33 DIY Grow Boxes to Control the Growing Environment

A DIY grow box will provide you with a self-contained grow space that will enable you to grow healthy, productive plants year around. When creating a homemade grow box you can also build it to the exact size and specifications that you need.

Use a DIY grow box to grow exotic plants, flowers, vegetables and herbs. Great for use in a tiny apartment or basement, the light and warmth generated by a homemade grow box can grow any size of plant, from seedlings to mature plants.

Look over these 33 DIY grow boxes we have compiled for you that will show you different styles and instructions on how to build a grow box with materials you may already have on hand.

You may also like to see our other articles: diy led grow light. and diy grow tent

1- Large Grow Box by Instructables

The first one we have is a basic design ideal for a school project that might be assigned to your children. Simple and inexpensive to create, this homemade grow box by Instructables can promote the growth of both seedlings and mature plants at the same time.

These building plans will show you how to build this design in any size needed so your student can get a perfect grade on the school project and you can enjoy fresh, healthy plants.

2- Build DIY Grow Box From An Old Dresser

You can make an unobtrusive and stealthy diy grow box out of an old dresser like this one by hailmaryjane. This is a good repurpose idea you can make, a great stealthy and hidden grow area that fits into the kitchen or living room without being a big, bulky mess like most grow carts.

Here are step by step instructions to build a stealth homemade grow box out of an old dresser.

• Disassemble all the drawers from dresser except the top shelf that will be used for exhausted fans.
• Attach one of drawer’s bottom to the front of dresser.
• Use a partition wall in the middle with a hole cut out for a 120 mm fan.
• Cut hole in the top shelf of flowering chamber for 2-120mm fans.
• Cut Four pieces of wood and screwed them at the floor.
• Make floor of vegetable and flower chamber from left over drawers, insert some hole and coat it (vegetable sec) with panda film.
• Next prepare lights on scrap 1/2″ board.
• Fix lights and exhausted fans in the flower and veg box.
• Attach door with hinges and install glass in the veg box. Now switch on lights your grow box is ready.

3– $10 Cardboard And Aluminum DIY Grow Box

This DIY weed grow box guide on Youtube will show you how to make a grow box easily and effortlessly. We recomend this grow box to those who have a small budget.

The materials that are needed to make this diy grow box is 2 large-size cardboard boxes, aluminum fol, a hot glue gun, and an Exacto knife. All you need to do is, First, the foil is attached to the cardboard’s inside part. Cardboards are then attached in order to make the box. After set up, the “door” is cut out. Even though it is not shown in the video guide, you will need to install a carbon filter, fan, and LED light too.

Even though this particular DIY grow box may not last long, it is the most budget-friendly and low-cost. So, it definitely worth a try.

4– Turning Wardrobe Into Grow Box

This homemade grow box project on youtube is perfect if you wish to incorporate it into the room design stealthily. From the outside, it just looks like a regular wardrobe. However, the system that will be designed helps you to grow cannabis.

We will see at the beginning of the video guide, the tools and materials that you will need in the process are shown. The drawers underneath the wardrobe are used as a reservoir.

As the building process starts, the DIYer does the work slowly, and also explains the details on the way. He installs carbon filters and fans on the top compartment. The LED light is then simply added to the wardrobe.

The white walls of this grow box are very beneficial because of their reflective properties. The fan pulls the air and takes all the warm and moist air out.

This DIY project is not hard to do and can be built with minimal experience. As a result of the work, you will get a large-size, fully-equipped, DIY stealthy grow box.

5- Repurpose An Old Tool Chest Into DIY Seedlings Grow box

This is a super sleek way to make good use of an old tool chest such as this diy grow box by instructables . You can even find them all over the free section of craigslist. You can even install it high as a grow-cabinet.

Below are short step to build seedling grow box from junk tool chest.

• Remove the doors,casters and hasp lock using screw driver and hammer.
• Drill hole for 3 exhaused fans,lights and power switch.
• Line the inside of box with tin foil or mylar.
• Install the Fans, Switch & Wiring the 12 Volt System.
• Install 55 watt bulb on top of box.
• Install the 120 Volt Wiring.
• Remove the little peg board and paint the box.
• Put some veggies or herbs seedlings and watch them growing.

