How to make a hoop house for your garden & seedlings

Get your materials from a home supply store. *A pickup truck is helpful, but we managed to get all of these supplies into a small car without killing anyone or causing a wreck.

Cut one 8' 2x4 into two 4' 2x4s. Assemble wood pieces into 8x4' floor base using screws & drill. Attach 5 metal PVC braces evenly on outside of 8' sides - 2 braces on edges, other 3 at 32" increments.

Slide one side of PVC pipe inside the metal bracket, bend and insert into opposite side. Go down the line sliding all 5 PVC pipes into their places into brackets.

Use a plastic cutter or saw to cut top-mounted PVC to proper length (8 ft). Then attach top-mounted PVC piece to center of hoops using plastic cable ties (add duct tape if desired; we just used ties).

Unroll 1st fold of plastic sheet. Lay plastic from end to end of hoop house, dropping to ground on both ends. Extend 18" out from ground on both sides, then cut with scissors. Clip sheet to PVC pipe.

Carry hoop house structure to desired position in yard. If using for seedlings, we recommend putting down a bag of cedar mulch to help maintain steady temps, moisture + control unwanted bugs & slugs.

Place seed trays inside, leaving room for person to step in. For extra heat add plastic bags with active compost (2 bags in photo are full of compost that naturally heats itself during decomposition).

Close or open sides & ends when desired to let in sun, air or pollinators. To reinforce/hold plastic sheeting to ground, we simply used wood logs. You can go more high-tech if desired.