Easy Winter Window Box DIY with Faux Greenery
I used to plant live boxwoods, juniper, and pine this time of year. I would try to finish my winter window boxes in late October or early November. The last 4-5 years, instead of shopping to find live plants (which always seem sold out by the time I get to it), I resorted to realistic faux greenery… that way the boxes aren’t empty all winter long until April. If you’re interested to see how I assembled my winter window planters, click through! I’m linking everything and am sharing the faux greenery I used, which is pretty convincing. I’m glad I found an alternative and was able to make it work. They look lush, layered, and classic… and the best part? Zero maintenance. No watering, no worrying about freezing temps, just easy, elegant winter curb appeal. Let me walk you through exactly how I pulled these together so you can recreate the look at home!
If you missed our shed build, check out this post! I get a lot of requests for a link to buy the shed or pre-fab kit, but I’m proud that we built this ourselves to fit our needs and aesthetic. It’s a fun post, if you’d like to go back and see how the shed came to fruition!
Why Choose Faux Greenery for Winter Window Boxes
After experimenting with both live and faux greenery over the years, faux has become my unexpected winter MVP. Here’s why:
- It lasts through harsh weather… wind, snow, and freezing temperatures don’t faze it.
- No watering or upkeep, which feels like a luxury in the middle of January.
- It’s reusable year after year. Mine still look new, after five years of use.
- You can create structure and fullness without relying on the availability of winter plants at your local nursery.
- These are easy to style- especially if you mix different textures, like cedar, pine, fir, juniper, and boxwood.
What You’ll Need for This Project
I’ll be sure to link everything for you below. To create full, realistic window boxes, gather a mix of faux greenery stems and a few anchor pieces:
- Realistic faux cedar or juniper topiaries
- Faux boxwood picks (perfect as a dense base layer)
- Faux pine branches or pine sprays
- Faux fir stems for added texture
- Smaller pine or cedar picks for filling gaps
- Floral foam, soil, or packing peanuts to stabilize stems
- Outdoor zip ties or wire
- Optional: ribbon, pine cones, winter berries, or battery-operated light
Click directly on each item within the collage to shop!
01: faux wreath (similar) // 02: ribbon // 03: faux potted juniper // 04: faux potted cedar // 05: faux pine pick // 06: faux pine branches // 07: faux branches // 08: faux boxwood bush
I bought a random assortment with good reviews and everything ended up looking pretty nice in person. I have three boxes to fill every year; all are attached to the shed. Here’s my step-by-step process…
Step-by-Step: How to Style a Winter Window Box with Faux Greenery
1. Prep the Window Box
Once my summer florals die off at the end of October, I empty the window boxes completely… soil and all. You can also opt to keep the soil to help anchor stems. These have had live plants nestled inside them, so they could use a good cleaning. However, given the cold temperatures, I just go for it and deal with cleaning the boxes (and windows) in the spring. Filling the empty boxes is the main concern, because let’s be real- everything is going to be covered in snow soon, anyway.
2. Anchor Your Biggest Pieces First
I set up a folding table in our yard, unbox everything, and get started. I always like to begin with the largest plants first. Start by placing larger topiaries or taller sprays toward the back, I try to create height and shape a silhouette that frames the arrangement. I place the boxwood picks first, because they’re on the larger side. The boxwoods were budget-friendly and weren’t quite as convincing as some of the other faux greenery, but it did make for an excellent base. They really just act as filler. I’m probably more sensitive to their overall look & feel as well, because we have boxwoods planted directly beneath the window boxes… therefore it’s pretty obvious which is real and which is faux, since it’s essentially a side-by-side comparison. On their own, they’re great!
3. Add Texture and Fill In Gaps
Now that the fuller greens created a dense foundation, tuck stems tightly together, letting some spill over the front for a natural, cascading effect. Then, add some of the smaller and individual pieces of greenery anywhere the arrangement needs depth or movement. Mix in pine, fir, and any long-needle picks you have. Vary the length and angle. I just shoved it in haphazardly, but if you’re having trouble criss-crossing the branches to firmly secure them, you can always use florist foam or recycled packing materials to fill your planter boxes before adding greenery… that way the ends have something to stick into. Just keep layering until you get the look and fullness you’re aiming for!
4. Secure and Fluff
You may want to secure the arrangement by using zip ties to fasten smaller branches to heavier stems. Then fluff the branches & greenery. In nature, evergreens don’t grow perfectly straight, symmetrical, or uniform, so be sure to bend them in all directions to soften edges for a more realistic look. I’d also recommend bending a few of the branches downward to break the grid and make the planter box look more full… so it tapers over the edge.
