DIY Small Greenhouse

Spring is in the air and gardeners near and far are dreaming of a bountiful harvest. If you’re in an area with a limited growing season, like me, you may need to start your garden seeds indoors or in a greenhouse. With limited space in my home for safely pampering baby veggies, I decided to put together an easy DIY small greenhouse for my patio. This space saving do-it-yourself greenhouse will give you a stylish way to keep your sprouts safe outdoors.

Check out the video for the full tutorial

Supplies

reclaimed window or two

lumber (choose your size) just make sure it’s longer than your window or windows

screws

hinges

Reclaimed Windows

Begin your DIY small greenhouse by measuring the width of your windows. Use that measurement plus about a 1/4 inch of wiggle room to trim your lumber down to size.

I used 2×6 boards because that’s what I had on hand, however 1×4 boards would work well too. Use whatever fits into your budget.

Keep in mind that your final product will need to have minimal cracks and openings. Any crack over 1/4 of an inch makes the perfect entry for mice, and mice love seeds and sprouts.

Assemble the Frame

Assemble the DIY small greenhouse frame by stacking two boards in the front and three in the back. Trim a small piece of wood down to size and screw that into the back of you boards to create a front and back wall for the greenhouse.

Measure your window or lay it out like I did to find the width you will need for the sides of your greenhouse. Add a 2×4 to the top of your short front wall. This board will act as a cap for the window lid to rest on as well as a nailer for your side pieces.

Trim the side boards down according to your custom measurement, and screw them into the front and back greenhouse walls. Make sure everything is square as you attach your walls.

Finishing Touches

I added another 2×4 to the top of my back greenhouse wall to cap it off and provide ample space to attach my hinges. Hinges can be a real pain in the booty, but hang in there and attach your windows to the frame. I used hinges like these and they work great. Make sure your windows don’t rub against the sides or each other and open smoothly. Once you achieve this, you are now the hinge master!

I chose not to paint or stain my DIY small greenhouse, but you can finish it as you please. Since I used reclaimed wood, it already had that aged look that I rather appreciate.

Successful Seed Starting

If you want to find out more about how we start our seeds in recycled egg cartons, check out my Egg Carton Greenhouse post!