While the time for popular window box flowers, such as petunias, geraniums, and zinnias, has passed, your window planters don't have to be empty. These mini container gardens add beauty and color to your window frames, filling the outside of your home with even more personality.

With Christmas in sight, it's time to remove dying stems and wilted flowers from your window planters and fill them with holiday cheer and festive decorations. The best part? Winter window planters don't require as much care as their summer counterparts. And once the new year arrives, you can remove a few of the more decorative accents.

These 11 holiday-themed window planter ideas will go perfectly with your home. Plus, they're super easy to DIY!

Pretty Poinsettias

Poinsettias are a popular Christmas plant for good reason. The perennial shrub comes in an abundance of colors, but red and green are most popular around the holidays. Easy to find at any garden center and even grocery stores, you can plant poinsettias in your window boxes alongside greenery and white Christmas lights for a balanced, full, and festive look.

Holly-day Cheer

Dreaming of a holly jolly Christmas? Try adding a few boughs of holly to your window boxes. An evergreen shrub, you can either plant holly directly in your window planters or add a few sprigs and branches to some florist foam for a more polished look. Insert some pine branches in the mix for extra texture and dimension. Finally, add a glittery wreath on top for an extra special touch.

Christmas for the Birds

If you're looking to attract birds to your garden, try adding a few decorative and functional birdhouses and feeders to your window box. Placing the houses atop a bed of pine recreates the look of a birdhouse in a tree, but a sprinkling of snow adds an extra special touch.

You can also paint the boxes holiday colors to add to the festivities or even add in a few DIY "wrapped presents" of burlap, fur, and twigs so that the birds can create cozy nests in their houses.

Classic Red and Green

It's no secret that red and green are the most popular Christmas colors, so why not decorate your window boxes with these vibrant shades? With a few sparkly red bells -- which you can spray paint if you can't find the color you want --, a bright red bow, plenty of pine branches, and cuttings from a red-osier dogwood plant, you can easily make a festive and colorful window planter.

Put a Bow On It

Christmas morning is full of presents ready for unwrapping and shiny decorative bows, so why not add a little festive cheer to your window planters? The color palette is up to you, but you can't go wrong with red and green! Place an abundance of pine branches, large decorative accessories such as Christmas ornaments, and a beautiful big bow to top it all off.

Sparkly Birch

If you prefer neutrals but love a little sparkle, pair your greenery with layered birch branches. You can opt for carefully cut pieces for a cleaner look or an array of different sizes for variety and an eclectic design. Place the branches vertically to add height and depth to the window box. To finish the design, add a cluster of sparkly Christmas ornaments to the center, in your choice of gold or silver.

Cascading Lights

One of the best parts of Christmas is all the holiday lights, so try sprucing up your winter window boxes with a cascading line of glittery outdoor lights. You can opt for a colorful set of lights or a warm white, either of which pairs easily with an abundance of pine branches topped with a lovely Christmas bow.

Berries and Bobbles

If you want to keep things fun and colorful, fill your window boxes with a plethora of evergreen branches, flocked pinecone decorations, brightly colored Christmas ornaments and bobbles, and a few artificial berry stems. This looks especially beautiful against a bright white window box, adding much-needed texture and color.

Silvery Snowflakes

Whether you love a little sparkle or want to add a little snow and texture to your window boxes, decorative snowflakes are a beautiful touch. You can also add a few white ornaments and bobbles or add flocking to the layers of pine to create a festive snowy look. This is perfect if you live somewhere where Christmas tends to be green or if you like to keep things clean and simple during holiday decorating!

Mini Christmas Trees

If your favorite part of Christmas is decorating the tree, keep the ball rolling by planting mini trees in your window planters. There are many dwarf varieties on the market, such as the Tiny Tower Dwarf Alberta Spruce (pictured). Add some Very Berry Creeping Wintergreen around the trees for texture, and they'll cascade from the planter beautifully. For an extra touch, add some tiny Christmas ornaments to the trees.

Berry Bright

If you're not one for classic Christmas colors, spruce things up with some rustic winter berries. You can opt for the artificial kind or trim a few sprigs of berries and branches from your favorite winter shrubs. From there, it's all about personal preference and placement. Using some florist foam, place your sprigs to create a full and colorful window box, moving them around until you're happy with the look.

Time to Spruce it Up!

While design is personal, these ideas are perfect for inspiring your holiday window planter decor. And when making your own, remember to consider your unique style and the look and design of your home. If you prefer neutrals, keep it simple! And if you love color, this is your chance to go all out. Whatever you choose, it's time to fill your planters with holiday spirit!

Do you have any ideas for sprucing up your window planters for Christmas? Share in the comments below!