In an effort to live a little “greener” I decided to make my own compost bin. Since I am on bed rest, I had to rely on my trusty helpers to accomplish this project. I searched the internet for several weeks trying to find the easiest and cheapest way to make a compost bin, and finally came up with this idea.
You will need:
- 1 Trash can with lid
- 1 Drill
- 2 Bungee Cords
- Kids that like to roll things around the yard
I do not recommend making this inside, unless you have to sit in your bed to take the pictures.
Using the drill, drill holes in the garbage can. We decided to drill 4 or 5 holes on each “side” of the can. ( I realize circles don’t have sides, but I hope you understand what I mean) After consulting with several readers, I would drill 10 to 15 holes on each side. The more air the better.
It helps to have one person drilling and another person holding the can steady.
When you are finished it should look like this.
Then drill several holes in the lid.
Once you are finished drilling all the holes fill the can about 1/3 full with grass clippings and leaves. Then spray them with a little water so they are damp.
You can then begin adding your kitchen waste. Here is a list of things you can add to your bin.
Keep your lid secured on your bin, we used bungee cords.
Every few days have your helpful children roll the bin around the yard to mix things up.
Store your bin in a sunny spot to help break things down quicker.
Total cost of this project: About $15 for the can, the bungee cords were in the garage.
Total time spent: Less then 30 minutes including clean-up.
Disclaimer: The pregnant lady on bed rest was not harmed nor did she get out of bed during the making of this bin. All work was done by children in accordance with Maryland child labor laws.
This post is linking to The Nester and A Soft Place to Land.
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LOL! I love your disclaimer! I’m going to make mine following your pattern and we even have some old plastic garbage cans under the deck that just hold some old hoses and junk. Tons on bungee cords in the garage also. So this won’t even cost me anything.
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That’s the *EXACT* one I was thinking about doing when I found this site: http://www.thecompostbin.com/2008/04/compost-tumbler-from-garbage-can.html
You’ll have to report if your smaller holes work as well as the others 2-3 inch mesh-covered holes.
*clapping* Good for you, Mom!
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I was just trying to figure out today how to make a compost pile. This is awesome and would work well in our small yard space!
Love it!
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that is pretty funny with your disclaimer. i am going to take yout tweet and see if my 2 year old can make it, hehe. might try this i need a compost bin and cant afford a 300 one!
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This is GREAT! I’ve been looking for something like this to do with my kids! I can’t wait to do this over spring break!
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I love it!! Perfect for the garden. Thanks for posting this.
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Great job!! We are crawling our way toward composting…thanks for planting a seed.
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That is really something.
My compost pile is just two seperate spaces next to my fence. Critters like it there. I should make the one you have and force the kids to do the compost hussle.
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Bed rest is hard — you are away from the action and after a bit, it frankly hurts. I was on bed rest with my 4th child from 14 weeks until birth at 36 1/2 weeks.
Moms in Repose was an organization devoted to moms on bed rest and one of the things they stress is to focus daily on what you can do rather than lament what you can’t. This project has that mindset written all over it. Good job! I’ll bet everyone had fun making it and I’m sure the kiddos will enjoy rolling the can around the yard. Happy composting!
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That’s AWESOME!!!! Hubs was shocked at how easy and effective it looked…guess I’ll be heading to Wally-world for a can and some cords so that we can get into composting again!!
Thanks for the idea!!!
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Great job. My FIL told me though that 4 egg shells crushed up is perfect for 2 tomato plants. Also banana peels are good for rose bushes. Thats from my grandma who is 81 & has more rose bushes on her 10 acres than I care to count. Its just old country wisdom handed down. We are trying both this year as it is our first w/ both. Good luck
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I want to start a compost bin, but per our HOA rules, I can’t keep garbage cans outside (except on trash day).
Is it at all possible to compost indoors? Like, if we kept the bin in the garage, for example.
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That is exactly what we did. It has worked great. We have 2 of them, so that one is finishing off and 1 is for new scraps.
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You can add worms to it to speed up the process. Don’t forget to add dry – newspaper shredded works great to keep the smell down and to have a healthy balance.
My HOA doesn’t allow trash can compost either. But the local city sells compost tumblers 2 times a year for under $40. Last time they were $25 each with a limit of 2 per house hold. Check your local city, they might have a similar program.
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This is just awesome I was just talking to DH about wanting to do a compost pile in the backyard and he didn’t want “that” stuff just sitting out in the open but this way I might just be able to convince him to do so.
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Thanks for the post with the pictures and details – I’ve been wanting to do this for a while, but haven’t found a demo/instructional I liked – this is one I will definitely use!
