Want to start composting? Why not make your own compost bin for under $5? We have all the tips and tricks to help make your composting journey a success.
Ever since I have became socially aware of the increase in methane gas from throwing foods items away like banana peels, lettuce, potato scraps & more I have wanted to start a compost bin. After searching for a bin that fit our lifestyle, and needs I realized that we could not afford one. In actuality these bins are pretty pricey, and sadly that price deters many from purchasing them.
I had a designated spot in my yard that I was using for our fruit and veggie scraps, but I wanted something neater, and more efficient something that would more efficiently benefit our upcoming garden. Well, I starting thinking about how I could make a compost bin that would look ok, and effectively turn our waste into rich compost, and fertilizer.
Well, a few days ago between my husband and myself’s brainstorming we came up with the perfect way to make a cheap compost bin. Why not turn one of the 18 gallon plastic bins we got on sale for $3.50 into a nice little bin that would not be too hard on the eyes? Thankfully, this idea was brought to life rather quickly, and my husband came up with a perfected solution.
Start by drilling 5/16″ holes roughly 2″ apart in both directions. Drill these holes on the bottom, sides, and top lid of the bin. This will allow oxygen into the bin, which is required for the bacteria that’ll be doing all the work. The type of bacteria that works to turn your kitchen scraps into compost is Aerobic, meaning that it survives in the presence of oxygen.
The ideal mix/ratio for compost is 25-30 parts carbon (browns) to 1 part nitrogen (greens). Remember, this is ideal, but not required, just keep in mind that every time you add greens to your bin, you should also add some browns. Nitrogen rich materials (greens) are most of your kitchen scraps, such as apple peels, lettuce, potato peels, etc…. Carbon rich materials (browns) are leaves, shredded paper, wood chips, bark, etc….
How to Get Your Compost Bin Started
To get your bin started, add your kitchen scraps, shredded paper or dry leaves, and a scoop of soil from your yard or garden. The soil acts as an activator, since it contains the natural bacteria necessary for composting. Now just mix the materials at least once a week, or every time you add scraps to it; and there you go-you have the perfect basis for creating all natural “black gold”. With regular mixing, you should have fresh compost in 4-5 weeks (providing that temperatures aren’t freezing outside).
Compost is wonderful, and essential for plants to thrive. Best of all you do not need to spend money on fertilizers, or a ton to get started making your own! I cannot wait for spring to roll around because we have hopes of growing a ton of healthy goodies.
**In climates with cold winters, like here in New England, the bacteria typically goes dormant (unless you have a huge compost pile). You can continue to add scraps throughout winter, and once the weather warms, the bacteria will become active and your compost process will resume.
—————-> Week 8 Update<———————
UPDATE: It’s been 8 weeks since I built this compost bin. Throughout February and March, I was filling it with all of our compostable kitchen scraps plus, shredded paper and leaves (for carbon content). During those first several weeks, the weather was too cold for the bacteria to activate and begin composting. However, in late March, I was pleasantly surprised to find my compost bin steaming one afternoon when I headed outside to drop another load of scraps inside.
Since then, the temperature outside has gradually increased and the compost bin is in full effect! Upon last check, we were at a steamy 140F inside the pile. I expect that temperature to rise to about 160F, once the outside temps are consistently above freezing, but this is great progress nonetheless!
It’s been about 3 weeks since the compost activated, and decomposition is very noticeable. In addition, the bin is pretty much filled to the point that I can’t turn the compost without it spilling out, so I stopped adding it. My plan now is to let it cook for another couple of weeks. If I keep turning it every few days, I should have finished compost by mid April (providing that we don’t regress back into freezing temperatures).
I’m considering building an additional bin, so I can have 2 active piles at different stages. But until then, I’ve been adding our kitchen scraps to our worm bin and Bokashi bin, which are different methods to composting. You can check out our reviews of those products, by clicking on our gardening tab above or by using the search box to the top right of our site.
Jaime R
AWESOME!
I NEED / want one so bad! I hate wasting / throwing away the scraps & we are allowed to burn our boxes & papers here, vs throwing them away too!
Deb
That is such a great idea!
