Yes, you can, rhianna813. Just remember to have a top that opens, and trim and staple the curtain to the operable top. If the top is not opened on warm days, it will get TOOOOO HOTTT.

Awesome! Yes I was thinking of making a frame for the lid that I could staple the plastic curtain to. It would hinge open. This would be much lighter than a glass window top.

Also, would it matter that the cold frame was sitting on pavement (my driveway) and not on dirt? It will be used for transplants or perhaps greens in pots. We have available space here and it's south facing.

Rhianna

I've used dry cleaning plastic sandwiched between sturdy cardboard frames for a temporary coldframe. Not too sturdy, but is cheap and available.

Florrie

Rhianna813 shame on you! You are posting in a frugal forum and don't know how to scrounge? LOL. No dumpster diving yet? You ain't frugal till you've made the plunge.

Well let me help you if I may. Kidding aside, here is where I got my supplies for building a green house and raised bed gardens.

Alley shopping of course. Freecycle watching also. And then I wandered into a reuse store that had tons and tons of old windows. Wooden sash type and the newer aluminum storm windows. Not all together but just pieces of either the screens or the glass. All different sizes. I had bought a couple for like 3 dollars each.

A neighboring dumpster had a discarded outside aluminum door with the very large glass still intact and mounted in there. I ran home and got my screwdriver and released it from the frame and took it home. It is like 30" wide by 48" tall and has a mini alum frame all around. That alone will be the top of one cold frame and glue will hold a hinge on it.

I got about 10 old windows off of freecycle and these are just perfect. A little paint on the ends and they will work for cold frames, hot frames, or a mini greenhouse.

Menards has a scrap lumber bin and I get lots of small pieces of lumber there for under a buck each, sometimes as low as 29cents each. I got a dozen 2"X12"X4' pieces of lumber for like a buck each and these will be the sides of a cold frame and raised beds frames. A coat of sealer will make them last longer.

If someone has alum window frames, screen or glass, I will take them home for some future project or one day scrap out the alum. They store easily.

Hope this helps. Good luck.

Wiley LOL

I live in srounge central, in a west coast College town. We have 2 Freecyle lists plus Craigs list. I keep an eye on all three but things get claimed in like 30 seconds. I have posted on both asking for windows, wood, stuff but have not had any offers. I called our local building materials recycling place. They didn't have any storm windows, but suggested aluminum windows... which started at $30! I nearly chocked. But I should go there in person to see for myself. Who knows that the guy on phone thought I needed....

But I will admit since I moved to the outer realms (burbs/rural) and left the downtown/campus area, my dumpster diving skills have gone the way of the Dodo. It's clear I need to broaden my vision and scope of the materials that *could* be used for this project.

I think my husband has some styrofoam in his truck, the kind used to pack computers so it's pretty big pieces. This might come in handy!

Rhianna

Ha ha, love this thread I was having the same problem as you, thinking towards doing it for next year, thinking I was a bit behind the times to gather and build, then a few weeks ago I was really fed up with the boys play room, all of the million and one toys they have are still age appropriate and get used in cycles, but their books nowhere for them to go, I only have a couple of book cases very low and glass fronted and because they where made in the 1960, I bet the glass would just shatter, also they where all used up, I weighed it up and realised me and my hubby are less likely to throw a brunch of books around than our 4 yr olds (twins by the way, nightmare! if I had a dollar or even fifty cents for the people who have said I would love twins I'd have $3.50!,the resources of an eight year old in the mind of a 4 yr olds! but thats a whole other story!) so I removed the glass and placed our books in boxes, this method hadn't been working for the boys! then as I am packing the boxes inspiration! some other boxes are now being used for coldframes with the glass on top, I am sooo happy, not only that as I wrote this I was thinking of my carrots which I have optimistically put in boxes to start early inside, if I can plant my newpaper and toilet tissue pot directly into the ground, why not a whole box? I will let you know the outcome (if I remember! I am pants at such things, but as I figured I would probably lose them any way, I am not losing anything trying!