DIY Network

Fall Window Boxes Create fall window boxes using an assortment of gourds and dried and live natural elements. From "B. Original" episode DBOR-307

	Put some fall bounty in your window boxes.
	Alternate design.

Window boxes aren’t just for warm weather any more – just ask Michele Beschen. When most people empty out their window boxes after the end of summer, the B. Original host simply fills them up with fall bounty. From gourds and greenery to grasses and wood, you’ll find a wealth of material at discount stores or in the great outdoors.

Don’t let a simple change of season leave you with boring, empty window boxes. Scroll down for Michele Beschen’s easy how-to, and let your creativity out to play.

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Fall Window Boxes

Materials:

window box
vinyl-covered chicken wire
wire cutters or scissors
staple gun
wood or bamboo skewers
floral tape
plants, cut foliage or greenery, pumpkins, gourds and other items to "plant" in the window box

Note: Everything needed to fill a fall window box is available inexpensively at discount stores and hobby shops. Even better, follow Michele Beschen's example and gather items from your own back yard.

Figure A

• Clean out the window box. Leave some soil in the bottom of the box.

• Cut a piece of chicken wire to fit the top of the window box (figure A) and use a few staples to hold it in place.

• Choose items for the window box arrangement. These can include dried elements, living plants or a combination of both. Include elements of different heights, shapes, colors and textures. Use logs, driftwood, bark or other natural objects to add interesting textures (figure B). Gourds, pumpkins and squash bring color to the window box
  (figure C).
  

  Figure B

  Figure C

  
  

  	Figure D
  	Figure E

• "Plant" items in the window box by sticking then down through the chicken wire. Don't just line everything up straight and level: Position elements to show off their most dramatic sides and emphasize variety.

• Many dried grasses can be delicate and wispy. For a better-looking presentation, gather them into a bouquet and use floral tape to secure them to a wooden skewer (figure D). Make sure the skewer extends beyond the bottom of the bouquet. Insert the skewer through the chicken wire and plant it in the dirt. If the bouquet sits too high, trim the end of the skewer.

• Add some live greenery to the box: Cypress, evergreen and juniper plants will hold their color through the winter. If a plant is too big for the box, remove some of the soil from the roots and trim it from the bottom, then plant it securely in the soil.

• To secure a gourd in the arrangement, drill a small hole in the bottom of the gourd (figure E), insert a wooden skewer and seal the hole with a touch of silicone caulk. This will prevent rot and make the gourd last a little longer. Spray the gourds with polyurethane for more shine if desired.

• After Thanksgiving, make the window boxes a part of your Christmas décor: Remove the gourds and add pine cones, pieces of point pines, cedar branches, holly or even a string of lights.