I will show you how to build and set up cheap grow lights. Starting seeds indoors doesn’t require expensive lights marketed for seed starting, as affordable LED shop lights do the job just fine. All you need to do is mount multiple single-strip lights together for enough coverage.
How to build a frame for cheap grow lights
The lights I buy come in a bundle of 6 and they need to be mounted to something. You need to build a simple frame using inexpensive furring strips. Measure the space where you will put your lights. Then, determine which lights you will buy that best fit that space. I use a shelving unit with 4′ shelves and they make LED lights that are 4′ so I built my frame to fit my shelving unit or the space where I’ll grow my plants. The depth of my shelving unit is 18″ so I build my lights to have three lights per unit.
Materials to make your own grow lights
- LED lights (pack of 6) – the lights come with the little brackets to attach them to your rig
- 1x2x8′ furring strips (cut to size)
- Rope & pulley method – eye bolts | rope | pulleys OR Chain and hook method – mesh chain | hooks (SEE BELOW)
Once your frame is built, you will use the metal brackets that came with the lights to mount them to the frame.
How to hang the grow lights
You need to decide how you want to hang the new LED grow lights. I hang my grow lights using two different methods: 1) a rope and pulley system or 2) with chains and hooks
Rope and pulley method: I have the rope hanging from the rafters above. Then as the plants grow taller, I can use the pulley to raise the lights higher. This is my favorite method as it’s easier to move the lights.
Chain Method: For this method, you attach a hook to the frame and hang the chain to connect it to. For a shelving unit, the chain simply attaches to the wire shelf above. As the plants grow taller, I unhook the lights and move them higher up the chain.
The lights come with cable to connect them all together so that you are not plugging in multiple separate lights. I put my grow lights on a timer.
Let me know if you try this.
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