10 Cheap and Easy DIY Mini Greenhouse Ideas You Can Make Right at Home

Greenhouses are a great way to engage in gardening and growing plants out of season. It is an excellent choice for those who love being around plants. If you have limited space around your home, you can consider getting an indoor greenhouse.

The best part about getting an indoor greenhouse is that these portable greenhouses are so affordable. You can simply make them right at home using easily available materials. Mini greenhouse provides the right atmosphere for plants to grow irrespective of the weather outside. If you are clueless about how to start making one of these, read on to know more.

1. CD Spindle Case Mini Greenhouse

Here is how you can make a mini-greenhouse using a CD spindle case. Though it sounds unbelievable, trust me, it totally works. The video shows a pea plant germinating in a couple of days. You can later move it to a garden once they outgrow the container.

How can you make one:

Look for an empty CD spindle case. The bigger the better. Cut a small hole towards the center of the case. You can also drill a few holes in the case. This is for proper ventilation. Then you can find a small pot. Add in the seeds, water, and compost. Water them regularly. A couple of days later, you should find them sprouting. This can be a perfect set up for seeds to grow. You could also try growing miniature ferns. This could be the right start for growing plants. Once they get too big for the case, you can shift them to your garden.

2. Plastic Bottle Greenhouse

Ever wanted a greenhouse so bad? What if I tell you, you could make pop up greenhouses or patio greenhouse using plastic bottles. Tough to believe. Yes, you can use old plastic bottles and make amazing small greenhouses with them. They are the simplest greenhouse that you will ever make.

How can you make one:

You will definitely have tons of empty plastic bottles lying around. All you need to do is to take off the cap. Then, cut out the bottom part of the bottle. That’s all that you require. The set up makes a warm atmosphere for a variety of plants. You can grow peppers, tomatoes, and eggplants as well. Make sure that you take a bigger plastic bottle. This will ensure the plants have a larger growing space. You can make a soil basin at the bottom such that the water can seep through.

3. Plastic Cup Mini Greenhouse

This one can be a great activity for kids. The plastic cup tabletop greenhouse is a super simple way to grow plants at home. You could create a kid’s activity session and engage them in it. The materials required for the tiny greenhouse include clear plastic cups, dry seeds, potting soil, knife, and painters tape.

How can you make one:

Take a clear plastic cup and fill it halfway with soil. Make sure you drizzle some water over the soil. Do not add too much water to make it sloppy. Take another clear plastic cup and poke three holes using a knife. Add seeds to the soil. Once done, tak the cup with holes and place it bottom-up. You can use painter’s tape to secure it in position.

This will hold the cups in place. Place your indoor greenhouse DIY near the window. Make sure there is enough sunlight for the seeds to sprout. After three or four days, they will start sprouting.

4. Umbrella Greenhouse

Umbrella greenhouses are a great seed starter. They form the right environment for seed sprouting in cold climates. The materials used in making the greenhouse tent is quite simple. All you need is a large wine barrel and an umbrella. The larger the size of the barrel, the larger space you will grow your plants.

How can you make one:

The first step is to find the right container for your mini indoor greenhouse. As mentioned above, you can use a wine barrel that is large enough for your desired plants. The next step requires you to prepare the soil. You can create a compost that will be nutritious for your future plants. Make sure they have enough moisture for the seeds to germinate. The soil should not be too hard for the seeds to grow. Look into these factors as well. Then you can go about planting your seeds. The best thing to grow in this set up is baby salad greens.

They grow in abundance and can save you tons of money as well. You can use old umbrellas as a cover to the mini greenhouse. Using umbrellas are a great idea since you can easily open the cover anytime to water the plants. You can also check over the plants or give them some sunlight when required. Do not forget to water the plants regularly as rain won’t do that for you.

5. Picture Frame Greenhouse

This is quite an interesting way to get creative. This balcony greenhouse is pretty attractive and simple to build. You can choose to place this greenhouse outdoors as well as indoors. Once it’s done, you will be thrilled with the beauty of the piece. You can grow your own herbs, flowers, and mini plants.

The picture frame greenhouse requires very little materials to build. You will not have to spend a ton of money on it. All you will need to make this indoor greenhouse with lights are four large-sized frames and four smaller frames. You could also buy some fancy lights to put over the greenhouse. This is the best small greenhouse you can build. The small indoor greenhouse can be built in less than $10.

How can you make one:

Once you are done with the purchasing, let us get started with building the small indoor greenhouse. Remove the cardboard section from the back of the frame. You can get picture frames of any color. You can choose multiple colors as well. If you have paint, you can go ahead to paint the frames. The next step requires you to secure the glass to the frame. Make sure to add the right amount of hot glue as you would not want the gum to stick out.

