I realized the other day that I posted about my green house and directed you to the crafting for charity event but I never actually shared my tutorial with you. Here is how I turned an updated curio cabinet into a greenhouse!
I originally was going to build one from scratch. But I had a deadline. So I brainstormed about other ways to do it. Curios came to mind because they already have so much glass. Also, most of the indoor greenhouses I have seen have been table top versions. I start a lot of seedlings and wanted something bigger. I found this 6 foot curio cabinet on our local online classifieds for $25.00!!! Yes, it was sadly out of date but it had loads of potential. The shape of it was half of a hexagon so it made sense to me to capitalize on that and cover it in a hexagon pattern. I just love the hexagon pattern!
The first thing I did was cover the glass with newspaper and painters tape.
Then anything that had a shiny finish (except the glass of course), got sanded. I did this because primer and paint will stick better to a dull surface.
Then I primed and painted everything that had been gold.
Next I cut out a hexagon pattern out of vinyl. I used my Silhouette machine but if you do not own a machine, there are places online you can order custom vinyl. Make sure you have your exact measurements for them and maybe even a rendering of what you want it to look like.
Another option (which I almost did) is to cut the pattern out of 1/8 inch plywood with a jig saw.
Or you could even stencil it on. There are a ton of stencil options available at crafts store and online.
Before applying the vinyl, clean the glass well.
Once you have your vinyl (it will be stuck to a clear transfer paper) you need to line it up where you want it and then use something thin, hard, and flat to rub the vinyl. A credit card or a plastic putty knife would work. This allows the vinyl to stick to the glass so that when you pull the transfer paper off, the vinyl stays put. I added the vinyl to the outside of the curio cabinet.
And then fill it with you favorite plants and seedlings and put it in a sunny, cool place.
Do you start your plants from seed? If so, do you use a green house? I would love to hear your thoughts! Now that I have planted all my seedlings, I think I will fill mine with houseplants and maybe some herbs :)
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Wow that looks amazing, what a difference I love the pattern and the all white!!
What an incredible idea – and actually I would even use it still as a curio cabinet lol
It looks gorgeous !!!
LOVE THIS!
Did you put the vinyl on the inside of the glass so it is easier to clean?
If you put it on the outside, is it easy to clean, or would the glass cleaner cause the vinyl to come off?
You are brilliant!!!
Yes, the vinyl is on the outside. I think it would have been really difficult to try to put it in the inside. Thanks for this question. I will update the post to include this :)
Your greenhouse looks great! My house plants needs a better home — at the moment, they are all sitting on the floor of the kitchen!
Are you trying to make me fork out all that $$ for one of those coveted machines?? I think you are because this looks fabulous and now I’m wondering what on earth else this machine can do?? Please excuse me while I go get started on my Christmas list…
Starting seeds requires lots of light. How will you provide the amount of light needed to grow sturdy seedlings?
I placed it in a sunny spot and my seedling did great!
Love this. It could be used for so many things and suit most rooms. I’d like to display some of my ‘Taxi’ shoes in it :)
Stacey, this is stunning…I am seriously in love with it!
This is gorgeous! What a beautiful place to grow your plants! I want one now!
Love this!! So cute!!
Very clever! I love all the repurposing of this project. The hexagon design is great too! Such a lovely piece.
OMG, I have a curio just like this except it is wooden and glass, not brass. I would love to do something like this! Right now it houses my fancy glassware, but I would love to use it to grow herbs or something! What a great idea! We live in humid SC though, so would it work?
What room is the greenhouse cabinet in?
Ok. This is such an amazing idea! I have all these seedlings covering a portion of my countertop. I love that the mirrors would help reflect light to the backside of the plant rather than having to turn it. Love it.
Also not sure if I should pin this to “home” or “garden” board lol
What an inspirational site! Just found you and am venturing outside RIGHT NOW to create my own secret garden! I love that you offer truly easy-to-do and affordable (even for a low-income worker, like me) ideas to enhance what I already have. Thank you.