Greenhouses let you grow plants in a controlled environment and are ideal for plants requiring special growing conditions. With greenhouses, you can grow out of the traditional growing season and give more protection to seedlings.
Big farmers often consider building greenhouses where one can grow different plants, but setting up a large greenhouse in your space is expensive. However, you do not need a large greenhouse, especially if you use your backyard to grow small plants.
A greenhouse is expensive, and using professional builders will also cost you a lot. However, making a greenhouse yourself is economical and efficient since you can customize the house to your needs, including the space available, the size of the house, and the materials to use.
Looking for suitable greenhouse plans on the internet is difficult, so we did the work by scouring the internet and gathering free plans you can use. DIY lovers will find this guide helpful since the plans are comprehensive with materials and total measurements to make a suitable greenhouse.
DIY Greenhouse Plans
As a DIY enthusiast, building a greenhouse from scratch instead of buying finished materials or employing experts can be fun and rewarding.
You may struggle to find free greenhouse ideas with plans, so we’ve gone deep to collate some free plans for you.
1. Barn Greenhouse
This greenhouse design is styled like a barn and features a wooden frame and corrugated sheets in the lower parts to increase stability and prevent damage from moisture.
The hexagonal barn shape makes it easier for light to reach all parts inside the barn. The plastic greenhouse sides cover the sides and top of the barn.
The barn Greenhouse design is high, so you can grow more trailing plants and have a clean area. However, this design requires an intermediate experience level due to its size and shape.
It’ll also take considerable time and resources, with the corrugated metal sheets raising its overall cost. The plan contains complete information on all materials and measurements to recreate the barn-style greenhouse in your garden.
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2. Old Windows Greenhouse
Greenhouses can utilize some unused materials you have lying around your home. For example, old Windows can cover a lot of space in your backyard and leave hideouts for harmful animals.
You can use these old windows to make a greenhouse for your plants. The idea utilizes wood for the frames, adjusting its size to fit the window size. The roof consists of fiberglass panels which have added strength and durability.
Select windows of similar sizes to ensure the stability of the greenhouse. Typically, the oversized windows will form the walls around the hothouse, while the smaller windows fit on top of the house.
Using kneewall bases correctly supports whatever windows size you choose. This upcycled design will save you a lot of money since you’re not buying the windows as new.
However, this disadvantage is that it’ll be challenging to attain an airtight hothouse. It’ll take intermediate to expert-level experience to handle this greenhouse project.
3. Cedar Branch Hoop House
Your hothouse does not always have to be a gigantic structure in your backyard. Sometimes, you only need a small area on your elevated planting box. A small greenhouse structure is ideal for a small space and when growing a few small plants.
This cedar plant design utilizes the ever-dependable cedar tree as a frame for the greenhouse.
You’ll need a few cedar branches and plastic sheeting. The branches will form hoops around the bed while the transparent plastic sheeting covers the area providing the necessary warmth and light to your plants.
Cedar branches give the set-up a natural look while providing longevity since cedar is a durable plant. However, the structure is not as durable as the cedar branch, so the greenhouse is only a temporary solution for a few planting seasons.
Nevertheless, you can replicate this hothouse without spending a dime if you can source for sheeting material. Also, a complete novice will easily handle this project in a few hours.
4. Dismantled Pallet Greenhouse
Pallets are easy to come by, with some places offering them for free or dirt cheap due to their availability. Utilizing pallet wood for DIY projects will save you a lot on wood and often requires minimal cutting since you can use the pallet size as your frame.
For example, this greenhouse design uses dismantled pallet wood to make the frame of the large structure. Use a duckbill deck wrecker to dismantle the pallets quickly.
The planks from the pallet frame support the windows and door in this greenhouse design. The roof is made of polyethylene UV-stabilized material, while the French casement windows have hinges on the frame’s vertical side.
The design is perfect for an intermediate-level experience DIY lover and may take a few days to complete.
5. A-Frame Greenhouse
Here is another small greenhouse design that sits right on the bed. The frame looks like an- A with an apex and slants on either side.
The apex allows the plant to rise only a few inches since this design is for small plants and beds. You can use old windows, straw bales, or poly sheeting to make each slant depending on what is available.
You will have to make an A-Frame structure for each bed in your garden, making it stressful for more extensive gardens with many beds. DIY lovers with little to no experience can complete this project without stress, especially when using old windows or straw bales.
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6. Rustic Timber Greenhouse
This rustic timber greenhouse design uses polycarbonate sheeting around a wooden frame painted to give a rustic feel to the design.
The sheeting covers the structure from the ground to the roof with a window at the top for air. The sheeting covering this greenhouse makes the overall cost a lot since they are more expensive than plastic sheeting. However, the durability they bring is worth the extra bucks.
Large greenhouses have a lot of advantages as they can accommodate different plant species in larger numbers. A large hot house will also make it easy to reach the plants, since you can enter without bending or crouching.