5. Style with Optional Seasonal Touches
I also pulled some old faux wreaths out of storage to adorn the windows… because why not, it’s the holiday season! They make our shed look so charming. I kind of wish we would’ve thought to put holiday lights on the shed (since it’s looking cute for Christmas), but maybe next year. You can keep things winter-neutral or lean into holiday by adding some of these ideas:
- Satin ribbon or a bow
- Soft white holiday lights
- Subtle winter berries
Designer Tips for a More Realistic Look
- Mix at least three types of greenery for a layered, high-end result.
- Don’t skip the downward drape- it softens the entire arrangement.
- Avoid symmetry that feels too perfect; offset heights for visual interest.
- Choose UV-resistant greenery to prevent fading through the season.
FAQ
Layer multiple types of stems, bend branches naturally, and mix tones and textures. Avoid anything too shiny- matte greenery reads more like the real thing.
Absolutely… just choose UV-protected, outdoor-safe stems. Mine have held up beautifully through heavy snow, high winds, and freezing nights. This is our 5th or 6th year using these.
Insert stems deep into soil or florist foam, then use zip ties or wire to anchor taller pieces. This keeps everything in place through storms.
Yes! Fresh pine or cedar can be added for fragrance or seasonal flair. Just place the live greens toward the front and replace them as needed.
Related Posts
Looking for more winter DIY and styling inspiration? I’m going to link some reader favorites below.
- How to Make an Orange Topiary Centerpiece for the Holidays
- Timeless Holiday Greenery You’ll Use Every Year
- Holiday Mantel Styling: 5 Classic Looks
- My Go-To Resource for Custom Holiday Cards
- Classic Holiday Cookie Boxes & Packaging Ideas
- 10 Holiday Front Door & Porch Decorating Essentials
- Amazon Christmas Tree Review (Styled 3 Ways)
- 20 Ways to Decorate with Ribbon This Holiday Season
- Equestrian Inspired Christmas Tour: Living Room
- Classic Monochromatic Gift Wrap
- Annual Holiday Gift Guide
I’m really pleased with how these turned out, and I’m especially happy that the planter boxes are no longer empty. Are they the real thing? No, but they look really nice. Emmett is equally as impressed with the switch to faux greenery… saving us from planting, replanting, and watering. These have held up well and I think it’s a great solution. Creating a winter window box with faux greenery is one of the easiest ways to elevate your exterior during the cold months. It’s classic, low-maintenance, and adds just the right amount of charm when everything else outside feels dormant. I hope this inspires you to give your own window boxes a little seasonal refresh- tag me if you create one! I’d love to see what you put together.
Let me know if you have any questions about the faux greenery in the comment section below! I think we’re finally ready for the snow to start falling over here. We’re officially entering holiday mode in our household.
Good morning, good morning! How nice that you had a surprise guest for the holiday. I always love adding one more place at the table. Our Thanksgiving was a lovely success! So much scrumptious food and lively conversation in a sparkling setting. We even fielded a few suggestions for next year’s theme!
As for your planter boxes, they look smashing! You definitely have the most charming shed in the west! Although real plants are beautiful, I have to concur with Emmett on this one. If these faux plants survive the elements, why not make this your annual look? Winter plantings are severely limited, so you’re not really losing variety, right? To my way of thinking, you’re already going above and beyond to fill your window boxes for the snowy season. Why not save a little effort and money at the busiest time of year? The arrangements look full, festive and totally convincing! Your mix is splendid, and I especially love the pine cones. I wonder how the deer will feel? If they’re anything like Jason, they might just chomp on them anyway!🤣
I’m happy to hear you had a busy weekend at Tuesday Made! I couldn’t resist snagging a few treasures for myself! You really have curated the most wonderful selection. Here’s to a festive & bustling week!💜🎄🎁
Hello, hello! It was so fun to have a surprise guest this year! I love hearing that your Thanksgiving was also a success. I’m envisioning your beautiful tablescape, and know it had to have been a show stopper. So fun! I can’t wait to hear about next year’s theme. Thanks for your kind words about our shed :) I really do love it! I always feel like the winter plant selection is limited, and the timeframe for snagging them is so short. I think this could be an awesome solution! We’ll see how it holds up this year, but I’d love to repeat this treatment next year. From afar, you’d never know the difference, so I’m cool with it. Funny you mention the deer- I pulled into the driveway from work this evening to catch a couple of deer sniffing it. None of them were tempted to take a bite. I’m sure they’re not thrilled about my planter choice, but in all fairness- I did give them all of the pumpkins from my porch last month. Haha! Jason cracks me up! I love hearing about his shenanigans. It has been so fun at the Tuesday Made shop lately- definitely feeling festive! We boxed up your order today… thank you again for supporting our small business! That was so thoughtful of you. I love everything you selected and can’t wait to hear your thoughts :) Here’s to a great week ahead! xox
