Christmas Window Boxes: 13 Fillers That Make the Whole House Look Dressed Up

Christmas window boxes are the little secret behind those houses that look like they belong on a holiday card. You drive past, see full green boxes under every window, a few red berries and a glow of lights, and the whole house feels warm and welcoming. The best part is how little they cost. Many families fill them with free greenery trimmings, pinecones from the yard and a few ornaments they already own. If you have planters under your windows, or even a railing on a balcony, you can do this in an afternoon. People have been decorating window boxes for centuries, and winter is when they really shine. Here are our favorite ways to fill them this year..

Christmas Window Boxes in Three Styles on One House

This brick house shows how much a few window boxes can change the look of a whole home. One box mixes pine with birch logs and red berries, one is packed with big shiny ornaments, and one holds tiny trees glowing with LED lights. You do not need to match them all, and mixing styles feels relaxed and cheerful. Start with one box under the front window, then add more as you find greenery. Which of these three styles feels most like your house..

You will need: window boxes, potting soil or floral foam, fresh evergreen trimmings, birch logs, berry picks, shatterproof ornaments, battery LED lights.

How to make it: 1. Fill each box with damp soil or foam so stems stay put. 2. Push in greenery first to make a full base. 3. Add the birch, berries, ornaments or lights on top.

Free Greenery Scraps From the Tree Lot

Here is the money saving trick so many people swear by. Christmas tree lots trim the bottoms of their trees all day, and many will happily give you the cut branches for free or very little. Mix fir, cedar, pine and boxwood and you get lots of texture and shades of green. Cut the stems at an angle and push them deep into damp soil so they stay fresh for weeks in cold weather. A few pinecones finish it, and your Christmas window boxes cost next to nothing. Have you ever asked your local tree lot for their trimmings?

You will need: evergreen trimmings in several types, pruning shears (adult help), damp potting soil, a few pinecones, gardening gloves.

How to make it: 1. Cut the branches into pieces about 12 inches long. 2. Push the longest ones in at the back and let shorter ones spill over the front. 3. Tuck pinecones into any gaps.

Christmas Window Boxes With Birch Logs and Red Berries

White birch and red berries against dark green pine is a classic winter look that never feels dated. Stand short pieces of birch upright in the middle of the box, then add tall red winterberry or berry picks so they reach above the greenery. The white bark looks especially beautiful when a little snow falls on it. Birch logs are sold at craft stores, or you may find fallen branches on a winter walk. Christmas window boxes like this also stay pretty well into January. Would this match your front door?

You will need: pine greenery, three to five short birch logs, red winterberry branches or berry picks, damp soil, floral wire.

How to make it: 1. Fill the box with greenery as a base. 2. Push the birch logs upright into the soil in a little cluster. 3. Add the berry stems so they rise above the pine.

Oversized Ornaments Tucked Into the Pine

Big ornaments are easy to see from the street, which makes them perfect for window boxes. Choose shatterproof ones in two or three colors, like red, gold and silver, and tuck them deep into the greenery so they look nestled rather than balanced on top. Wiring each one to a floral pick keeps it secure in the wind. This is a great use for old ornaments that have lost their shine for the tree, and it gives Christmas window boxes instant color. How many do you have stored away that could live outside this year?

You will need: pine and cedar greenery, large shatterproof ornaments, floral picks, floral wire, damp soil.

How to make it: 1. Build a full greenery base. 2. Wire each ornament to a floral pick. 3. Push the picks into the box in small groups of three.

Christmas Window Boxes With Magnolia Leaves and LED Lights

Magnolia leaves have a glossy green top and a soft bronze underside, and together they look rich and elegant. Mix them with boxwood, then weave a strand of battery LED fairy lights through the box. As the sun goes down, the leaves catch the glow and the whole window looks warm. Magnolia branches are sold at florists in December, and they last a long time in the cold. This look is popular in the South, but it works on any house. Could your windows use a little Southern charm?

You will need: magnolia branches, boxwood stems, a battery LED fairy light strand with a timer, damp soil, floral wire.

How to make it: 1. Lay boxwood in as a base. 2. Add magnolia stems so both sides of the leaves show. 3. Weave the LED strand through and tuck the battery pack behind the greenery.

Mini Lit Trees in a Row

A neat row of little potted trees turns a window box into a tiny forest. Dwarf evergreens and small rosemary trees both work well. Wrap each one in a strand of tiny battery LED lights and tuck moss around the pots to hide them. At night they glow like a row of little Christmas trees. In spring, you can plant the trees in the garden, so this idea keeps giving. It is one of the most charming Christmas window boxes for very little work. How many trees would fit under your window?

You will need: four to six small potted evergreens, mini battery LED light strands, sheet moss, a long window box.

How to make it: 1. Set the potted trees in a row inside the box. 2. Wrap each tree in its own light strand. 3. Fill the gaps with moss and hide the battery packs at the back.