6- A Large Marijuana Grow Cabinet For The Serious Grower

This diy grow cabinet plan by growweedeasy might be a bit pricier, but if you can get a lot of the materials for free it won’t set you back as badly. This grow cabinet is designed to be super stealthy and grow your plants from start to finish, all while looking like a large storage cabinet. We suggest this grow box to someone who needs to grow plants in a larger volume.

7- File Cabinet Grow Box

Build your own grow cabinet the easy way by recycling an old metal file cabinet such as this one by Imgur. This idea will save you money and keep an unwanted file cabinet out of the landfill.

The drawers allow easy access to the plants growing inside the recycled grow cabinet so they can be tended to and harvested. The file cabinet can be re-painted to match home interior decor, used as a lamp stand or as a side table in any room. No one will know there is something growing inside of a recycled file cabinet.

8- DIY Grow Box Made From Recycled Personal Computer

Create a stealthy grow box from an old personal computer tower such as this one by Hunker . Non-working computer towers are easy to find and easy to transform into a DIY grow box. These free plans will show you how to strip out all the interior components of a computer tower (except the fan) and add a grow light to create a stealthy grow box that will still look like a computer tower, but grow plants like an expensive grow box. No one will suspect that you are growing living plants inside of the recycled PC tower.

9- Use An Old PC To Build A DIY Grow Box

This is a pretty genius way to make your seedling grow box look like your PC tower. Complete with a method of removing scent, this is an ideal starter grow box plan by 420magazine for those who’ve never done anything like this before. You can skip the carbon filter if you use it for growing something else too of course.

Following are simple steps to build this pc diy grow box.

• Remove all the components of pc.
• Drill holes for light fixtures and use duct tape to seal the fan.
• Use the sand paper and paint the inside of pc.
• Attach the “standard e27 light fixture with cords on the roof of pc and direct the wiring to the back.
• Screwed in the “LED full spectrum light bulbs.
• Cut the wiring of phone charger and connect it with the pc fan wiring.
• Mount the pc fan on the back of pc and add CO2 filter materiel on the backside of fan.
• Connect standard e27 light fixture and fans to multi socket plug.
• Place the timer and switch on the system.
• Put some growing fixtures, plant seeds and water it.

10- Another Great DIY Stealth Grow Box Build For Cheap

This is another great instructables for an all-inclusive quiet grow cabinet at instructables website.

11- An Adorable Woodworking Project

Even for a beginner woodworker, or if you’re working with a child, this little grow box by Putyourshovel would be a fun project. It would even work great as gifts! Designed to be set in the light cart, and then taken outside with ease, you can start your seedlings in this diy box and grow them on simply.

12- A Large Yet Stealthy DIY Grow Box Perfect For The Serious Hobbyist

The box plan by forum on this one calls for a little more spending cash, but the ease of use and years you’ll get out of it would make this a worthwhile investment. Very well thought-out!

13- Gorgeous DIY Stealth Armoire Grow Cabinet

This idea would place your diy grow box like this one on reddit right into your home without a second thought from the outside. The build is incredibly slick, and it’s designed to grow again, from start to finish without having to move plants or have more than one grow apparatus.

14- A Simple and Cheap DIY Grow Box For Finicky Plants

For those of us that live in areas where it gets really dry, this little diy grow box by Danman1453 can make growing humidity loving tropical an easy breeze. A little built in light completes this box! Would also be ideal for propagation- with cuttings and starting difficult to germinate seeds.

15- Make a Built-in with this idea!

This weed grow box by Marijuanagrowing would work well, as the instructions state, for housing properly trained mother plants. You can make this diy grow box a permanent fixture of your home, stealthily keeping your mothers happy and hidden.

16- A Simple PC DIY Grow Box Build Idea

This indoor grow box tutorial by Gardenguides won’t take you a lot of time or money, and would work great as a hidden method of growing your own pot.