Good morning Sarah! Ahhh it’s lovely to be back to the typical morning routine. We had a lovely Thanksgiving, filled with way too much food, but it was nice to have everyone together again. You’re not the only one late to the fall planting game. My outdoor pots should have been planted in the beginning of October. I will say, we are severely lacking any hope of winter here-we are still having temperatures in the 80’s during the day, although the chill has set in at night. I may be able to plant them anyway if this continues-it’s likely we won’t experience a frost this year. Your boxes turned out perfect, and hey, if it holds up to the elements, why not?? It certainly is a lower maintenance and water-wise option! My mother-in-law has used faux for her planter boxes for many years now (they look nowhere near as realistic as yours) and she swears by this tactic, haha! I’m so happy to see the shop in full holiday mode; I snagged the taupe ginger jar ornaments for myself this year, and they did not disappoint! Pictures really don’t capture just how beautiful they really are! I can’t wait to put up our tree. Alas, we will be extremely late to the holiday decor game-our tile and carpets are being professionally cleaned the first weekend of December, but I’m looking forward to taking advantage of the situation and rearranging some of our spaces. Perhaps a different take on the everyday will inspire my holiday decorating. I’m all other aspects we are ahead of the holiday hustle and bustle, and looking forward to this season’s festivities! Cheers to a productive week ahead!
Hi Lauren! I love our morning routine :) It’s nice to be back, chatting with you! I’m so glad to hear your Thanksgiving was a good one. These past two weeks have been so weird, in regards to weather. It has been warm here. Today it was nearly 60! So crazy. I’m crossing my fingers for snow. I feel like October felt more seasonally appropriate than November. It’s fun to hear your mother-in-law is also on board the faux plant train for her window boxes. I wasn’t sure how they’d turn out, but from afar- you’d never know. I’m just happy I don’t have to look at empty boxes all winter. Ha! I loved seeing your order come in! Thank you again for shopping small with us- that means so much. I appreciate it! Super exciting that your carpet and tile is being professionally cleaned- definitely a valid reason to to rearrange, decorate, and style. I’m all about doing the holidays in our own way, in our own time- whatever feels right on any given year! I would appreciate some cold weather to kick off the festive spirit over here though. Here’s to hoping! Have an amazing week, friend! xo
Happy Monday Sarah!! So glad your shop is hustling and bustling! You have so many beautiful and well curated items. Your planter boxes look great! I think the faux plants look very realistic and make for easy winter upkeep. We had planter boxes in Minnesota many years ago and we used fresh cut greens which didn’t last all winter. Love your faux plant idea especially the potted plants. Brilliant!
So glad your Thanksgiving was full of food, friends and a surprise family guest. I got smart this year and made a lot of my dishes the night before which made for a less stressful day. We missed our son but glad he has recovered from his illness. I made a care package of soup and food and sent with his girlfriend.
Looking forward to the season and festivities and all your posts. Have a great day!
Hi Danna! I hope your week is off to a good start :) Thanks so much for your kind words. It has been a fun few weeks at the shop- I’ve loved wrapping up everyone’s holiday packages! Even though it’s not what I normally do- I have to say, I like the look of the faux plants and love that they’re maintenance-free. I’m with you on making food the night before! I only had two things to make the day of… and Emmett is always in charge of deep frying our turkey (that was my dad’s family tradition before he passed). It always makes for a less stressful and relaxing holiday! I’m so glad to hear your son is feeling better. You’re the best mom for sending him a care package- so sweet of you! I’m glad his girlfriend was able to join you. I’m definitely feeling the spirit of the season. Here’s to a fun and thoughtful December ahead! xo
Welcome back Sarah!
I’m so glad you had a fabulous Thanksgiving and had some well deserved time off with your family! It’s actually my favorite holiday and I always treasure time with my family and friends ❤️
Your shed looks so beautiful, it actually looks like a super cute cabin nestled in the woods. Our cottage is probably not much bigger 😂 I love your faux wreaths and planter boxes, they really dress it up and I think you should definitely reuse them every year.
