Composting has been used for centuries to improve soil quality and recycle biodegradable waste.
Many homeowners and renters want to start composting but aren’t sure how to go about it. If you’d like some ideas for a DIY compost bin, keep reading.
1. Wooden Pallet Bin
Wooden pallets are one of the most versatile building material available to almost anyone. If you live near businesses that receive a lot of large shipments, you’ll likely be able to find wooden pallets around the recycling bin or on the streets. Ask local grocery or convenience stores to see if they have any they are getting rid of.
2. Barrel Tumbler
This barrel tumbler compost bin is quite simple and relatively inexpensive to make. With a base made of a few planks of wood and a barrel from a hardware store, you can make your own spinning compost bin. This makes it easy to compost your waste and pour it out when you’re ready for some freshly composted soil.
3. Storage Container
Have a storage container or utility box you’re not using? With this compost idea, you can rehab your old container and turn it into a DIY compost bin. This idea is ideal for anyone that needs a more contained alternative for their composting needs. With a sealable container, a screen, and Liquid Nails you’ll have your new compost bin in no time.
4. Garbage Can Bin
Need a larger compost bin? This garbage can DIY version will do the trick. Quick and easy, this 10-minute idea requires an extra trashcan and a drill. After you put a few holes in the lid, your compost bin will be ready to use.
5. Three Bins in One
This DIY idea is a creative take on the simple compost bin. With three sections, this bin requires a little bit of carpentry prowess but results in an incredibly attractive and effective compost bin. Start off with a clear set of plans for your design and then choose your wood. This version uses metal and hardware cloth to add structure to the bins.
6. Milk Crate Composter
Milk crates are relatively easy to come by. Once you find two-three milk crates, start stacking them. Use a plank of wood to cover the composter, mesh screen and newspaper to act as a barrier, and a few power tools to finish the construction.
7. Indoor Jar Bin
Use an empty glass or plastic jar an indoor compost bin. All you need is a container, a tray to go inside, dirt, and old newspaper (optional).
8. Woven Bin
If you want to add a decorative touch to your compost bin, use this idea. If you have access to willow or dogwood, you can use these for weaving. After soaking your wood, start weaving them around a frame you’ve created out of solid wooden sticks. Once you’re finished, all you need is some soil and scraps to start composting.
9. Wire Fence Bin
Easy and breezy, this compost bin is made of all wiring and mesh. Use hardware cloth and welded wire utility fencing to create this metal masterpiece. This design is ideal for larger yard waste.
10. Angled Rock Bin
This bin is perfect for you if you have a problem with backyard critters. With an angled rock bin, you’ll be able to compost and keep out all unwanted visitors. Build a structure of cinderblocks, drill in cover brackets, create a mesh lid, and seal off the entrance with the rest of the mesh.
11. Shower Door Bin
If you’re rehabbing your house or you’ve found some choice materials around the neighborhood, you can make a sturdy compost bin out of wood and a shower door. With a few hinges, several slabs of good-looking wood, and a few power tools, your shower door compost bin will be ready for use.
12. Wooden Two-Bin Compost Container
Need a quick fix for your compost container? Build this bin with several planks of wood, hinges, screws, and other standard hardware. Using fiberglass mesh, you can create sturdy lids for your bins.
13. Wine Barrel Bins
This beautiful design is a creative take on the traditional compost bin style. If you have access to three wine barrels, this design will give your garden a very rustic and romantic feel. After you create the foundation with four wooden rods in the ground, you’ll need to attach a metal rod atop of the poles that will then impale each of the barrels. The great thing about this design is that each barrel can rotate enough to spill out the soil.
14. Drum-Style Bin
This rotating drum-style bin allows the compost room to breathe and is easy to construct and use. In under three hours, you can create your own drum-style bin. Use two plywood rounds, fine mesh, and a few pieces of wood to construct the basic structure.
15. Cedar Lattice Bin
This picturesque bin uses a sheet of lattice. The best thing about this structure is that it is easy to deconstruct, making it more efficient for removing the soil. Join the strips of lattice with hook-and-eye fasteners. This bin is best left uncovered.
16. Straw Bale Bin
This compost idea is very effective and requires no construction. Use between 6 and 16 bales of straw to build your base. After adding a second layer, your new bin will be ready to be filled with waste.
17. Timber Bin
This design is more for large-scale composting. Use four steel rods, 25 landscaping timbers, and basic tools to construct this bin. This wide-open bin is ideal for any gardening waste, manure, or simply for composting large amounts of soil.
18. Wheelbarrow Tumbler Bin
The innovative wheelbarrow tumbler bin makes it easy for you to put in compost and take out the finished soil. You’ll have to cut space for the lid and add hinges. After you construct the wooden structure, place the metal cylinder on top and the wheelbarrow underneath.
19. Mesh and Wooden Frame Bin
Compost bin designs are incredibly versatile. Construct four frames using hardware fabric and your choice of wood. Connect these frames with hinges and set it up on the grass.
20. X In-Ground Bin
This submerged compost bin is both aesthetically pleasing and easy to make. Dig an “X” shaped hole that is several inches deep. Using several planks of wood, create the structure for the “X”.
21. Coffee Container Bin
Need a simple countertop compost bin? This coffee container design is one of the easiest ways to start composting. Using an empty coffee container, create three or more holes in the top. That’s it!
Conclusion
Take your composting game to the next level with these innovative designs. While you certainly won’t use all of them, let this guide inspire you to get creative with your compost bin.
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