17- Here’s a Basic DIY Grow Box that’s Easy to Start with

A simple method of building a grow box like this one by Greenmanspage makes an easy project for someone who’s new to building with these materials, or for someone who’s never made anything past a paper airplane. This diy grow box can hold seedlings of many kinds, or permanently house shorter plants. If you’re looking for something stealthy, this basic design can be customized easily.

18- Automatic Grow Box

Here we have DIY automatic grow box by Instructables that has an automatic watering system, it will provide growing plants with just the right amount of moisture at all times. The perfect growing environment, supporting the ideal amount of humidity and temperature control to promote healthy plant growth is also maintained by this automated system.

The lighting system is also automated so you can take a hand-off approach to plant growing and free up time for other DIY projects.

19- Large Grow Box

Recycle an old kitchen or bathroom cabinet into a large grow box such as this one by Seedparade for use in your home. The large size makes it ideal for growing fresh food or for use as a marijuana grow box. This large scale homemade grow box can hold several food plants or tall marijuana plants with ease.

By recycling a wooden kitchen cabinet, you will already have the box, you will just need to add a few interior components. Several cabinets can be connected to create an even larger grow box or to house plants at different stages of development. With the hard part of the building project already done for you, the remainder of the DIY build is quick and easy, enabling you to start plant growing within hours.

20- Indoor Computerized Grow Box

One of these grow boxes is not actually computerized, but it’s created from an old computer. This is a great idea for growing small herbs and keeping electronic items out of the landfill. Growing food and reducing garbage is a win-win for both you and the planet.

The other designs and free plans on this website will show you how to create a fully computerized, large scale grow box like this one by cheapvegetablegardener. All lighting, heat, air circulation and watering is operated by a computer that does all the work for you.

Once you have built the computerized grow box to the desired size and placed the food or herb plants inside, your work is done until harvest time. If you have the materials on hand, you can build this large homemade grow box that does all the work for you for free.

21- Indoor Garden Box

Who wouldn’t enjoy the flavor of fresh tomatoes, peppers and basil in the middle of winter? You can if you build a DIY grow box like this one Hackaday. This simple, yet effective, design is a means of growing an indoor garden all year so you can enjoy the fresh flavor of your favorite vegetables and herbs.

These free plans will walk you through the building process with ease so you can create an indoor garden box that is small enough to fit inside an apartment, but big enough to grow several plants.

This indoor garden box design is also ideal for starting seeds and nurturing tender seedlings in the early spring so you will have strong, healthy plants for an outdoor spring summer garden.

22- Recycled Refrigerator

It looks like a refrigerator on the outside, but instead of keeping food cold on the inside, it’s keeping plants warm and hydrated.

Use these free plans to transform an old refrigerator into a stealthy marijuana grow box like this one by Steemit. Family and friends will never know the secret hidden inside of this unique grow box.

Easy to follow tutorial will walk you through the building process and provide you with tips so you can get the most cost efficient produce from this DIY grow box. For example, the instructor advises not to purchase a new evo friendly refrigerator to convert into a grow box because they are made from biodegradable material.

The grow lights and other ingredients needed to grow healthy plants will cause the evo friendly type of refrigerator to break down rapidly. It’s best to use an old, non-working refrigerator for this project, it will last longer and keep it out of the landfill.

23- Another tote becomes an all contained indoor grow box

This homemeade grow box by tracemypreps is perfect for needy plants or for starting plants you want to keep hidden. Once you’re finished, you can clean it up and store the whole shebang in it, which easily slides under a bed or into a closet.

24- A basic tote DIY marijuana grow box for 90 bucks!

This diy grow box by 420tribune is designed so that you can grow your plants from start to finish and harvest, all in this one contained growing environment.  Check out the harvest this guy got with this design!

25– Plywood Homemade Grow Box

Depending on what you plan to grow, the measurements of the homemade grow boxes may vary. For example, if you plan to have vegetables, then a box with a rectangular shape will be better. However, if you want to build a flower-only box, then a square-shaped one will be more beneficial.

