Homemade Compost Bins

Compost Bin Plans

Many people prefer to use homemade compost bins, wire cylinders or compost tumblers instead of free standing piles. Here are some examples and plans for homemade compost bins and compost tumblers. If you choose not to make your own compost system there are also lots of composters for sale here .

The advantages of compost bins and tumblers are in keeping your compost organized, they define your compost area and you may like how they look. I think their main advantage is in making cool piles with kitchen compost as they help to keep out scavenging animals and keep the kitchen compost from being spread around. Compost bins also work well for garden refuse and other bulky green and brown materials used to heat up your compost pile.

The disadvantages of compost bins are that they take time, energy and materials to build. The piles are harder to turn than free standing piles. The bins make it hard to move your piles to other locations to take advantage of water cycles or rotating bed areas with compost areas.

Whatever the composting methods you use, the principals are the same: Layer your kitchen compost with greens (nitrogen) and browns (Carbon) add a light spray of moisture and some air. Turn often for hot piles.
You can also let earthworms known as composting worms do the turning which is a good alternative. Earthworms create earthworm castings which is some of the best compost you can get! Raise red worms in your piles or make or buy an earthworm box.

Free plans for homemade compost bins and earthworm boxes

Portable Wood and Wire homemade compost Bins

Portable compost bins simply serve to temporarily confine a pile. When it is time to turn the pile or withdraw finished compost from the bottom, the bin is taken apart and set up in an adjacent location in your garden. The partially composted material from the top of the old pile is then forked over into the empty bin, leaving the finished compost at the bottom for removal and use.
Portable bins can be made from old wooden pallets lashed together or a roll of wire or snow fencing. These plans are for portable homemade compost bins made from hardware cloth stretched over four wooden lap jointed frames.

List of Materials:

4 12 ft 2X4's
12 ft of 36 in wide, 1/2 in mesh hardware cloth
100 1/2 galvanized No. screws
4 3 in galvanized butt door hinges and screws
4 hook and eye gate latches
carpenters glue

Tools:

Tin snips
Hammer and wood chisel or motorized saw, a potable skill saw, table saw or radial arm saw with a dado blade.
Power or hand drill with a 1/8 in bit
Staple gun

Construction Sequence:

Cut each 12ft 2X4 into 4 pieces 3 ft long for a total of 16 pieces.
Cut 3-1/2in wide by 3/4in lap cuts at the ends of the 16 pieces of wood. Ensure that the cuts are made on the same side of each piece. If using a handsaw and chisel, first cut a 3/4in grove 3-1/2in from the ends and chisel them out. If using a power saw, set the blade depth to 3/4in and make multiple passes until the material at each end is removed.
Make four lap jointed frames 3ft square with the 16 boards. Connect each lap joint with carpenter's glue and four wood screws. Piolt drill the screw holes with a 1/8in bit first to prevent the board ends from splitting.
Cut the hardware cloth with the tinsnips into four 3ft square sections. Reinforce each edge by bending it back an inch. Center each section of cloth onto a frame with the bent edge against the wood and staple the two together with a staple every 4in. Tension the cloth so that it will not sag when filled with compost.
Connect each pair of frames with two hinges. At the outside edge of each connected pair, attach the hook and eye gate latches so that the L shaped sections will latch together. For rain protection or to keep out animals a wooden cover can be placed on top of the pile.

This movable compost bin combines the benefits of a permanent compost bin and a free standing compost pile by its simple portable nature.

Now that you have your homemade compost bins check out these step by step composting instructions.

Worm Composting Bin

This worm bin is designed for composting vegetable food wastes using red earthworm box plans

worms. Food wastes and worms are "bedded " in shredded and moistened news paper, cardboard, peat or brown leaves. The earthworms turn both food wastes and bedding into a high-quality compost called worm castings, great for use on house plants, seedlings and general garden use. Click on earthworms for more information on Vermiculture or growing earthworms.

List of Materials:

1 1/2in treated sheet of plywood
1 14 ft 2X4
1 16 ft 2X4
1 pound of 4d galvanized nails
1/4 pound 16d galvanized nails
2 3in door hinges

Tools:

Tape measure
Skill saw or hand rip saw
Hammer, saw horse, long straight edge or chalk line
Screw driver, chisel, wood glue and drill with 1/2in bit.

Construction Sequence:

Measure and cut the plywood as indicated in the drawing below. worm bin plan

To make the base, cut the 14 foot 2X4 into five pieces: Two 4 inch and three 20 inches long. The remaining 12 inch piece will be used to make the sides. Nail the 2X4s together on edge with the two 16d nails at each joint as illustrated in the Base Frame diagram. Nail the plywood base piece onto the 2X4 frame using the 4d nails.

To build the box, cut three 12 inch pieces from the 16ft 2X4. worm box plan

Place a one foot 2X4 under the end of each side panel so that the 2X4 is flush with the top and side edges of the plywood. Nail the boards in place. Nail the side pieces onto the frame. To complete the box, nail the ends onto the base and sides. To reinforce the box, place a nail at least every
3 inches wherever plywood and 2X4's 2X4 Base frame meet. Drill twelve 1/2 inch holes through the bottom of the box for drainage and air circulation.

To build the lid,cut the remainder of the 16 ft 2X4, into two 51 inch lengths and two 27 inch pieces. cut lap joints in the corners, vermiculture worm box

then glue and nail the frame together. Center the plywood onto the 2X4 frame and nail with 4d nails. Lay the top on the ground with plywood touching the ground. Attach hinges to the top and back using the short screws to the top and the long screws to the back. Position hinges so the screws go through the plywood to the 2x4s.

There are many different kinds of earthworms, the best kind for compost are called Red Worms. Once you have some red worms just keep them growing and they will make you the best compost ever. Get your earthworms here!