Why pay for an expensive composter when you can make a Cheap and Easy DIY Compost Bin? Once you make one, you’ll be making another!
If you are a gardener and you aren’t composting yet…well you’re missing out my friend. Composting make yard and kitchen waste into black gold. But I know that buying a composter can be pricey – but I’m going to solve that right now! You can make a DIY compost bin cheap and easy! I had the can and the drill so this project was free for me. But you can find these plastic trash cans on sale; I got mine for $13 at Home Depot a year ago.
DIY Compost Bin
Supplies Needed
1 32-gallon plastic trash can
1 Drill
1 Drill bit 3/8th to 1/2 inch
Steps to create your DIY Compost Bin
- It is simple as drilling rows of holes into your trash can. I did each row about 6 to 8 inches apart and each hole about 2 to 3 inches apart. I didn’t measure and I wasn’t worried about it all being perfectly even. But your compost needs to breath. Remember that compost is full of living things that nee air to live and complete your compost.
Let it Rot!: The Gardener’s Guide to Composting
- Make sure you get all the plastic junk out of the holes and your can…who wants that in their compost? Yuck.
- Drill your lid. If you plan to roll your can to mix it then you might not want to do this. My holes are only 3/8 of an inch and I’m not worried about a little coming out if we decide to roll it. But I’m more of a shovel mixer anyway…
- Fill and wait for the magic to happen. My hope is to have 4 – 6 of these smaller composters. Small piles will breakdown faster than a larger pile and I’ll have one ready while I am filling the others up.
- Don’t forget to keep your compost watered; those microbes need water too. But don’t drown it! Here my youngest is giving our larger compost bin a little drink.
Check out my post on 10 things you never want to compost!