Jessi Timmermans
Great tip! Ive seen other homemade compost bins but this is so simple
Jaime
Is it stinky???
Amy
Nope! It is just veggies, and such. If it had meats, and things that stink when they rot it would be super stinky!
kristen
Is this something that can be started now, in cold weather? We are in Michigan with super cold temps! Love the idea!
Jared Desrosiers
Hi Kristen, sorry for the late response. You could start the bin now, but the bacteria that works to generate the compost will likely be dormant. You can still add materials to the bin reguarly, and once the weather warms, the bacteria will become active and you’ll be on your way to making compost.
Tara "Marinara"
Red wiggler worms are needed for worm composting. Earth worms are not an appropriate choice for this job.
Amy
Yes, you are correct..those would be the appropriate choice for vermicompost bin. I added a few worms, but should have specified this is just a cheap, small bin for veggie/fruit composting.
Marie
How long do you let it process before using in the garden? I’m new to composting and gardening but excited to start this year! Do you just throw it on after planting or mix in before?
Jared Desrosiers
If you regularly rotate or mix your compost, it should be ready for the garden in 4-5 weeks. The key is to mix it everytime you add more compostables. The bacteria needs oxygen to survive and do its magic. At some point (when the bin becomes full), you should stop adding to it, and let it cook. Once it’s ready to use, it will have an “earthy” smell, and be nice and black in color. Compost should be mixed into your soil when planting, and also be used throughout the season as a dressing around the plant’s stem.
Grace Tamayo
what about mold? i’m new to gardening and want to start a compost bin but am afraid of mold and harmful bacteria. Would mold grow on the fruits, veggies scraps and would it be harmful to tomatoes/peppers?
Also, where could I find red wigglers?
Jared Desrosiers
Compost is a natural process. Mold and bacteria are also a natural part of the composting process. In fact, the presence of aerobic bacteria is necessary to convert your scraps into valuable compost. Also, don’t worry about mold in the compost. A good compost pile will kill anything harmful. Mold (fungi) is necessary for healthy plants and soil. You can buy red wigglers on Amazon or at a local worm farm or garden center. Good luck!
Becky
I have never composted before so forgive me if these are dumb questions…
1. Sometimes I overbuy veggies (its a habit i am working on) or our dinner plans simply change and I am not able to use all my veggies before they go bad. When I clean out my fridge and find slimy veggies, can I throw that in the compost pile?
2. How bad will your version smell? We just bought a house on half an acre so I am guessing I can put it far enough away from the house, but we do have an HOA and I don’t want to get any obnoxious odor complaints from the new neighbors!
3. I am very excited about being able to use the TONS of paper they send home from my son’s school (seriously with all the school budget issues do we think we could cut back on paper? But i digress…). That said, can i use paper that has ink, pencil, marker, etc on it?
Jared Desrosiers
Hi Becky, Those are good questions. You can throw old veggies into the compost pile. They basically just have a head start and will not harm anything. The bin will not smell bad at all, as long as you put in the right amount of carbon to nitrogen. The pile should not be wet, but should have the moisture of a damp sponge.If it has too much nitrogen based materials inside, it will become too moist and might smell. If that happens, just add some dry leaves or shredded newspaper. Some people dont compost paper with ink on it, because most ink isnt organic. I personally dont throw anything like that in my pile either. Most newspaper is printed with soy based ink, so that’s okay for your pile. Blank paper is fine as long as it isnt dyed with anything harmful.
Melissa
This is a great idea, thank you for sharing your brainstorming with the rest of us!
Mary
Great idea!! I’ve been thinking of starting a compost pile.
Heather
Hello! So, we are about to buy a house. I’m super excited because this will be the first time I’ve had a yard to even try to garden in. I have never gardened before, so I’m trying to learn all I can. While doing research I found your link. This looks like a great idea to get started with. Quick question though (which maybe really stupid): in the above comment it was stated you don’t want the compost to get too wet. The top has holes in it. What do you do when it rains to keep it from becoming too moist? We will have a shed and a back patio, but these do not seem like ideal places to keep the compost bin.
Amy
Hi Heather, you will be drilling holes in the top, sides, and bottom for drainage. The water will drain right out :)
Vicki B.
