Fall Window Box Ideas

This past summer, my husband and I finally put a window box in! We love it – I just can’t seem to keep anything alive in it. Except for Ivy. So guess what? I’m going faux! If you are in the same boat – you might want to check out these FAUX Fall window box ideas.

Why can’t I keep anything alive? I think it’s because the window box depth is small (dries out fast) and the front of our house gets blasted with hot, relentless Southern afternoon sun.

A Fall Window Box with cedar trees, pumpkins, ivy, branches and cabbage

Fall window box ideas

Window boxes look the best when they are chock full of plants, lush and bountiful. So that means we need to add a good amount of faux florals here.

→I go with three types of foliage for our window boxes;

Spiller – anything that cascades down the window box looks amazing. In my case, I went for REAL ivy. If you can; try to get a real vine to grow in there. They seem to be less fussy than florals and might flourish for you. I think faux and real plants together help everything look more real. Some other ideas besides ivy (real or faux) would be sweet potato vine, Spanish moss, and even succulents like s tr ing of pearls.
Thriller – something that sticks straight up and adds height. I put mini faux cedar trees in there (actually I cut the tops off my old trees). I’m planning to keep them up all year. You can also try grasses (faux grasses tend to look real anyway). I also wanted branches – so I stuck some of my Afloral dried Hoary Branches in there as well.
Filler – now you want plants and flowers that “fill in” all those empty spaces. I chose faux juniper berry picks, faux cabbage picks, and real and faux mini pumpkins. I can keep the faux juniper picks throughout the winter season. The winter cabbage looks really pretty in there. You can also try berry picks, maple leaf picks, pine cones, and gourds.

Again, you really want to pack them in there to make your window boxes look full and lush.

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A Fall Window Box with cedar trees, pumpkins, ivy, branches and cabbageA Fall Window Box with cedar trees, pumpkins, ivy, branches and cabbage

Where to find Weatherproof faux florals?

Obviously, these things are sitting outside getting baked in the sun and rained on – they need to last! And they also need to look as real as possible. So, run a google search for weatherproof, UV-treated florals. They will also state if they are indoors or outdoors or both.

A collection of Faux greenery and florals for a fall window box

I found most of my items at Factory Direct Craft – one of my favorite places for faux florals (they have a website too), Hobby Lobby, Michaels, and Afloral. The real ivy and pumpkins were bought locally. You can also try a UV floral protectant spray to help your faux florals last longer outside.

You can also adorn your window boxes with free pine cones, acorns and branches – just have your kids help you forage.

How to Plant your Faux Flowers

Here’s how I stabilized my faux flowers and plants in my window box.

Foam Blocks for Floral Arrangements — Use Floral Foam to Keep Flowers Stable and Upright

I bought a bulk pack of Floral Foam blocks from the craft store. I made sure the foam was sized to fit inside my window box. If yours isn’t, you can cut it down to make it fit.

Foam Block with Florals in itFoam Block with Florals in it

Then, with each floral foam block, I made a little vignette. Starting with the cedar tree in the center, and then filling around it with juniper berries and cabbage. A pair of scissors helps make a bigger hole for you. You want to fill in as much of the green foam on top so it’s not visible.

I made a total of four blocks and placed them in my window boxes around the real ivy and covered them with dirt a little bit. I did a little bit of finessing and rearranging until everything looked good. Finally, I nestled in mini pumpkins.

I’m not sure how well the floral foam will last exposed to the elements but I’m willing to give it a try. This sure looks better than a bunch of wilting, dead flowers. I’ll update this post a little later on to let you know how they turned out.

I figured that once it’s time for me to change over to the holidays, then spring, then summer, I can just take out the floral foam blocks and switch up the florals. And if my florals last -use them for several more seasons to come!

It’s actually kind of fun doing it this way because I don’t have to worry about using plants that can take the heat. My options are pretty limitless! Obviously, you want to make sure your flowers look seasonally appropriate.

That’s it for this fall window box – I hope you guys got some inspiration out of this. Thanks so much for visiting today!

xo Karen