Mini Greenhouse Ideas and Products

The kids were desperate to get their hands into some gardening yesterday, and I was only too happy to oblige. Our youngest boy had obtained some directions for making a mini-greenhouse from a milk bottle and had been bugging me all week to help him with it.

I finally had some free time yesterday and the recycling bin hadn’t been emptied so we had a few spare bottles on hand.

How to Make a DIY Mini Greenhouse 

Step 1. Preparing the Bottle for Planting

We started by cutting the bottom third of a 2L plastic milk bottle (you could use any plastic bottle) and added some potting mix to a knuckle length below the rim.

Step 2. Adding in Soil and Seeds

Once the soil was in, it was time to sow the seeds. The boys decided to plant some chive seeds and the girls opted for coriander. Both seeds had been collected from our herb garden at the end of last season.

They scattered a few seeds on top of the soil and then lightly pressed them. Another layer of soil was then used to cover the seeds and then a final moisture add.

Step 3. Covering the Mini Greenhouse

The final step in the project is to fit the top portion of the milk bottle back over the bottom part. The plastic used in making these milk bottles is quite soft and easily malleable while some other bottles have more rigid plastic and will take some patience to fit it over.

Each of the kids then labelled their mini greenhouses and found a spot in the shed on the window ledge.

The whole project took us about 10 minutes, which isn’t bad with four kids! It was just long enough to keep their interest without drawing out and becoming a protracted slog and it means they now have their own greenhouse to watch and brag about.

I can guarantee that they will be in the shed every day to check their progress and there will be bragging rights for the one whose seeds pop through first.It’s a great little project to inspire your kids with gardening and educate them about an easy propagation technique that they can use later on in life.