Once the glass is in place, but the greenhouse together. Stick the frames altogether. You will get a large square in the end. Once you have the base ready, then you need to create a roof. Take the smaller frames and again use hot glue to create a roof shape.

6. Plastic Container Mini Greenhouse

We all have a few plastic cartons lying around at home. Why not put them to good use? While some plastic containers are disposable, there are others that can be reused. Create a miniature greenhouse right at home and grow plants of your choice. The materials you will need to make a DIY indoor greenhouse are a clear plastic container, potting soil, and seeds.

How can you make one:

First, you need to wash and dry the plastic container. Once dry, fill the 3/4th container with soil. Then, plant the seeds as directed. Make sure to water the soil to moisten it up. You can use a spray bottle for me watering the plants. This will make sure that you don’t go overboard with the water. Then you can close the lid of the container.

You can place the greenhouse indoors or outdoors as per the weather. Place the container near the sunlight for the seeds to sprout. Once the plants outgrow the container, you can simply take off the lid. These small plastic greenhouses are a great start to growing your own plants.

7. Old Window Mini Greenhouse

If you live in a place where the weather isn’t too favorable, you can consider building a mini greenhouse from old windows. These greenhouse cabinets provide the right conditions for plants to grow well. This greenhouse is very easy to build. It has a hinged lid for easy access to the plants. You can buy extra gardening tools that will help you in the same. Some of them include cordless mower and cordless hedge trimmer.

How can you make one:

The first step to building an indoor greenhouse using old windows is to collect the items required for the same. You can easily get old windows at any flea market or use them if you have any at home. You will need a total of 5 windows. The four windows will form the base while the fifth one will rest on the top. If you have flaking paint, you sandpaper and smoothen the surface. However, if you like the look of the worn window, you can keep it as it is.

The next step will require you to take help from someone. Take the old windows and using a drill or drive, you need to secure them together. Attach the four windows similarly. Finally, place the final lid on the top. Fix it in such a way that you can remove it as desired. Tape the glass with painters tape. You can also paint the exterior of the greenhouse. Find a sunny place to set up the kitchen greenhouse.

8. Cedar Branch Mini Greenhouse

This DIY cedar branch mini greenhouse can literally last you forever. If you have rot-resistant trees like cedar, make the best of them and make greenhouses. This kitchen greenhouse can be built anywhere. You can determine the size of the greenhouse as per your wish. You can add a cheap and affordable plastic sheet as a cover to the mini greenhouse.

How can you make one:

Cut six curved branches from a cedar tree.  Cedar is one of the best options since they have rot-resistant properties. Look for branches that have a curve to them since that’s the shape we want. Next, you need to sharpen the ends and trim all the branches to the same length. The design has three hoops.

Place the branches into the soil and push them into up to 3″ apart from one another. Also, make sure that your soil is soft enough for the branches to go in easily. You can moisten the soil a bit to loosen it up. Then you need to pull the opposite branches and secure them using strings. You can use a braided nylon string that will last for years.

Finally, take the clear plastic cover and spread it over the branches. When the climate is sunny, you can take off the cover to expose the plants to sunlight. However, if it is too cold, make sure you put the cover on for added warmth.

9. Ice Cream Stick Mini Greenhouse

This mini greenhouse can be built along with your kids. It’s too much fun and can also be a great way to teach your kids how to grow plants. This DIY consists of using a simple ice cream stick to create your own mini greenhouse. This is perfect for miniature plants or herbs. You could also have this set up for seed starting.

How can you make one:

First, you need to start collecting the materials. Start with the ice cream sticks. If you have them at home, it’s great. Else, you can also purchase them from stores. Get some glue and a clear plastic cover. Then you need to first build the base. Create a frame for the mini greenhouse using the ice cream stick. You can also make use of a hot glue gun to create a cubical shape. Once done, cover it up with a clear plastic cover. Now you only need to add in the soil and plant the seeds. Water them regularly and make sure you look at the temperature too.

10. Egg Carton Greenhouse

Who said greenhouses need to be big in size? If not anything, you can even build your greenhouse in an egg carton. If you want to make one of these, read on.

How can you make one:

All you need is an egg carton, soil, seeds, and a plastic cover. Fill up the egg cartons with soil. Add in the seeds and water them. It is an excellent way to grow some herbs or miniature plants. You can choose to grow herbs at once and label them so that you know the difference.

Conclusion

So finally, here are 10 of the simplest greenhouses you can build right at home. They are easy, super affordable and a great activity for your kids. We hope you liked the list. Let us know which ones would you try and your favorites too. It’s never too late to start building something.