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Building a Greenhouse on a Budget – Cheap Affordable Outdoor Plant Shelter Ideas

Exploring cost-effective methods for constructing an outdoor greenhouse on a budget can offer an enjoyable and fulfilling experience. Below, you'll find a variety of inexpensive greenhouse construction ideas that enable you to fashion your own plant haven without straining your finances. From utilizing recycled materials to embracing innovative designs, these suggestions empower you to embark on a greenhouse project that not only saves money but also nurtures your gardening ambitions.

Wood Pallet Greenhouse: Repurpose old wooden pallets to create the frame of your greenhouse. Pallets can often be obtained for free or at a very low cost.  You can also use wood Pallets with old windows to create a greenhouse that will cost very little to put together.  If you search for free windows on Facebook, Craiglist and other local marketplaces, you may be able to build an entire greenhouse with little to no material spend.

How we built our beautiful DIY recycled window greenhouse

Recycled Materials Greenhouse: Look for salvaged windows, doors, or even plastic bottles to use as the walls of your greenhouse. This not only keeps costs down but also reduces waste.  Below is a video on a greenhouse made from old recycled bottles.  The bottles worked marvelously to provide additional insulation by trapping air in between the walls of the greenhouse.

Plastic bottle greenhouse tutorial: a rough guide to a free greenhouse!

Hoop House: Construct a simple hoop house using PVC pipes or metal hoops covered with greenhouse plastic. This design is cost-effective and provides ample space for plants.  While it may be tempting to purchase cheap plastic tarps to cover your hoop house, it will not hold up when the winds pick up.  So you will want to pickup some sturdy greenhouse hoop house plastic covering so that your hoop house will not fall apart on you or your plants.

How We Made Our Own Inexpensive Hoop House

Cold Frame Greenhouse: A cold frame greenhouse is a simple structure with a transparent lid that can be opened or closed to regulate temperature. It can be made using scrap wood and old windows.

How to Make A Cold Frame Step-by-Step

DIY Mini Greenhouse: If space and budget are limited, consider building a small, tabletop greenhouse using clear plastic containers or old glass jars.

How to build a Mini DIY Greenhouse

Lean-To Greenhouse: Utilize the existing structure of a building, such as a shed or garage, by attaching a greenhouse to its side. This design minimizes material costs and provides additional insulation.

How to Make Lean-To Greenhouse

Polytunnel Greenhouse: Similar to a hoop house but with a larger footprint, a polytunnel greenhouse is made by bending flexible piping into arches and covering them with greenhouse plastic.

Building a Polytunnel Greenhouse

Straw Bale Greenhouse: Construct the walls of your greenhouse using stacked straw bales, which provide excellent insulation. You can then cover the structure with greenhouse plastic or salvaged windows.

Insights on a Straw Bale Greenhouse

Community Greenhouse Project: Consider partnering with friends, neighbors, or a local community garden to pool resources and share the cost of building a greenhouse. This can make the project more affordable and foster a sense of community involvement.  For high quality, durable greenhouse kits NOT sold on Amazon, rated for high wind, snow and hail, please see our premium solexx greenhouse kits available on our sister website: BestHomeGardens.com

View Premium Solexx Greenhouse Kits not available on Amazon. Buy them at BestHomeGardens.com

Whichever design you choose, remember to prioritize proper ventilation, insulation, and sunlight exposure to create an optimal growing environment for your plants. Note: Below are a few of Amazon's popular Greenhouse kits, if you purchase through our Amazon links below, we will earn a small commission at no additional cost to you:

 

Available for Amazon Prime