Easy DIY FABRIKÖR IKEA Greenhouse Cabinet

Alright, I’m really excited about this DIY. I’ve been yearning for a greenhouse cabinet for a number of years now, and I finally decided to take the plunge. Plus, I found an amazing IKEA FABRIKÖR cabinet on Facebook Marketplace for a fraction of the price which definitely helped. As far as greenhouse cabinets go this one is pretty basic, but it is perfect for beginners, those on a budget, or those who just like to keep it minimal. Here’s how I created a simple DIY FABRIKÖR IKEA greenhouse cabinet using just a few supplies.

Why Use Greenhouse Cabinets?

Greenhouse cabinets are popular for a number of reasons, but generally, they provide a great environment for houseplants that enjoy consistent light and high humidity. Growers often reserve their greenhouse cabinets for their most expensive and high-maintenance plants, since they can closely control the light, temperature, and humidity of the cabinet. However, you don’t need to have expensive plants to enjoy a greenhouse cabinet. They make stylish additions to any home, and if your space comes up short in the natural light department a greenhouse cabinet may be the perfect solution for happy houseplants.

Types of IKEA Greenhouse Cabinets

Transforming IKEA cabinets into DIY greenhouse cabinets is not new, and there are lots (and I mean lots!) of options when it comes to creating your own. This project used the FABRIKÖR Display Cabinet, but the DETOLF, MILSBO, and RUDSTA are also popular choices for custom greenhouse cabinets.

For this DIY FABRIKÖR IKEA greenhouse cabinet I kept it relatively simple and only added grow lights. You can also add humidifiers, temperature and humidity readers, and/or a small fan to encourage air circulation. You can switch out the glass shelves for wire shelving which also helps to circulate air and provide more room for trailing plants to grow, and some growers choose to add IKEA pegboard to the back of their cabinets to hold additional pots, propagations, and more. The options are truly endless! If you want to browse some more IKEA greenhouse cabinets for inspiration, I’d highly recommend checking out @ikeagreenhousecabinet on Instagram who regularly posts IKEA greenhouse cabinet DIYs as well as their own personal tips and tricks.

What You’ll Need

IKEA FABRIKÖR Display Cabinet
12 inch LED grow light strips (I used these ones from Amazon)
Electric drill & hole saw bit

Steps

Before you start transforming your FABRIKÖR cabinet into a greenhouse cabinet, follow the assembly instructions to build the cabinet. Before you add the shelves, follow these steps to begin your DIY.

Step 1: Drill a Hole For The Cables

The FABRIKÖR cabinet has a base that pops out easily which is extremely convenient for this DIY. Remove the base of the cabinet (not the legs) and use a hole saw bit and an electric drill to add a hole in the base. I put the hole in the bottom right hand corner, but you can put it anywhere. This is where the cables for the grow light(s) will exit the cabinet so they can be plugged in, so ensure that the hole you make is large enough to fit a plug through.

Step 2: Add Grow Lights

Since the FABRIKÖR cabinet is about 19 inches wide, 12-inch grow light strips work wonderfully for this project. After browsing Amazon, I settled on these full-spectrum LED grow light strips, which come with two grow light bars, an auto timer functionality, and double-sided foam tape to secure the lights. Once you have secured your grow lights, thread the cables through the hole in the bottom of the cabinet and plug them in.

For now, I have only added these two bars to the cabinet, but you can add as many lights as you want. You can even use magnetic hooks to secure grow lights to the glass shelves without using adhesive on the glass if you want to put another set of grow lights further down in the cabinet.

Step 3: Add Shelves

Once you have added your grow lights in, you can finally finish setting up your cabinet by adding in shelves. The cabinet comes with two shelves, but you can only add one (or none) depending on what plants you’d like to use the cabinet for and how you want the cabinet arranged.

As I mentioned before you can use the glass shelves that come with the cabinet, OR you can use wire shelves instead. IKEA doesn’t sell wire shelves for the FABRIKÖR, so you will need to find shelves elsewhere that fit the dimensions. Some people have even started selling custom-made wire shelving for DIY IKEA greenhouses which you can find on Google. If you want to add a humidifier to your cabinet, now would be the time to do it.

Step 4: Fill with Plants

Lastly, the fun part! Once your FABRIKÖR IKEA greenhouse cabinet is ready to go its time to fill it with your favourite plants, turn on your grow lights, and enjoy!

Plants That Do Well in Greenhouse Cabinets

The type of plants that will do well in a greenhouse cabinet vary slightly depending on how the cabinet is set up, but for the most part, any plant can thrive in a greenhouse cabinet environment. However, keep your plant’s needs in mind when deciding if it is a good fit for your cabinet. For example, if you decided to add a humidifier to your cabinet, then you may want to avoid adding desert cacti or succulents to your greenhouse cabinet as these plants enjoy dry environments.

Have you created your own DIY IKEA greenhouse cabinet? Let me know in the comments below!