This IKEA Hack Turns Cabinets Into Stylish Mini Greenhouses – Here's How to Make Them Work for Your Plants
A mini greenhouse can create a microclimate that will keep your houseplants happy and healthy. Learn how to use a stylish IKEA cabinet to help your plants.
Keeping houseplants happy can be a chore, especially if you live in a drafty old house like I do. It’s a constant battle of making sure they have the right humidity levels and don’t get a sudden cold snap next to a chilly window in the winter.
Sometimes the best houseplant care means stepping up your game. That’s why I am excited to try out this IKEA cabinet hack and make a mini greenhouse for some of my pickier plants.
Instead of buying a fancy mini greenhouse, people all over the internet are DIYing the task with the help of some chic cabinets from IKEA. I found some of the best cabinet options for this hack and have a few tips to make your new greenhouse successful.
Best Cabinets for Mini Greenhouses
MILSBO glass cabinet is taller at 5 feet 9 inches (175 cm) so it will fit plenty of gorgeous houseplants. It also features adjustable shelves and comes with a lighting outlet at the top so it is ready for grow lights right out of the box!
This glass door cabinet comes in a moody blue or a cheery light yellow and has a clear glass top which makes it easy to use grow lights without modification. The shelves are height adjustable so you can fit all your favorite plants and show them off in timeless style.
IKEA offers two sizes of FABRIKÖR. The single door option is perfect for smaller spaces and comes in pale green and dark gray.
This simple beauty comes in a brilliant ultramarine or classic black and also features a lighting outlet. I love that this metal and glass cabinet has a shelf underneath which could conveniently store your watering can, extra soil, and fertilizer.
How to Convert a Cabinet Into a Mini Greenhouse
You can easily convert these metal and glass cabinets from IKEA into mini greenhouses that will show off your houseplant collection in style. A few simple tweaks to upgrade your new cabinet into a perfect greenhouse include adding a grow light and a temperature and humidity monitor.
Houseplants are often tropical and desire the higher humidity levels of their natural environment. Many plants thrive in 60-70% relative humidity, but you might not want to live in a swamp just to keep your plants happy! I personally love this Govee combination thermometer and hygrometer which can be found on Amazon. It’s inexpensive and allows you to keep track of everything going on in your greenhouse.
Grouping plants together and enclosing them can help retain some of the moisture they lose through transpiration. A pebble tray is another easy way to add more moisture to the air. And the addition of a small humidifier like this portable mini humidifier from Amazon can further boost the humidity levels in your new greenhouse.
The most important thing to remember when making a mini greenhouse is to group plants together that have similar care needs. A collection of succulent plants won’t do well in a humid environment with a prayer plant. Your plants should also have similar lighting needs. A bright LED grow light is perfect for succulents or growing dwarf tomato plants, but will be too much for a monstera.
Making a mini greenhouse can help you control the environment for your beloved houseplants ensuring that they thrive through every season. (I’m adding that gorgeous dark blue FABRIKÖR cabinet to my Christmas list this year!)
