Project of the Week

Build a Flower Box

For years, I’ve tried to make wooden window planter “boxes,” but the corners eventually came apart from the pressure of so much soil, and they were difficult to move around or dump in order to renew the soil. Using individual prefab pots that drop down into a board is the ideal way to treat your windows to some adornment, even in the off-season.

After your pots have given you a riotous display of something like petunias that love to spread, fill them with the happy colors of different mosses and maybe even a bird’s nest or two that you’ve filled with leftover holiday bulbs. When I use terra cotta pots, I line the insides with thin plastic in the summer so the water I give them doesn’t evaporate through the clay. But do make sure the hole in the bottom for drainage isn’t covered up. Over time, the board and the pots take on a nice vintage patina, and your faux window boxes will last many years.

1. Get the 1″ x 8″ pine or cedar board you will use to support the terra cotta flowerpots.
2. Once you’ve picked out the size pots you want to use, measure the diameter just below the rim collar using calipers or dividers. Be sure the pots are all the same size, as variations are common.
3. Take half that diameter (the radius) and use this length to scribe circles from a center line on the board. When laying out the hole spacing, allow a few inches of space between each hole.
4. Along the inside of each scribed circle, drill a ½″ hole to allow a scroll saw or jigsaw with a wood-cutting blade to saw the outlined holes.
5. After sanding the surfaces and edges, mount the board to the pair of shelf brackets, evenly spaced for good support.