In this guide, you will learn how to make a grow box with plywood on your own by Growdoctorguides. One thing that needs to be noted is that it comes with a large door. This will make the plant caring process easier.

As for the color, this particular DIY grow box is colored white. White, matte hue is beneficial because it reflects the light. The guide shows pictures of the building process. In addition, tips and tricks for making good quality grow boxes are also shared.

This plywood DIY grow box also includes one of the most essential elements of grow boxes- Air Intake filters. Especially if you plan to grow the plants from the seed, this kind of structure will be very helpful.

26– Cabinet-like Hidden Grow Box

If you want to build a DIY weed grow box such as this one by Cannabonsai that does not look like grow box at all, then this guide is for you. This DIY project will teach you how to make a grow box that looks like a cabinet.

This project will help you to incorporate a cannabis grow box in your house design. It can even be placed in the bedroom and does not take up much space.

This project includes a 24X24X16 inches box that stands on the wheel. However, you can modify the measurements according to your needs. This dresser-like DIY stealth grow box will cost you approximately $200-$300.

In the guide, you will find the price of each material that will be needed. So you can plan in advance. Additionally, this project will take approximately 3 to 4 days. This Cannabis grow box also comes with LED bulbs and is leak-proof.

You do not need to have much experience with woodworking to manage this DIY stealth grow box building. Pretty much every step is discussed well and pictures and sketches are also used for a better understanding.

27– Easy Build, Lowcost Cardboard DIY Grow Box

Creativity is the most important factor when doing a DIY project. DIY grow box is no exception. This guide will help you to make a very low-cost DIY grow box with cardboard on youtube.

Yes, grow box does not have to be expensive to do its job. As long as you have the will, everything is possible. Plus, you do not need any kind of experience to work on this project. Just watch the video and everything will be clear.

This cardboard growth box has a sensor that controls temperature and humidity. In addition, you can also control the dimming, ventilation, and timer with the Wifi.

The guide video also shows you what tools and materials you will need. Additionally, how to assemble and put them together is very well shown. Besides, the DIYer also shows his plant, and once more you will briefly see how to grow cannabis.

28– Steel Cabinet Grow Box From Scratch

This DIY grow box on youtube is very easy to build. It comes with all features that are important for development of the plant. A Homemade grow box is made of simple steel and does not require much space.

It blends into the environment and does not stand out from the other furniture. However, be sure that this DIY stealth grow box will definitely be strong enough to grow a healthy plant from the seed.

DIY grow box project is mainly focused to cost much less than regular grow boxes. DIYer uses the regular white cabinet that is 1.5X1.5X2.5 feet tall. This size is perfect for one plant. However, note that it is better to get a little taller cabinet for your project.

DIYer explains every stage carefully and shows how he builds the box step by step. He installs the fan and lights carefully and also notes what to pay attention to when making the purchase. The light leak from the front door is blocked by magnetic tape, which is simple and works perfectly fine.

29– Stealthy Cannabis Grow Box

This DIY cannabis grows box guide on youtube is very positive and fun. DIYers have competition in growing cannabis from seedlings. In the video guide, you will come across three homemade grow box types.

This DIY project not only teaches you how to make a grow box but also shows how to grow cannabis itself. In the process, a microbrew bundle is used. It comes with 6, small LED panels. Blower, sensor, and controller.

The first grow box has a wooden back, which made it easier to cut the holes for ventilation and electrical wires. The carbon filter in the box is made out of a pencil holder.

The second grow box is made out of a nightstand. It has a blower inside, so is more silent and stealthy. Additionally, the design makes it much easier to adapt carbon filters for blooming.

The third stealthy grow box is made out of metal. If other grow boxes have LED lights installed on the roof, this one has it installed on the sides too. The blower is located inside. The carbon filter is also hidden on the box and is not visible.

This guide is very useful especially if you do not know exactly what kind of grow box you want to build. It gives you inspiration, and information about three different types of homemade grow boxes.

