This kit is for personal use ONLY. Please do not copy, distribute, or sell any part of this design or the instructions without my permission. Greenhouse Kit @2022 Jacqueline Smith
Before you start your new kit, think about how you will want to decorate it. You can paint the greenhouse, paint the greenhouse and glitter it, glitter just parts of the greenhouse like the roof, use the kit pieces as a guide to cut out decorative paper that you can glue onto the greenhouse, or just leave the greenhouse white for a modern look. If you leave any portion of the greenhouse as unpainted cardboard, I suggest spraying with a matte acrylic sealer like Krylon or Modge Podge Sealer.
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Suggested Material List . . .
- Pre-cut kit has been cut from white 100 lb cover cardstock or cardboard. The wheelbarrow and shovel are cut from 90 lb cover cardstock.
- Windows are cut from clear acetate.
- Aleene’s Fast Grab Tacky Glue. I put it in a bottle with a thin metal tip. If you are new to making kits, you may want to use Aleene’s Original Tacky Glue as this allows more time for you to reposition your pieces if you make a mistake.
- Multi-surface satin finish acrylic paints in your color choices. I find that if I use the multi-surface paint I do not need to gesso the cardboard first. Two coats are usually required.
- Glitter: Extra fine glitter or extra fine iridescent glitter and Spectra Glitter Sparkling Crystals (mixed 50/50) and Modge Podge. I like to apply the Modge Podge with a foam brush to one side of the greenhouse at a time, glitter, then move on to the next side. You may like your greenhouse glittered with only the extra fine glitter, but I like adding a slightly chunkier glitter to it too.
- Tim Holtz Texture Paste or Tim Holtz Distress Grit Paste to make stonework or brick floor or trim. Grit paste will make your stonework look rougher or more craggy than texture paste.
- Stencils to use with the texture paste to make stone or brickwork. Be careful to buy stencils that fit the scale of your greenhouse. For stone walkways I like to use the Stampers Anonymous Tim Holtz Mini Set #28 Stencils. For bricks I have had trouble finding a stencil in the correct size so ended up making my own. I have since been told that the Honey Bee Salvaged Bricks stencil works well too.
Kit Pieces
Constructing the Greenhouse
1. Fold each of the pieces on the score lines. Glue on the front door. Two different style of doors are provided for you to choose from.
2. Glue together the two body pieces of the greenhouse.
3. Add the bottom trim as desired. I used trim cut from brick PDF paper that I printed on my own printer. The brick PDF file can be found here. Cut off any excess trim. Or you can add brick or stonework trim using a stencil and texture paste.
4. Add the acetate windows. Remove one side of the attached film before gluing each piece onto the building. Once the glue is dry, remove the film from the other side. The acetate is larger than just the window area. This allows the acetate to help stiffen the sides of your building.
5. Glue in the attached shelves, making the bottoms flush to the bottom of the building. The shelves help to square up the building.
6. Glue the trim pieces onto the sides and the top of the roof. You can either attach the top trim pieces to the roof by gluing them to the top of each side of the roof peak, and then gluing the top of the trim together. Or you can glue the two pieces of the trim together, then glue to the very peak of the roof. Hold it until the glue dries enough that the top trim piece doesn’t shift.
7. Now glue your acetate onto the underside of the roof. The acetate is designed to be just wider than the openings. Since the roof is designed so that it can be lifted if you want to add more items to your greenhouse, this helps to hold the roof in place. Remove one side of the attached film before gluing each piece of acetate onto the building. Once the glue is dry, remove the film from the other side.
Constructing the Shovel
Glue the two pieces together, then use your fingernails to cup the head of the shovel. Paint as desired.
Constructing the Wheelbarrow
Fold each of the pieces. I find that painting them all before gluing together is easiest.
Place a dab of glue on each of the seams of the wheelbarrow and press them together.
Glue the folded handle piece to one side of a wheel. Glue the second wheel on top of the first.
Glue the wheel and handle onto the bottom of the wheelbarrow.
Glue the legs onto the bottom of the wheelbarrow.
Make Dirt and Mulch
The dirt is made from used coffee grounds and the mulch from used tea leaves. Bake them at 250 for 25-30 minutes. You can also add some of the tea leaves to your coffee grounds to get a different looking dirt. Vary how much of the tea leaves you add to your coffee grounds depending on how leafy you want your dirt to be.
Enjoy making your greenhouse!! I would love to see your finished design. Please share a photo with me by emailing me at Jackie@acottageintheforest.com.
Examples for Inspiration
Greenhouse by Cheryl Sablotny. Cheryl used a stencil and texture paste to make the stonework trim on the building and the stone steps. Tutorial on how to use texture/grit paste can be found here.
