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Mini cold frame

Grow seeds or cuttings during the cooler months with this easy-to-make cold frame.

Build a mini cold frame

Weekend DIY with Mark Rayner - Project 67

Difficulty level: Moderate

You will need:

25mm exterior screws, 40mm exterior screws, 90mm decking nails,
50mm x 25mm treated timber (approx 2.5m),
240mm x 45mm treated timber cut to the following lengths: 800mm (x2), 400mm (x2),
Acrylic sheet measuring 890mm x 400mm,
Drill and drill bits, exterior hinges with screws (x2), exterior PVA glue, hammer, paintbrush, pencil,
Resene Lustacryl tinted to Resene Pipi, Resene Quick Dry, sandpaper, saw, screwdriver, tape measure.

To get the look: Mark painted the background shed wall with Resene Lumbersider tinted to Resene Blake.

Other ideas: For a pale green effect paint the cold frame with Resene Lustacryl tinted to Resene Soft Apple.

Step 1

Step one
Assemble the four pieces of 240mm x 45mm timber to form a rectangular frame, as shown, fixing with exterior PVA glue and 90mm decking nails.

Step 2

Step two
Measure, mark and cut the 50mm x 25mm timber into two pieces measuring 900mm and two pieces measuring 400mm. Mitre the corners, as shown, and smooth any rough edges with sandpaper.

Step 3

Step three
Assemble these four pieces together to form a smaller rectangular frame, as shown. Fix at each corner with exterior PVA glue and 40mm screws, drilling pilot holes first.

Step 4

Step four
Apply one coat of Resene Quick Dry to both rectangular frames and allow to dry.

Step 5

Step five
Apply two coats of Resene Lustacryl tinted to Resene Pipi to both rectangular frames, allowing two hours for each coat to dry.

Step 6

Step six
Attach the piece of acrylic sheet to the smaller frame, as shown, carefully fixing with 25mm screws. Again, drill pilot holes first.

Step 7

Step seven
Fix the lid of the cold frame to the base using the two hinges, as shown.

Step 8

Step eight
Carefully drill 4mm holes in the acrylic sheet at each corner and halfway along each edge – this will ensure any water drains away.

› Download a PDF of this project

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