Savvy gardener creates this amazing DIY greenhouse for just £60
A small budget needn't stop you having the garden of your dreams...
This truly inspirational DIY greenhouse proves no matter how small your budget, you can create the garden of your dreams. The budget greenhouse is the hard work of Elizabeth Bloodworth, proud mum of five from Berkshire.
Thanks to her savvy approach she managed to construct the greenhouse without spending a penny from her own pocket - using free materials and a £60 Amazon gift voucher. Honestly, we're in awe.
More: Brilliant budget garden ideas to boost your outdoor space without breaking the bank!
So just how did she source free materials? Elizabeth explains, 'I contacted a local glaziers and asked them if they had any old windows headed for the skip. Incredibly they let me have all the windows I used – saying it would help them out by saving space in their skip!'
'The windows are all different sizes, which meant I had to design the greenhouse based on them. I did many drawings until I worked out a way to use them all, maximising the light and growing space.'
Using a £60 Amazon voucher, gifted at Christmas, Elizabeth purchased the 14 polyurethane roof panels. 'Other than that the greenhouse cost me nothing. We had CLS timber left over from other projects'.
Thanks to a keen eye for upcycling she already had bits of assorted timber saved for repurposing. Knowing that one day she'd find the perfect project for them.
Even the door, 'I got it free a couple of years ago, and stored it knowing that one day I would use it' she enthuses.
'The greenhouse is clad in pallet wood, another free resource – I love any opportunity to recycle!' she adds.
'We live in a rental property,' she explains. 'So I made each panel separately, which means if we ever move home it can easily be dismantled and taken with us - I don’t want to leave it behind!'.
This element adds to the already incredible value of this garden build.
'I started to run out of timber close to the end of the project' she shares. Determined to make her DIY greenhouse without spending any money, she had to think outside the box. 'I gathered some seasoned branches, cut them to size and used them as structural timber across the back wall.'
This creativity adds a rustic touch of personality, while providing the perfect perch to hang ambient fairy lights!
'It took eight days to build,' Elizabeth tells Ideal Home. 'I’ve always wanted a greenhouse. I used to be a full time gardener and handyperson and we grow as much of our own produce as we possibly can as we have a large family.'
Related: From old bed frame to a smart garden bench – this free DIY job is inspirational!
The complete self-taught DIY pro tells us,‘I have been thinking for some time about writing a DIY book.'
'One that concentrates on the real day-to-day DIY issues – that leave people stumped and get them straight on the phone to a tradesman, at enormous (and unnecessary!) cost.'
We're the first on the waiting list for a copy.
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Tamara was Ideal Home's Digital Editor before joining the Woman & Home team in 2022. She has spent the last 15 years working with the style teams at Country Homes & Interiors and Ideal Home, both now at Future PLC. It’s with these award wining interiors teams that she's honed her skills and passion for shopping, styling and writing. Tamara is always ahead of the curve when it comes to interiors trends – and is great at seeking out designer dupes on the high street.
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