D, forming a 90 degree angle in an inverted L shape.  Next, attach the side of Strip B to side C. You should now have a U shape.  Repeat the process; side of Strip E to the side of Strip G  (forming an L) and the side of Strip H to the side of Strip F, forming the second U shape.  Finally, attach side A/D to side I, side E/G to side J, side B/C to side K, and side H/F to side L.  

Attach your pre-measured boards (sides) to their coordinating places and measurements.  Your box is almost complete 😅!  Use the drill with a forstner bit to make drainage holes in the bottom of your box.  Paint the completed box your preferred color.

Attaching the lattice design did require quite a bit of patience, because my window boxes were longer than each fence panel.  The easiest part was attaching the side panels.  First, I beaded a bit of black construction adhesive to the side of the box.  I used Dap’s Dynaflex ultra.

Here is a photo of one of the longer sides, on which I beaded the adhesive.

Next, nail a piece of the lattice that has been cut to size in place over the adhesive.  I also cut sections to cover each length of the lattice, adding or subtracting where needed.

I used these small panel nails to accomplish this task.

Here’s how it looks on the side of one of my boxes.  After attaching the pieces, bead a bit of adhesive over the nails’ heads to camouflage them.

Photos of the length down one of the longer sides.  As mentioned, this was arduous; it took a lot of measuring, cutting, and matching edges to make a lattice the full length of the box.

Next, I attached brackets.  I used these brackets I found from Lowe’s.  Each pair can accommodate up to 80 lbs of weight.  For my largest box, I used three.  I also added another furring strip down the middle of that specific box as reinforcement, also providing a place for the bracket to be attached.  

Shown here.

Finally, right exactly in the middle of each box, I decided to add a (DARLING!) wooden monogram.  I looked online and created a design using a amalgam of several I fancied…I ended up with this design:

Thank you so much to Mr. Parsimonious for using his laser cutter to make these!  Aren’t they sweet?

Finished box:

Just prior to mounting the boxes, I used a staple gun to staple landscape fabric inside each box.  Here are photos of the completed boxes on my windows:

It is very hot here in Southern California, so I decided to use hearty plants.  I chose White Kalanchoe Widow’s Thrill) and English Ivy. 

Here’s a few photos about a year on when they really began to flourish.

I hope you are enjoying the beauty of spring in your neck of the woods!

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