Christmas Window Boxes With Plaid Ribbon Bows

Sometimes the simplest touch makes the biggest difference. Fill each box with plain pine, then add one big plaid bow right in the center. When you repeat it on every window, the house looks pulled together and very festive. Use wired ribbon so the bows hold their shape in wind and snow. Red and green plaid is classic, but buffalo check or tartan in blue works too. This is a great way to get matching Christmas window boxes on a tight budget. Which plaid would you pick?

You will need: pine greenery, wired plaid ribbon, floral wire, a floral pick for each bow, scissors.

How to make it: 1. Make a big bow with long tails from the wired ribbon. 2. Wire it to a floral pick. 3. Push the pick into the center front of each box.

Pinecones and Cinnamon Sticks

For a cabin feel, keep it natural. Fill a rustic box with pine branches, then pile on pinecones of all sizes and little bundles of cinnamon sticks tied with twine. You can gather pinecones for free on a walk, and kids love helping. Brush off loose dirt and let them dry inside for a day first. The cinnamon gives a lovely warm color and a faint scent as you walk by. Do you have a favorite spot for collecting pinecones?

You will need: pine branches, pinecones of different sizes, cinnamon sticks, jute twine, floral wire.

How to make it: 1. Fill the box with pine. 2. Wire the bigger pinecones so they stay in place. 3. Tie cinnamon sticks into small bundles and tuck them between the cones.

Eucalyptus and Silver Bells for a Frosty Look

If red and green is not your style, try a cool, frosty palette. Silver dollar eucalyptus has round, soft gray leaves that look beautiful with frosted pine. Hang a few small silver bells on ribbons so they move in the breeze. The colors work well on blue, gray and white houses. Eucalyptus also smells fresh when you open the window. Christmas window boxes in this palette can stay up through winter after the holidays end. Would you go frosty or classic this year?

You will need: silver dollar eucalyptus, frosted pine stems, small silver bells, silver or white ribbon, damp soil.

How to make it: 1. Add frosted pine as the base. 2. Tuck in eucalyptus so it spills over the edges. 3. Tie bells to short ribbons and hang them from the front stems.

Cardinal Birds and Holly

Red cardinals are a beloved winter symbol, and many people see them as a sweet sign of loved ones who are no longer with us. A few cardinal clip ornaments perched in holly and pine make a window box feel meaningful as well as pretty. The bright red birds pop against the green and look lovely with a dusting of snow. Use clip on birds so they grip the branches. This would be a gentle tribute for someone you miss this Christmas. Who would you think of when you see them?

You will need: holly branches, pine greenery, red berry picks, clip on cardinal bird ornaments, damp soil.

How to make it: 1. Fill the box with pine and holly. 2. Add berry picks in small clusters. 3. Clip two or three cardinals onto sturdy branches near the front.

A Window Box With a Matching Wreath Above

Pair your window box with a wreath in the same window, and it looks like a complete picture. Use the same pine, the same berries and the same red ribbon for both. Hang the wreath on the inside of the glass with a suction hook or on the outside with a ribbon over the top of the frame. From the street, it frames the window beautifully. If you love this coordinated look, our Christmas porch planters use the same tricks by the front door. Which window would you dress first?

You will need: an evergreen wreath, a window box, matching red ribbon, berry picks, a strong suction hook or wreath hanger.

How to make it: 1. Fill the box with pine and berries. 2. Add a bow to the wreath in the same ribbon. 3. Hang the wreath centered above the box.

Christmas Window Boxes for an Apartment Balcony

No windows with boxes? A rail planter on a balcony works just as well. Hang a long planter box on the railing with sturdy brackets, then fill it with pine, berries, a few small ornaments and a strand of battery LED lights. It brings Christmas cheer to an apartment and looks magical from the street at night. Make sure the box is firmly attached and light enough for your railing, and check your building rules first. Christmas window boxes like this are perfect for renters. Would your balcony look this cozy?

You will need: a rail planter box with secure brackets, lightweight potting mix, pine, berry picks, small shatterproof ornaments, battery LED lights.

How to make it: 1. Attach the planter firmly to the railing with brackets. 2. Fill with light potting mix and greenery. 3. Add berries, ornaments and LED lights, keeping everything light.

Gold and Cream Window Boxes With Old Money Style

For a quiet, expensive look, skip the bright colors. Fill your boxes with lush cedar, a few white silk roses, cream velvet ribbon and small gold ornaments. It looks like the window boxes of an elegant city townhouse, but the supplies can come from the dollar store and the craft aisle. Silk flowers hold up well in cold weather. Keep the palette to three colors for the most polished look. This style also pairs beautifully with a simple wreath on the door. Is this the look you have been dreaming of?

You will need: cedar greenery, white silk roses, cream velvet ribbon, small gold shatterproof ornaments, floral picks, damp soil.

How to make it: 1. Fill the box with cedar so it drapes over the edge. 2. Add roses in small groups. 3. Finish with ribbon loops and gold ornaments wired to picks.