How to Make a Compost Bin
As you will have already read on our main page, compost is a fantastic fertilizer that we can create and use all by ourselves at home. Now that you know exactly how it is that you make your own compost it will be very useful to know how to make a compost bin.
It is possible to just have a compost pile but why not be more tidy and follow our easy guide to how to make a composting bin. By learning how to make your own compost bin you will ensure that your compost is retained where you want it safely and not disturbed by the neighbours cat pulling it to pieces or leaving it at the mercy of the elements where it can freeze or partially washed away by rain. Most people choose having their own garden compost bin over a compost heap.
You can go all DIY in making your garden compost bin if you like and use all manor of materials but for the sake of simplicity the first explanation here is to avoid carving up the old shed and instead just doing it the easy way.
How to Make a Composting Bin - Plastic Compost Bin
- Step 1
Find either at home or go and purchase a plastic container/bin that has a tight fitting lid to it, the size is of relevance and should be approximately 25 inches in height or taller. Please remember the lid is very important in order to keep the compost nice and moist. This is essentially your plastic compost bin before it is modified to fulfil its purpose.
- Step 2
Using a drill make a symmetrical arrangement of holes on the bottom of the bin, 10 should be fine so that air can get in. Also drill 4 holes around the outside of the bin on the sides, make sure they are all the same distance apart. The smaller the drill bit the better, up to the thickness of a pencil is advisable.
- Step 3
Fill your plastic compost bin a quarter of the way full with dry leaves and/or shredded paper and top this up to half way with soil from your garden.
- Step 4
Move your compost bin to a shaded area of your garden, preferably away from the back door. This must be an area that remains shaded throughout the day.
- Step 5
With your drill make 10 symmetrical holes in the lid of your plastic compost bin. Pop the lid securely onto the bin.
- Step 6
Your garden compost bin is now complete and you are now ready to follow the guide on our main page in making your own compost. Remember to periodically stir your compost and ensure that ingredients such as food components are covered by the soil.
Ok so that is the easy way of learning how to make a composting bin and some may say it's cheating as it isn't really telling you how to make a composting bin but actually how to make a few holes in a plastic bin. You would be right to say that but really cheating is just going to the store and buying a pre-made compost bin right?
Let's move onto another method of how to make a compost bin for those that are a little more adventurous.
How to Make a Composting Bin - Wooden Compost Bin
Step 1
This will likely entail a trip to the DIY store to purchase the following bits and pieces in order to make your wooden compost bin, this is unless you have the materials to shape some or all of the following yourself:
- 20 planks of wood 100cm by 15cm
- 4 wooden stakes 110cm by 7cm
- 8 smaller planks of wood 86cm by 15 cm
- 1 100cm by 19cm plank of wood
- 50mm wood deck screws
- 2 1m lengths of 4cm by 2cm wood
- Wood preservative non-toxic and brush
- Screwdriver
- Step 2
With your materials in hand make your way into the garden! Pick the place where you want your wooden compost bin to live. Somewhere out of constant sunlight and not directly next to the backdoor as it can end up smelling a bit!
- Step 3
Screw 6 of the 100cm by 15 cm planks of wood to two of the stakes to make one of the sides to your bin, bearing in mind the stakes will make the 4 corners. Don't screw them flush to each other, leave a small gap 2.5 or 3cm, you need to leave length at the bottom of each stake because they will need to be dug into the ground at the end. Do this twice so you have 2 sides to your wooden compost bin.
- Step 4
Now screw another 6 planks of the 100cm by 15 cm wood from one side to the other so basically you have a box with one side missing. Try to make sure that each plank of wood is symmetrical as you have gone around the sides.
- Step 5
In line with the bottom row of 100cm by 15 planks of wood screw the 1m plank of wood to the open side of your box. Take another 2 planks of 100cm by 15cm wood and screw these vertically to a stake each on the same open side of the box, the bottom of each needs to be flush to the piece of wood you just screwed across the bottom. This is making a structure for a panel to slide onto what will be the front of your wooden compost bin.
- Step 6
You now need to make a groove for the front panel to slide into. Screw the 2 1m length of 4cm by 2m to the inside edge of the stakes at the front of the box so that they are facing each other and leaving a runway between themselves and the vertical planks of wood you previously screwed onto the same stakes.
- Step 7
Away from the box make you removable panel by placing 6 of the 86 cm by 15 cm planks of wood on the floor 2cm apart. The final 2 86 cm by 15 planks of wood need to be placed across planks on the ground symmetrically towards the centre with there being an equal gap between them as well as an equal gap either side of them. One end of the 2 planks of wood need to be flush against the edge of the top plank of the 6. This will leave a gap between the bottom of the two planks and the bottom of the bottom panel of the 6. In this position then screw the 2 pieces of wood to the 6 securely.
- Step 8
The panel you have made will now be able to slide in and out of the groove that you made on the front of the box. This is the structure completed and you can now pain your wooden compost bin with the wood preservative.
- Step 9
Dig the bottom of the stakes or legs as they are now into the ground in the garden so that the foot of the wooden compost bin is touching or almost touching the ground on each side. It needs to planted so that is not moved or around.
- Step 10
Fill the bottom quarter of your wooden compost bin with shredded paper and then to half way with soil from the garden and you are now ready to add your ingredients and start your home composting!
So there you have 2 simple methods for making garden compost bins If these methods of how to make a compost bin are not of use to you then the simple alternative is to buy your own ready made home compost bin on-line or at the store, but where's the fun in that?