Building a DIY greenhouse is easier than it sounds. This design is simple, plus you can take it down and store it when it’s not in use. If you’ve always wanted to learn how to build a greenhouse for your garden, this is for you!
Ever since I started gardening, I dreamed of having a greenhouse of my own. Because Minnesota has such short summers, I never got to spend as much time in the garden as I wanted to.
A few years ago, my husband helped make that dream a reality by designing and building a DIY greenhouse for our veggie garden.
I was thrilled! It has been amazing to be able to work in my garden for several months longer than I could without it.
Now, I want to share that design with you, so you can build your own greenhouse too. With it, you will be able to beat the cold, and extend your growing season too!
My DIY Greenhouse
The best part about having this homemade greenhouse is getting a HUGE jump on the gardening season – we’re talking months here.
A snowstorm in March? Freezing temps in October? Bring it on Mother Nature! I’ll be in my greenhouse.
In fact, about a month after we put it up the first year, we had a late spring snowstorm.
While a fresh layer of snow (8 inches!) was falling outside, I was inside of the greenhouse, happily planting seeds in my garden! Can you believe it?!
It’s amazing how warm it gets inside there, even on cloudy days. We put our DIY greenhouse up in January or February every year, and the snow starts to melt inside of it right away.
Our Greenhouse Design Plans
There are tons of different greenhouse design plans out there. But we couldn’t find one that was easy enough for any hobby gardener to build themselves.
So, my husband created his own design. The goal was to make it out of materials that are easy to find, simple to work with, affordable, and lightweight.
This DIY greenhouse isn’t meant to be a permanent structure, though you could leave it up year round if you wanted to.
But we designed it to be something we could easily take down during the summer, and store in the garage when it’s not in use.
Related Post: Easy DIY Overhead Sprinkler System For Greenhouse Irrigation
How To Build A Greenhouse
This DIY greenhouse design is pretty straight forward, and would be an easy project for any handy person to build.
The great news is that all of the materials you will need to build your own greenhouse (besides the plastic film) are readily available at any home improvement or hardware store.
Supplies Needed
You don’t need any fancy or expensive supplies to build a greenhouse with this design. Heck, you might already have some of this stuff on hand. Here’s the list of materials needed…
- 6 mil clear greenhouse plastic
- ¾” PVC pipe
- 1″ PVC pipe
- 1 ½” PVC pipe
- ¾” PVC elbow 45 degree
- 1″ PVC crosses
- 1″ PVC tees
- 1 ½” PVC tees
- ¾” – 1 ¾” stainless-steel hose clamps
- ½” #4 rebar
- 8″ steel folding ring spiral ground anchors
- 10′ x 1″ ratchet straps
- Plastic spring clamps
- Concrete blocks
- 1/4″ nylon solid braid rope
- 3/8″ nylon dock line double braid rope
- PVC solvent cement
Related Post: Beginner’s Guide To Cold Frame Gardening
What Kind Of Plastic To Use
Greenhouse film is specifically made to hold up to the elements, like wind, rain, snow, and sun.
So whatever you do, do NOT skimp on the greenhouse film, and buy some cheap plastic instead.
Cheap plastic (like the stuff you could get at a home improvement store, for example) will not last for more than one season.
It will become brittle, and then tattered and ripped to shreds in the wind in only a few short months.
Quality greenhouse film will last you for several years, and it will be much, much cheaper in the long run (and much easier to work with too!). Here’s the plastic film that I recommend.
Download The Greenhouse Building Plans
I absolutely love my greenhouse, and would never attempt to garden in Minnesota again without it! I’ve had it for several years, and it has had no problem standing up to the test of time.
If you love our DIY greenhouse design too, and want to build your own, click the button below to download the detailed step by step instructions right away!
Interested in building a greenhouse of your own?
Click the “Buy Now!” button to purchase your step-by-step instructions.
How To Build A DIY Greenhouse PDF
More DIY Garden Projects
- How To Make Sturdy DIY Tomato Cages
- How To Build A Squash Arch For Your Garden
- How To Make A DIY Zen Garden In Your Backyard
- How To Make A Raised Garden Bed Using Concrete Cinder Blocks
Share your tips or design ideas for how to build a greenhouse in the comments below.
Carole says
Wondering how your greenhouse has held up and what, if any, modifications you’ve made. We’re having to make some updates to our purchased small greenhouse frame and I’m trying to look at all options, hoping for both simple and effective (probably no such thing!).
Amy Andrychowicz says
Our greenhouse has held up very well. The frame is very sturdy, and we haven’t made any modifications to the design. Good luck figuring out how to fix yours!
Amy Benham says
I LOVE this Amy! I want a greenhouse soooo bad. I showed it to my husband last night. Can you share some pics of the door part? I would really like one and love the ideal of putting it over the "garden area" so that you can still plant in the ground. Awesome job!
Amy Andrychowicz says
Thanks you! If you look closely at the photos, you’ll see that the doors are sheets of plastic. They are made out of the same plastic film as we used over the top of the greenhouse frame.
Amy Benham says
What an awesome ideal! Cuts down on cost and time, and it is still easy. I sure hope I can talk my husband into making a greenhouse for me come fall. Our temps are so warm here that I was out gardening today!
Amy Andrychowicz says
I hope you can talk your husband into building you a greenhouse too. Mine says it really wasn't that hard. Isn't it nice to be able to get out into the garden in February? Good for you!
Michael Hayes says
Having a greenhouse really does allow anyone who loves gardening to do more of what they love by extending the growing season. A 8 to 16 mm polycarbonate glazing will allow gardening through the winter by adding a small heater. Great job by your husband to build the greenhouse.
Amy Andrychowicz says
Thank you, I’ll tell him you said so! 🙂 Yes, having a greenhouse has been a game changer for me! I absolutely LOVE it!
Julie says
Wow!!! That is incredible and very big too 🙂 I can't believe how easy you make it look! Nicely done, hubby!! I'm looking forward to seeing many pictures of the progress inside the greenhouse.
Amy Andrychowicz says
Thank you! It really wasn’t that hard, and he had fun doing it! I can’t say enough how much I love it!
susan morrow says
I have a green house that I made from an old dog kennel I had. I keep a large black trash can with water in it. It absorbs warmth from the sun and radiates it to the plants at night. Right now, I do not have running water outdoors. But I keep a plastic trash can and bucket near the downspout of my house to catch rainwater. You might have to start out by hauling a few buckets of water, but I have found this method very handy…Enjoy your greenhouse.
Amy Andrychowicz says
That’s a great idea! Sounds like a win/win for both creating extra heat in your greenhouse at night, and also for making watering easy. Thanks for sharing!
Sissy says
How wonderful!!! I hope you don't get substantial snow- I don't think the poly would hold up!
Amy Andrychowicz says
Oh yes, we can get a LOT of snow here in MN! When my husband designed this greenhouse, he added in vertical support poles to reinforce the frame in the event of a heavy snow or rain. They are easy to remove when not needed. I also go out there a few times during heavy snowstorms, and brush it off the top to make sure it doesn’t get too heavy for the frame.
Tommy says
ohhh that greenhouse is sweet,I love it…
Amy Andrychowicz says
Thank you, I love it too!