Plans for Homemade Flower Boxes

Materials and Tools

• Weather resistant wood is the most logical choice for constructing flower boxes since they will be exposed to the elements. Cedar and cypress are particularly water resistant and cedar is also resistant to most pests. For a more economical choice, consider pine or oak.

  If you do not own a saw or do not want to incur the cost of renting one, most home improvement stores like Home Depot and Lowe's offer the first two cuts for free on wood purchased from them. If you need more than two cuts, there is a nominal fee.

  Window flower boxes also require some sort of support, so choose from wooden braces that are painted or stained to match your wood or metal brackets. Metal brackets are available in a variety of styles and finishes from plain to decorative. Buy ones that will complement the style of your home.

  Additional supplies and tools include wood screws, a screwdriver or drill and paint. You may also opt to stain instead of paint if desired.

Construction

• Build a frame box. The box should be the same width as the window so the result will be symmetrical. If you are building more than one box, go ahead and build all the frames at once.

  For the bottoms, drill a few small holes for drainage. Make sure that the holes are more towards the front of the box so that when water drains it does not leak down the front of your house and leave dirt tracks.

  Attach the frames to the bottoms using wood screws. If the boxes are long, it may be necessary to add additional supports in the middle. Add these on the inside bottom of the box so they are not visible from the outside.

  If you plan to paint or stain the boxes, do so before they are adhered to the house. This prevents the possibility of getting the paint onto your house. If you purchased wood braces, you should paint these now as well and let dry.

  While the boxes are drying, make the drill marks for the brackets or braces under the window. Pre-drill the holes so that it is not so difficult to attach when you are holding the heavy boxes. Screw the brackets to the bottom of the boxes making sure to use rust resistant screws.

  Adhere the boxes to the window frame using the pre-drilled holes. Make any necessary adjustments to ensure the boxes are level then fill with soil and plants.