30- A Basic Full DIY Grow-Out Box Simple Design

It is a another great starting place, but this diy grow box tutorial by how-to-marijuana is suited for growing anything from seed to harvest without having to relocate or make a larger box after the seedlings outgrow their smaller PC stealth grow box or something similar.

This design incorporates everything you need- ventilation, adjustable lighting, and temperature control. And, like the previous basic box design, this one can also be customized on the outside to look like another furniture piece, or part of a row of cabinets. You can suit it to go anywhere.

31– 2-Chamber Homemade Grow Box

This youtube video guide teaches you how to reuse an old cabinet to make a fully-functioning grow box like we will see in this youtube video. The size of this grow box is 31X21X14 inches. DIYer does a 2-champer grow box, with two independent spaces.

This tutorial is different from others because it considers growing the cannabis plant sideways, and horizontally. The inside part of the cabinet is painted white, in order to increase the light reflection.

This DIY Grow box guide shows every step of the building process. Additionally, DIYer explains all stages well. This one truly is among the list of low-cost homemade DIY boxes.

At the end of the DIY project, DIYer shows the result that he got after weeks. The plant seems to be grown sideways and blooms perfectly. So, this means that this method truly works just fine.

32– Budget-Friendly Velcro And PVC Homemade Grow Box

This Velcro DIY weed grow box on youtube is perfect if you want to make something that does not require much experience, is easy, and is budget-friendly. It has dimensions of 4X2X3 feet. However, you can modify it according to your needs.

It is always recommended to do the sketch of the project that you plan to do. This is what the DIYer is doing at the beginning of the video. DIYer marks where the connectors of PVC pipes will be. The clear sketch will make the building process easier.

Materials that are needed are only Velcro, PVC pipe, and PVC cutters. Tools that you will need in the process are also well described in the beginning.

First, the PVC pipes are cut and put together, and the skeleton of the box is created. After this, the Velcro sheets are attached to it. The project guide shows how to make only the box. However, in the guide descriptions, there are useful links that will show you how to set up wires and all other essential parts of Grow box.

33- Make A Large 5’x2’x2′ DIY Grow Box

It is another great idea for a diy grow box by rollitup. Good as marijuana grow box, this box can be environmentally controlled easily and makes growing your pot a streamlined process. It can easily be stored in a closet, basement, or pantry. It can even go in the garage.

Conclusion

DIY grow boxes are used to grow any type of plant, especially the exotic ones in a control environment. If you are living in a tiny apartment and don’t have much outdoor space to grow plants you can grow them in a diy grow box. We hope these diy grow box designs offer something that you were looking for.

From growing plants that you use later like marijuana that needs to be hidden (but not in all states now!), to a simple box you want to grow some culinary herbs or flowers in, these builds will suit all needs. From seed to harvest, these will work!

You can choose any of these homemade grow boxes from our list to build your own. Hope you like the post! Have any ideas to share? Just put up in the comment section below.

Useful resources:

Growforit.ces.ncsu.edu

Former NASA scientist creates DIY marijuana grow system

Here I have prepared a questionnaire to answer some of the frequently asked questions.

FAQ’s

Can I use any light as a grow light?

You can use any light bulb to grow plants in a grow box, either LED grow light or other bright light. Plants need light to convert it into their food through the process called Photosynthesis. Its a process of converting water, light and carbon dioxide to it into their energy in the form of sugar and produce oxygen as a result.

Can I use cardboard as a grow box?

Yes you can use cardboard after some modification as a grow box. It’s suitable to provide your plants a healthy growing environment where you have control over light, moisturizer level and temperature. In the winter there is cold outside, sunlight hours are short or not so warm and also low moisturizer level.

Is growing box light a good alternative to sunlight?

A full spectrum light is a good alternative to sunlight when you have less outdoor space and a shady backyard. But sunlight is more powerful than artificial grow box light. A 13 hours of grow box light provides the same amount of energy as 6 hours of sunlight.

What can I use for making a grow box?

You can recycle many things that are spare in your house such as an old cabinet, tool chest, a wardrobe, an old file cabinet, cpu box, Armoire and cardboard as well.