We are way behind this year in winterizing our patio. The pool is closed but that’s it, the leaves just finished falling last week and we have much leaf cleanup to do. Not to mention store all our patio furniture and guess what it snowed yesterday so now everything is covered in a blanket of snow 🙄 Ha! Now we have to wait for it all to melt. Andrew has been back and forth to our cottage ( 7 hour drive each way) managing contractors so progress is being made just not at home 😬 we also have a new shed but it never occurred to me to decorate it. What an awesome idea.
I’m glad to hear you have been busy shipping orders for Tuesday Made. Yay! I must say the woodland candle is getting me in the holiday spirit. Ive gotten lots of compliments on the banister but haven’t made any progress anywhere else yet. And now it looks like Christmas here with all the snow so I guess I better the house decorated this week cause I’ll need to work on the outside as soon as this snow melts. Ha! I’m doing everything in reverse order this year 🙃
Have a super amazing day! Thanks so much for another inspirational post 🌲
Thanks, Colleen! I also really enjoy Thanksgiving. It was so nice to relax, play games, eat good food, and just spend quality time with loved ones. It’s one of my favorite traditions! I wish our shed were a cabin in the woods or perched up on a mountain- how cool would that be?! It’s definitely filled will tools, lawn equipment, and a whole lot of junk… not very cute on the inside. Haha! I’m pleased with the exterior though- I love pulling into our drive to that view on the corner of our property. We still have some more leaf cleanup to do (that seems never-ending around here), but we felt so unorganized and late to winterize this year. I think the weather has been messing with me. When it’s super cold, I feel rushed and eager to check things off the list, but lately it has been unseasonably warm and I haven’t felt the urge or pressure to get things done outside. It snowed at your house?! I know that’s annoying for you and Andrew, to clear out and store the patio furniture, but I have to say- I’m a little jealous. I’ve been not so patiently waiting for a good snow over here. It almost hit 60 degrees here today- so weird! I love hearing about your cottage progress- that’s so exciting, though definitely a bit of a drive (worth it!). I love hearing that you’ve been enjoying the Woodland candle. That one is my favorite. You decorate for the holidays in whatever order feels right and inspiring to you! There is no timeline, no rush, and I’m in favor of doing it your way :) I hope your week is off to an awesome start! xo
Sarah,
Quick question for you as we look to replicate the look at our home. What sort of quantity of each of the faux items did you buy? And whats the rough size (length & width) of window boxes. I hope you dont mind if we try to steal your look. Its very chic and would look great here at our colonial in Westchester. Many thanks!
Zack
Hi Zack! I’d be so flattered. It’s definitely far less maintenance than the real thing, and I like that it looks good all season long. Our boxes are roughly 3 feet x 1 foot. For the faux items, I bought 3 of the cedar topiaries (one for each box), 2 boxes of the boxwood picks, 2 sets of the highland park pine (6 total), 2 boxes of the pine needles, and 1 box (35 pieces) of the small pine picks. I hope that helps! Happy Holidays :)
Hi, I followed your guidance and my winter window boxes look spectacular. I usually spend much more for fresh greens every year, which didn’t look as nice as the faux composition you shared here. I’m thrilled I can pack these away in March and reuse. I live in a beautiful neighborhood of historic brownstones in NYC and window boxes are key here. Thank you so much for sharing the specific details, especially Amazon links. Happy Holidays.
Wow! Wish I had seen this before Christmas! Lovely.
Thank you, Dottie! Hope you had a happy holiday season!
Where did you get the window boxes on this post? The are the type I have been looking for. Thank you
Hi Chip! I got ours from here: https://www.hooksandlattice.com/meddecora-window-boxes/?sku=509B-30-BR-HWW&utm_term=&utm_campaign=&utm_source=adwords&utm_medium=ppc&hsa_acc=2722522540&hsa_cam=20182547258&hsa_grp=&hsa_ad=&hsa_src=x&hsa_tgt=&hsa_kw=&hsa_mt=&hsa_net=adwords&hsa_ver=3&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAAD_vpTD0EqmFEzdI2NHdMyfgsT1q8&gclid=CjwKCAjwodC2BhAHEiwAE67hJJlAjzBKZUIvChtgzFQvnr_HlmymK8h0WUvaz1e3mdCt4Z23J2aIxhoCMokQAvD_BwE
Hi! I’m looking to do this in Seattle so thank you for posting! How did they hold up for the winter? And have you been able to use them for multiple years? Or just one? Thank you for sharing!
Sure thing, Erika! These hold up really well during our snowy Utah winters. This is our 4th year using the same faux plants and they really haven’t faded too much… so definitely multiple years of use! Hope that helps.