[ad_1]

It's that time of year when houses sparkle with twinkling lights and holiday yard art turns ordinary lawns into magical spectacles. This year when you plan your outdoor holiday decorating, why not enlist your window boxes in novel ways? Here are ten ideas from Hooks and Lattice for including dormant window boxes in this year's holiday decorating scheme: 

  1. Many garden stores sell small Christmas trees of evergreen, rosemary or ivy. Purchase small topiaries or trees to fit your window boxes. Display them in pairs or alone to make a dramatic impact. Insert them into the boxes still in their pots, allowing you to easily remove them after the holidays.
     
  2. Place large glass ornaments and bulbs in neat piles in your window boxes. Wind strands of miniature white or colored lights through the pile. The balls will reflect the lights adding extra sparkle to your window boxes.
  3. Cover small boxes in bright cellophane wrap and top with pretty bows. Stack the gift boxes in your window boxes for a jolly display. Add miniature lights if desired.
     
  4. Hang stockings on the outside of each window box. Place evergreens in the box and adorn with miniature lights.
     
  5. Purchase inexpensive decorative nutcrackers and line them up in the window boxes. Stand them atop small boxes placed inside the window boxes so they appear completely visible from the street.
     
  6. For a traditional look, fill the boxes with pretty poinsettias and mount a large red or green bow (made from material suitable for outdoors) in the middle of the box's front panel.
     
  7. Fill the box with dwarf conifers or small shrubs such as skimmia or euonymous.  Make a garland from old mittens and drape one across the front of each window box.
     
  8. Fill window boxes with large pinecones. Children can decorate the cones with a roll in white glue and then a pile of shimmery glitter. Add miniature lights for extra sparkle.  
     
  9. Fill window boxes with home made bird treats. Combine suet and peanut butter with cornmeal and roll into balls or form into star or tree shapes. Cover with seeds, nuts and cereal. Create a garland of pretzels, peanuts and cereal tied onto raffia. The birds will eat the good stuff and use the raffia in the spring to build their nests.
     
  10. For a whimsical touch, glue old toys to a foam cone and create a toy tree. Place one tree in each window box. Wind miniature lights around the trees, if desired.

[ad_2]

Source by Brad Gebert