How to make a Mini Greenhouse

Does anyone else have a penchant for anything that is miniature? I have always loved conservatories and greenhouses, but seeing as they are normally quite large and would take a lot of effort to build and maintain, I had a thought to create my own mini version! With the popularity of indoor plants rising and the troubles some of us have in keeping them alive, how about keeping the smaller and more delicate ones in a mini greenhouse instead?!

Greenhouses are a great tool to keep tropical plants warm and happy, create a mini-environment for plants to thrive in, and also help cuttings to grow! I put a mini Parlour Palm in mine, but they would also be great for orchids, mosses, pot belly figs and terrarium plants.

For this DIY you won’t need any power tools, just your craftiness and a bit of maths – but even if you’re not good at maths, I’ll help you with that one too 😉

You will need:

-Square Balsa-wood dowel (mine was 9.5mm thick)
-Overhead projector sheets (available at newsagents / office supply shops)
-Hot glue gun
-Craft knife or other sharp blade
-Cutting surface
-protractor
-double-sided tape

For the base of your glasshouse:

Measure out the length, height and width you would like your glasshouse. Alternatively, I used lengths of balsa that were 24cm, 18cm and 14cm long. For the base, you’ll need-

4 x 24cm
4 x 18cm
4 x 14cm

Once you have cut your lengths, lay out two 24cm pieces and two 18cm pieces to form a rectangle. Make sure the shorter pieces cover over the ends of the longer pieces (see below – this will keep all the ends neater when its finished). Use hot glue to stick together two of these rectangles.

With one of the rectangles laying down, glue each 14cm piece onto the corners so they are standing upright. Once it’s dry, glue the other rectangle on top of these four posts. Flip it upright – this forms the base of your glasshouse.

For the roof:

You will need 1 x 24cm length and 4 x 11.3cm lengths.

If you are using different measurements or want to check your sizings, use this triangle calculator to measure out what lengths you will need for the pitched roof.

Using a protractor, measure out a 45 degree angle on both ends of the 4 x 11.3cm pieces. Cut them so the two ends are both angled inwards (aka you have a long side and a short side).

Glue the four shorter lengths on each top corner of the base, so that they meet in a point at the middle. Add in the 24cm length in between them once the ends are dry.

If you’d like to paint or seal your frame, now is a good time to do it before we put the windows on!

For the windows:

Work on one side at a time. Its a good idea to re-measure your sides, including the frame in your measurements, before cutting out the windows from your overhead-projector sheets. Stick the double sided tape on each outer side of the frame and carefully press the sheets on top. For any edges hanging over the frame, grab some scissors and trim them off. If you’d like to have easy access to your plants, just leave one of the roof panels off. I also left the bottom free so I can easily lift the greenhouse off.

Fill your new greenhouse with the plants of your choice!

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