Step by step woodworking project about mini-greenhouse plans. Building a small cold frame is a perfect opportunity to grow vegetables and flowers by yourself, if you want to supply your family with fresh and juicy products every morning. Building a small greenhouse is not enough for a varied harvest, but it is a good start to gain experience and to learn the basic gardening techniques.

You should always adjust the size of the mini-greenhouse to your needs and plan everything from the very beginning, before starting the actual construction. As you will see in the project, any person with basic carpentry skills can get the job done, if you follow the instructions and invest in quality materials. Therefore, use cedar, pine or redwood, as these materials are resistant to decay and moisture.

Building a mini greenhouse

Building a mini-greenhouse

Materials

• 1 – 5 pieces of 1×4 lumber – 48” FRONT AND BACK WALLS
• 2 – 6 pieces of 1×4 lumber – 22 1/2” SIDE WALLS
• 3 – 2 pieces of 2×1 lumber – 7″, 2 pieces of 2×2 lumber – 10″ POSTS
• 4 – 2 piece of 1×1 lumber – 48″, 2 pieces of 1×1 lumber – 22″ LID  

Tools

• Hammer, Tape measure, Carpentry square
• Miter saw, Drill machinery, Screwdriver, Sander, Router
• Safety Gloves, Safety Glasses, Respiratory Mask

Time

• One day

Mini Greenhouse Plans

Building the frame

The first step of the project is to build the  frame of the cold frame. As you can see in the image, we recommend you to attach 1×4 slats to the corner posts. Cut the slats at the right size, align them at both ends, drill pilot holes and insert the galvanized screws into place. Work on a level surface, if you want to get a professional result.

Attaching the side components

Continue the project by attaching the slats to the both sides of the mini-greenhouse. Use a circular saw to cut the top slats at angle, making sure you don’t damage the wood. Add waterproof glue to the joints, if you want to get rigid frame.

Attaching the lid

Building the lid for the  mini-greenhouse is a straight forward project, if you use quality materials and make sure the corners are right-angled, by using a carpentry square. Attach 1/4″ poly-carbonate sheets to the lid, before attaching it into place. Work with great care and with good judgement, in order to prevent costly mistakes.

Installing the hinges

As you can see in the plans, you should align the lid at both ends and lock it to the frame with metal hinges. Use quality galvanized hinges, as they will be in contact with moisture and even snow.

Mini-greenhouse plans

Last but not least, you should take care of the finishing touches. Therefore, we recommend you to check if the components are locked into place properly and if the lids open properly. Make sure there are no protruding screws or sharp edges. Moreover, the components should be installed properly, making sure the are no gaps between the slats.

PRO TIP: Fill the holes with a good wood filler and smooth the surface with medium-grit sandpaper. Apply several coats of paint or stain over the components, in order to protect them from decay.

This diy project was about mini-greenhouse plans. If you have enjoyed the free project, we recommend you to share it with your friends, by using the social media widgets.