How To Make A Holiday Window Box

I got a lot of questions recently most how I constructed my holiday containers and window box so I thought I'd share a quick tutorial. I can't say that I invented this method, but I've gotten pretty close to perfecting it after several years of tinkering with information technology. The inspiration for information technology came from the professionals, more often than not Deborah Silverish.

Just a reminder, my challenge this year was to simply apply foraged materials and things that I already had, so I did not spend a single penny on this window box.

I try to leave about iii-quarters of the potting mix in the window box afterwards I remove all the plants and to do this before that soil freezes, considering it's much easier when it's soft. The foam—three-inch-thick big sheets that I purchased at Michael's several years ago—is saved an reused every year because it's an investment. I hot-glued smaller pieces of foam as supports underneath the master foam layer, which is several pieces doweled and glued end-to-end to fix the window box. You lot can besides use greenish waterproof tape (chapter link) to record pieces together, which is what I do for other containers.

Small pieces of cream hot-glued to the lesser of larger cream pieces adds stability.

One time I take the foam fitted in, which sometimes requires moving some soil around, I employ ii bamboo stakes at an angle pushed all the way through to help concur information technology in. These stakes volition freeze in the soil.

I use ii bamboo stakes at angles to help secure the cream foundation.

The adjacent stride is the ring, and this is the bit I've had the most questions near. Detroit Garden Works sells pre-lit metal rings for hanging or staking, but if y'all're looking for a less expensive choice, you can look in a few places. My metal band came from a local metallic worker, who fabricated me several rings of unlike sizes a few years ago at the same time nosotros had him make a fire pit band (2 of them ended up equally art). I don't think the cost, merely the rings were incredibly cheap, and then if you can discover a person like that, it's a skillful option.

I've too retrieved rings from rotted out wagon wheels (of which at that place several inexplicably kicking around my neighborhood) and the metallic bands from old whiskey barrel planters. Equally an alternative, I remember you could double upward a pair of hula hoops or even PVC tubing and paint it black.

My metal ring (covered in pino needles) came from a local metalworker.

There is a small hole for a stabilizing stake in the heart of my ring, so I used that to hang the band from my basement ceiling and I could easily wrap the lights effectually the hoop. The key to keeping the ring wait is to wrap the lights (I used a string of 200) around the outside of the band, instead of wrapping them in and out through the middle of information technology. Brand sure that the male plug is at the what will be the lesser of the hoop. When the lights are wrapped, I used zip ties (see my pull a fast one on for managing the lilliputian buggers here) in a dark colour to secure the lights in various spots around the ring.

Hang the band to make putting the lights on easier.

Putting the ring up is the trickiest part because it requires a bit of lean. I use a stake through the hole in it to keep it from rolling effectually but you lot could manner a method of pinning it downwards with a bend wire hanger or something else if you don't have a pigsty.

A stake helps concord the ring in place. Lights behind information technology aid it "glow."

I like the window box to await like it's glowing from within, so have another string of lights and just lay them behind the ring. I wish I had added another set of lights or used a light garland (the kind that are nothing but lights) because I would take preferred more glow. You should also claw up your extension cords at this indicate because it'due south much easier to get to earlier all the greens are in.

Side by side I make the dogwood bundles. For this window box I wanted the red dogwood to have a lot of punch and that's difficult to get with individual branches, so I pick out the nicest, straightest branches and parcel them together. Then I take a bamboo stake (the aforementioned ones I used to prop up my dahlias in summertime) and stick it in the heart and tie the whole thing together with aught ties. I actually needed two ties for each bundle because they were too fat for but i.

Insert a bamboo pale in the center of a parcel of twigs and secure very tightly with zero ties.

I try to make all the bundles the same size and height and I exit a piddling fleck of room at the lesser to make the sticks shorter if needed.

Make the bundles about the same size.

When I put the twig bundles in, the stake holds them in identify and I made sure to drive it all the way through the cream into the soil.

After the twigs, the adjacent step is the greens. I attempt to cut all the pieces roughly to the same size for some uniformity, just that'due south not required if you lot like it to await a footling bit more natural. When I put them in I offset with the branches sticking direct out, coming from the side of the cream, and starting from the bottom, I piece of work my way upward to more than angled greens. Considering this is a loftier window box, I don't worry if in that location is cream showing on superlative considering you'll never see that either from the footing or inside.

A little foam showing from the top doesn't matter because in a window box this high it will never be seen.

With the greens in, it needs a little color.

With the greens filled in and trimmed a scrap here and there, I added faux red berries, purchased several years ago at a Black Fri auction and saved every yr. Make sure you purchase faux branches specifically labeled for outdoor utilize or they will lose their paint or completely dissolve apace. I also had some short pino branches with adorable piffling pine cones withal fastened that I used to fill in nearly the dogwood. I don't like to fill in too much too high because I still want to see out the window from within.