Hi! This is a great idea! I’ve needed a composting bin for so long and am just too cheap to buy one. And my husband is too much of a ‘Hank Hill’ to just let me start a pile in the yard! :) I do have a question though…does this cause a problem with bugs or animals? I’ve noticed a few rats running along our fence line which already means I have to keep my garden away from the fence (and close to my house). But have you noticed chew marks or any sign that critters or bugs are trying to get into your bins?
Amy
Hi Vicki, we have had zero issues with any animals trying to get in :)
Lindsey @ DishingUpHope
Yes! I have been wanting to start composting, but have been deterred by the price of such bins. Looking forward to our spring garden. Thanks!
Sara
I’m so excited about creating a compost bin! I’m new to gardening, but have so many ideas. In my research, I’ve noticed that a lot of compost bins have doors near the bottom to get to the “ready” compost. Is that not necessary? Do you just take the compost right off the top?
Jared Desrosiers
Hi Sara, Once the compost in the bin is ready, you can take it from the top, bottom, sides, middle, …you get the idea! Since, you’ll be mixing the compost often (whenever you add to it, and every 2 or three days once it’s filled). You will have the same consistency and “doneness” throughout the bin, so you can take the finished compost from wherever. Most of the bin companies locate doors towards the bottom, to make it easier for the user to empty the compost into a bucket or wheel barrow. I’ll be posting a lot more gardening content in the upcoming weeks and months, so be sure to check back for tips on growing your plants. Good luck with your compost and garden this year!
Amy
I bought a bin this weekend and was so excited to start composting again, but I can’t get my drill to go through the plastic! What kind of bit did you use?
Amy
Hi we used a sharp 3/8 drill bit to drill the holes in.
Amy
Thanks! The drill bit I was using said it was for wood, so maybe it just wasn’t cut out for the job. I bought a black oxide bit that worked great. Thanks so much for the tutorial!
Ronda
Hi, can you use brown paper bags as the paper source?
Amy
Yes, you can use clean ones..make sure they have no grease on them.
carrie
I’m wary of using a cheap bin because of the exposure of the plastic with potentially harmful Chemicals to sun and the elements, which may get into the compost which I would then put on food I will eat. Did you research any more environmentally friendly bins?
Amy
I have not, but this is a possibility with any plastic. Even rain barrels could do that if you really think about it.
Nicole
Because it’s plastic, is there a concern that chemicals may leech into the compost?
Amy
Most compost bins are plastic though so its not a huge concern for me.
Shobha
I am going to start composting & i got your DIY abt.composting. I’ll post about my trial.
Bonnie
I am excited to start composting. We love to garden but haven’t used compost before. I want to start soon but we are under 2.5 feet of snow, if I understand correctly we can still add everything except the dirt and wait until we can see the dirt again to add that right? When you say newspapers does that include the adds from stores that are full color?
Amy
Hi Bonnie, I would use plain newspaper to get it started.
Lindsay
Do you think you could collect compost tea by putting another lid underneath the bin or would it interfere with oxygenation? I’ve heard the fluids from compost make excellent fertilizer for vegetable gardens! Thanks for the fabulous idea, I’m excited to try this myself. I’ve been discouraged by compost bin prices.
Amy
Hi, I am not sure, but we did use compost tea from red wiggler worms. I would try out your idea! We actually had a 3 tier drainage system to achieve this.
Lisa
Should the compost bin be placed in a shady or sunny area?
Amy
The sun will help speed up the process, but either works!
Susan
How did this hold up in the weather? Wondering about how this will stand up against the elements. Did the plastic crack?
Amy
Hi! This lasted 4 years!!!! It held up really well.
Becky
Hi! Do you think you could keep this bin in a garage? I was thinking it might keep it a little warmer to keep the composting going through the winter. Plus it’s easier to throw the scraps away if its in the garage.
I was thinking I could just put something under it, like an extra lid I have lying around to catch any spills or leaks, and maybe just drill the aeration holes in the top and sides and not the bottom.
Thoughts, anyone? Has anyone kept one of these in their garage??
Amy
Hi! You can do this, just keep in mind it will smell a little! We have kept ours in our basement. You might want to lay a tarp down as well.