Cutting and Preparation

• 1). Measure, mark and cut the 1-inch PVC to the following lengths: a front and back piece at 11½-feet long, two side pieces at 12-feet-3/8 inches, five arches at 19-feet long, four spine pieces at 3-feet, four side struts at 6-feet long, two door sides at 67-inches and 10 door and window strut pieces at 27-inches. Also cut the 1¼ pipe into ten 4-inch lengths. Label your pieces with masking tape.
  
  
• 2). Cut the painter's plastic into a 20-foot-by-13-foot-4-inch top sheet, two 12-foot-½-inch-by-7-foot end pieces, a 6-foot-6-inch-by-3-foot-4-inch door piece, and a 3-foot-4-inch square window piece. Label these pieces with masking tape.
  
  
• 3). Bend the arch pieces so they form to 11½-foot wide U-shapes. See the video listed in Resources for more on the technique.
  
  
• 4). Glue a 1¼-inch piece to one of the snap-clamps, so they almost form a figure-eight, to make a latch piece. Make two pieces.
  
  
• 5). Glue two 1¼-inch pieces to each other, so they form a figure-eight, to make hinges. Make eight pieces.
  
  

Construction

• 1). Build the door using a slip T and another hinge onto one of the door sides. Attach a 90-degree elbow connector at the top and bottom. Connect three door struts to the elbows, then attach the other door side with a pair of elbows and a slip T to make a two-panel door.
  
  Glue all of the pieces, except the hinges, together.
  
  
• 2). Using the four window pieces and four elbow joints, make a square window. Slip two hinge pieces on the same side before gluing the elbows to the window pieces.
  
  
• 3). Slide three slip Ts onto the side pipe pieces, and two slip Ts onto the front and back pipe pieces. Don't glue anything down yet.
  
  
• 4). Use three-way connectors to assemble---but not glue---a rectangular base frame out of the front, back and side pieces.
  
  
• 5). Affix the base frame to the ground using five stakes on each side.
  
  
• 6). Set aside two arches as the front and back, and slip three Slip Ts onto the middle of them. On the remaining three, slide two slip Ts each.
  
  
• 7). Slip the front arch into the 3-way connectors at the corners of the base frame. Repeat for the rear arch at the back of the base frame.
  
  Don't glue anything at this stage.
  
  
• 8). Place one of the remaining arches into the two slip T connectors nearest the front archway. Attach the middle slip T on the archway to one of the slip Ts on the second arch with one of the 3-foot spines.
  
  
• 9). Repeat step 8 with the remaining three arches, attaching each to the previous with a 3-foot spine. Attach the back arch with a spine as well, using the middle slip T.
  
  
• 10
  
  Make an H-shaped door frame by sliding a slip T to each onto a pair of side struts, and attaching them with a door strut. Slide the door onto one side of the frame, and a latch on the other side.
  
  Glue the H-frame, hinges and latch together. Leave the door to swing open.
  
  
• 11
  
  Make a second H-shaped frame and attach the remaining latch to the middle of the cross-piece. Slide the window hinges onto a window strut, attach slip Ts to either side, and slide that assembly onto the bottom.
  
  Glue the frame, hinges and latch together, but leave the window to open.
  
  
• 12
  
  Attach the window and door rigs to the hanging slip Ts on the front and back arches, and the slip Ts on the corresponding base pieces. The front of the greenhouse is the door, and the window is on the back.
  
  

Covering

• 1). Using snap clamps, clip the bottom edge of the front plastic sheet to the front base piece. Fold the loose corners over the arch and mark the location of the door. Cut the door out, and then clamp the plastic down, spacing all of the clamps at about 8- to 10-inches intervals.
  
  
• 2). Repeat step 1 for the back of the greenhouse, leaving an opening for the window.
  
  
• 3). Cover the window and door, using snap clamps spaced 8 to 10 inches apart.
  
  
• 4). Stretch the remaining piece of plastic over the exposed arches, so the 20-foot edge drapes on the ground. Clamp it in place along the sides, spacing the snap clamps every 8 to 10 inches. Use the front and back arch clamps to snap down the sides of the plastic.
  
  
• 5). Trim any excess plastic.