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How To Make and Sell DIY Greenhouses Online

10 min read

DIY greenhouses are super fun and easy project you can probably start making with stuff you already have around the house.

Making and selling greenhouses is a great idea for starting your own business. Choose a greenhouse layout that you can make yourself, and when it is ready, launch an online store. Once it’s ready, you can start selling greenhouses online.

These DIY greenhouse ideas might also make amazing products for an online store, so if you’re ready to start a fun and cheap DIY project, you’ve come to the right place.

Here’s what we’ll cover:

  • Three fantastic ideas for making a DIY greenhouse
  • How to get your store up and running
  • Two ways to market your online greenhouse store

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Number One: The Umbrella DIY Greenhouse

This cheap DIY greenhouse uses a clear, plastic umbrella and a round planting container. Yes, that’s it. This is a really easy and cheap option that’s perfect for building a low-cost but beautiful greenhouse. Plus, you can use this idea as a starting point for more customized designs.

How to get started

You’ll need a clear plastic umbrella and some sort of container to hold your greenhouse’s dirt and plants. Then, simply add the dirt and plant the seeds.

Next, open the umbrella part way so the metal ribs release but the clear plastic stays loose. Finally, push the umbrella’s handle into the center of the dirt and position the umbrella’s ribs and canopy to cover the planter, forming a sort of dome over the dirt.

And you’re done! This easy DIY greenhouse is low-cost and a great starting point for customized designs.

How to customize your DIY umbrella greenhouse

If you want to sell DIY greenhouses online, adding custom designs is a beautiful way to make your product more unique. Try painting flowers, butterflies, or other garden creatures on the plastic canopy for an easy and fun touch of personality.

Number Two: The Recycled Container Mini Greenhouse

This DIY greenhouse option is a low-cost way to offer online shoppers their very own DIY greenhouse kit. Plus, by using recycled materials, you can help out the environment along the way.

How to get started

Start by collecting a variety of clear plastic containers that have lids. Some egg cartons might fit the bill, but you can also keep an eye out for take-out containers or empty baked-good boxes. This is a good option for making a mini-greenhouse, so focus on smaller containers. Next, you’ll need to provide some seeds and dirt. You can use the plastic container as a holder for these items during shipment.

Finally, include a set of instructions in the DIY mini greenhouse kit. Set-up is pretty easy for this one, so you’ll just need to explain how to add the soil to the container, plant the seeds, then close the lid.

Be sure to look up your location’s shipping rules! In some cases, you might not be able to ship certain seeds or dirt — especially if you’re shipping internationally.

How to customize your DIY recycled container mini greenhouse

Just like the umbrella DIY greenhouse, adding cute designs to the plastic container is a fun and cheap way to add a personal touch. You could also make your mini greenhouse more unique by offering designs customized to your customer’s preferences.

Number Three: The Wooden Frame DIY Greenhouse

This last one takes a bit more work, but it also gives you the chance to make an amazing design of your very own. You’ll need some wood for the frame and some sheets of thin plastic, but then it’s really up to your imagination.

How to get started

Since this DIY greenhouse can really be designed however you want, it’s a fantastic option for making a really customized design. That also means it’s a great option for selling online since some shoppers don’t want to spend their time on a more complex DIY project.

Start by making a greenhouse frame with your wood. This could be on the smaller side or bigger depending on your goals, but be sure to think about the shipping process when you design your greenhouse if you’re planning on selling it.

Next, use the plastic sheets to cover the walls and ceiling of your frame while leaving an opening flap to access the dirt and plants. Don’t use the plastic sheeting for the floor though, you’ll want to cover that with wood or some other more durable material.

How to customize your wood frame DIY greenhouse

The design of this DIY greenhouse is super customizable from the start. If you don’t have any style ideas, try starting with a basic, four-wall design before thinking about more unique structures.

How To Sell Your DIY Greenhouses Online

Now that you have some DIY greenhouse ideas, it’s time to think about selling them. There are two easy options for selling your DIY greenhouses online:

  1. Nation-wide ecommerce
  2. Local pick-up

Here’s what that means. First, you could sell your DIY greenhouses through an online store that ships to customers outside of your local area. Second, you could make an online store that lets local customers pick up their DIY greenhouse from a certain location. (You could also offer both options, but we’ll talk about that in a moment).

How to start selling online

Selling your greenhouses online is as easy as launching an ecommerce store. And with Ecwid, that’s really easy.

You’ll need three things to get started: A store name, your products, some pictures.

After making an account and entering details like your store name, you’ll need some pictures of your product. Try adding pictures of your DIY greenhouses on a simple, single-color background so customers get a clear idea of what they’re buying.

Next, you’ll need to enable local pick-up or national shipping depending on your goals. If you’re selling several types of greenhouses, it might be a good idea to enable both options. That way you can offer local pick-up for bigger greenhouses and shipping for smaller ones.

Not sure how to set up delivery or pick-up for your store? This article can help.

How To Market Your DIY Greenhouse Store

Your DIY greenhouse store is up and running, so it’s time to think about marketing.

Online stores have two easy and cheap marketing options: Online ads and in-person ads.

How to use online ads for your DIY greenhouse store

Online ads include social media posts, and that’s a fantastic place to start for this kind of business. Try posting visually pleasing pictures of your DIY greenhouse with hashtags relevant to gardening and DIY projects. If you’re ready to launch paid ads, use Ecwid’s marketing guides to get started (they’re free)

How to use in-person ads for your DIY greenhouse store

In-person ads can help you connect with local customers — which is really helpful if you’re focusing on local pick-up instead of nationwide shipping. Try visiting gardening conventions or set up a booth at a local market. To tie in online marketing techniques, you could also use local social media groups that focus on DIY or gardening projects to spread the word (just be sure you’re allowed to post advertisements before you get started).

Get Going!

Making a DIY greenhouse is an easy and cheap way to add some plants to your daily life and maybe even make money online. So get going! It’s a fantastic time to get started!

Discover DIY craft ideas and learn how you can sell them online.

 

DIY ideas
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Decorations
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Cat Trees
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Coffee Tables
Bookshelves
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Fidget Toys
Pull Up Bars
Cat Toys
Garden Gnomes
Squat Racks
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About the author

Max has been working in the ecommerce industry for the last six years helping brands to establish and level-up content marketing and SEO. Despite that, he has experience with entrepreneurship. He is a fiction writer in his free time.

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