How To Build Your Own Greenhouse from Plastic Bottles

Here’s a great practical project for the whole family – turn used plastic bottles into a greenhouse, and then enjoy the chance to grow some of your own food once you’ve finished. Some of the heavier construction work is probably going to be adults-only – or older kids at least – but there’s still plenty that can be done by smaller children and the basic idea can be adapted to make everything from a small cold frame to a really sizeable greenhouse. It’s a particularly good project for schools or large groups – but even with dozens of willing hands, it’s a big undertaking, so it’s not going to get done in an afternoon!

Getting Started

Clearly, the first thing to do is collect the bottles. Two-litre clear plastic bottles are the best to choose – but remember, if you’re planning on a full size greenhouse, you’re going to need 1,000 or more, so don’t waste any time getting started.

The bottles will need to be washed, have their labels removed, tops discarded and then have their bottoms cut off with a pair of scissors, in readiness for use. A little appropriate supervision may be called for here, since quite aside of the scissors themselves, the cut surfaces can be surprisingly sharp too. It’s probably a good idea to do this as you go along, rather than wait until you have the whole lot to do at once, which is probably going to be a bit of a daunting task, not to mention tiring!

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