However, one of the disadvantages is that you’ll need ample backyard space to fit this timber greenhouse with extra spaces around to ensure light enters through this transparent polycarbonate sheeting by the side.
7. Fold-Down Greenhouse
Not many greenhouses have the flexibility of switching between the sheeting cover and open air. Since greenhouses help to regulate weather conditions, there will be times when the outside weather is ideal for the plant.
You can raise this foldable greenhouse when the outdoor weather is perfect for growth. Covering the greenhouse when the weather becomes unbearable is so easy with the PVC pipes and joint attachment holding them down.
This idea uses plastic sheeting and PVC pipes to make a convertible greenhouse structure. It is simple and effective as it allows you to enjoy the scenery of your beautiful garden when the weather is great.
It is perfect for a small garden close to a wall, and any DIY lover, even without experience, can handle the project.
8. Mini Glass Top Greenhouse
This idea utilizes a small box and a glass top to provide a controlled environment for your seedlings to grow outdoors. The box size means you can only grow seeds into seedlings and transplant them after.
Protecting these seedlings and ensuring harsh weather does not harm their growth is essential; this simple greenhouse design is so effective.
Placing the box on a small garden bed for your seedlings is one of the most effective uses of this greenhouse design. You can use any old box or make a new box with a few pieces of wood.
The glass area will require careful arrangements since this will also serve as the door or window.
9. Raisable Hoop Greenhouse
Hooped greenhouse design does not always have to be permanently fixed, as you’ll see with this design. Instead, it can be flexible with a raisable frame that allows you to lift the hoop and close it depending on the weather condition.
This way, reaching the plants for watering and weeding is also easier. This design is flexible and gives room to work around a small garden.
The hoops are made from PVC pipes fixed on a frame attached with hinges on one end. A large weave wire mesh under a garden cloth or plastic sheeting ensures the stability of the cover.
Strong winds and larger pests will find it difficult to break the barrier. However, it’ll only take a few hours for a DIY lover with an intermediate skill level to complete.
10. GeoDome Greenhouse
A greenhouse becomes vital to extend your growing season in cold and windy areas. A greenhouse design like this geodome idea utilizes a circular shape that is not unique and beautiful but also functional.
In addition, the geodome design will overcome strong winds as there won’t be direct pressure on any of its joints.
The shape, the number of joints, and the design make it harder to make and should be left to expert DIY lovers. Special care should be taken when constructing the greenhouse to ensure the stability of the structure.
The lightweight structure will help to boost stability. Portability and removability are some of the properties that make this idea great.
11. CD Case Greenhouse
One of the most creative designs on our list is this greenhouse idea from old CD cases. You’ll find this helpful idea if you have old CD cases or can easily find some.
Apart from the base plate, CD cases, and glue, you’ll hardly need any significant material for this greenhouse. However, remember that the idea requires a lot of patience when cutting angles and gluing the pieces together.
Get enough CD cases for this design and ensure to wash them clean before starting. Making this design may take several hours to complete, but it requires minimal experience, as a novice can handle the project. In addition, having a second helping hand can speed up the process.
12. Upcycled Bottle Greenhouse
Gather all the old bottles in your home for this Upcycled bottled greenhouse idea. This inexpensive design upcycles old bottles and uses them to make mini greenhouses on each plant in your garden.
You’ll require large bottles to provide enough room for each plant to grow. By simply cutting the base of the bottles and placing them over the plant or seedling, you can increase the area’s temperature and make it more conducive for plants during the winter.
It is easy to replicate this design, and a complete novice can do this in minutes, depending on the size of the farm and the number of plants to cover.
The design is also great for those on a budget, as you won’t have to spend a dime helping the climate by utilizing some harmful plastics in the environment.
13. Greenhouse with Loft
This gigantic greenhouse structure features a greenhouse, a sleeping loft, and solar panels powering the building on the roof. It uses insulated wood frame windows and doors with glass.
This design has so much going on as it appropriately manages the space available by doing more than a greenhouse.
This greenhouse’s materials, size, and structure mean you’ll need a lot of money to compete. It requires expert-level DIY experience to handle this project, including a building license from your local authorities.
You’ll also spend several days completing this project; however, the final results give you much flexibility to enjoy.
14. 8×8 Cedar Greenhouse
Making a solid greenhouse that will stand the test of time lasting for several years is easy with cedar wood. Cedar is durable, so this design utilizes its strength to make an 8×8 greenhouse. The body and door are made from cedar wood, with its natural wood color bringing a striking look to the otherwise green area.
The front is built with a slant and covered with sheeting material to allow light to enter the greenhouse. Building this design requires expert-level experience due to the shape and materials for the project.
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Final Thoughts
Greenhouses increase your growing season by providing a conducive growing environment for your plants. Building a befitting greenhouse will require a few retrospections to determine the right design.
The size of your backyard, plant type and size, and your experience level and resources, among other things, should be considered before choosing a greenhouse plan.
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