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I’m definitely going to have to give that a try. We have a worm compost bin inside but we produce tons of produce scraps with 6 kids that I’ve been wanting to add an outdoor bin. I had been wanting something easy but I just couldn’t bring myself to pay $100 for one out of a catalog.
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We just have a big pile in the backyard. 10 feet of screen makes a roughly 3-ft diameter circle, and we piled up lots of leaves and yard waste inside. Food waste gets added on top, a pitchfork is used to bury it slightly. Worms come from the ground, rain comes from the sky, and barely any work is needed on our part to turn out great compost. Sometimes we turn it with the pitchfork, but rarely. Worked a lot better than the plastic bin I initially started with.
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I’m emailing this to FishPapa right now! This is exactly what I’ve been wanting. Thanks for showing me how!
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This is just like my composting bin!
Although, I bought a trash can with a lid that locks on, so I don’t have to use the bungee cord. Hope you enjoy it!
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LOL about disclaimer! Great job! I have no clue how to start a compost bin, so I’m going to talk to dh about what he thinks since it seems too easy “Not to do”.
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we definitely need to try this out!
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What a great idea! I’ll have to put it on the boy’s to do list!!!
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Great tip! I’ve been wanting to make one of these for awhile.
Thanks for sharing!
~Liz
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I did this compost bin a couple weeks ago. The hard part is waiting for something to happen!
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That was funny about the labor laws. My boys help out quite a bit around here!
~Kim
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This is great! I have been wanting to do one and then read something about needing to keep worms in there? It kind of grossed me out so I thought maybe it wasn’t for me. We can definitely do this. This will be our 2nd year gardening and I’m hoping we won’t have quite as much rain as last year!
Sorry you’re on bedrest – I’ve been there, done that and it’s quite boring! Looks like you still have plenty to keep you busy, though!
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Thank you for this! I’m going to suggest it to my husband, as it looks easier than what we were recently talking about.
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Just a few suggestions:
1) I think more holes would be better. Composting requires oxygen, so drill a ton of holes – I drilled maybe 60 or 70 per trash can, and I used a bigger bit (3/8″).
2) I didn’t drill holes in the lid. The main reason I use a lid is to keep rain and animals out. I did drill maybe 15 holes around the top rim – just under the lid.
3) Drill holes in the bottom. Earth-worms will find their way in along with microbes from the soil it’s sitting on. Plus you MUST have a way for this to drain or you’ll end up with slimy gunk.
4) If your primary source of nitrogen is grass, do not add more water. It will turn to slime. I add NO water because my primary source of compost is fruit and vegetable peels/scraps. If you don’t have holes in the bottom of your can, you will literally have 6 inches or more of standing water/slime in the bottom – even if you don’t add ANY water. Trust me on this. I had to dump mine out, spread it out, and let it dry. It was a mess! So be sure to add plenty of straw, dry leaves, or shredded paper, for every batch of grass/vegetables/fruit you add and NO water. Most of the stuff you add is mostly water.
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Jeremiah Reply:
September 12th, 2009 at 7:46 pm
Bob,
Thanks for the important amendment to the Happy Housewife’s great idea. I hope more people read your post.
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“We feed all edible scraps and non-edible to our trusty dog who is our garbage disposal and things such as egg shells go in a pile in the back of the yard along with coffee grounds etc.”
I suggest you stop doing this immediately. You have no idea how dangerous human food can be to a dog. Save yourself hundreds on vets bills and feed him dog food only.
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Sounds great! Can’t wait to get started. How long does this process take until you can use it in your garden? I’ve got the Arizona heat to help me out.
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Well done. Good luck with your compost. You may want to add more holes if the can starts to smell. More air = aerobic decomposition, less air = anaerobic decomposition which is very stinky.
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Oh, thanks for the tip! I’ve been wanting to make a composter of some type – I keep seeing ideas for bins with worms, but ew – no thanks. I like this!!
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Good for you! Every yard should have a compost bin. It’s so nice to see that “black gold” after things have broken down. Very rewarding tackle!
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I love this idea! I’ve always wanted a compost bin, but couldn’t decide on a location and how to go about it really. THIS, I could do, and my son would love getting out there and rolling that thing!
I had to snicker slightly at the person who commented about not feeding scraps to dogs though. Yeah, I’ve “heard” it’s not good for them, but my dog has eaten them all her life. She is 14 years old and going strong – never been sick or needed trips to the vet other than rabies vaccines. She’s as healthy as a horse! So, it just made me laugh a little!
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This is AWESOME! We just followed your instructions this afternoon! Woohoo!
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This is great. I have been wanting more information on composting. Thanks for the easy project. I think I’ll start this weekend while starting my garden.
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Thanks for easy composting instruction. I plan to start this weekend while starting my garden.
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wondering how your compost is going now a month later??
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Fearful of Frying my Earthworms in Florida
I want earthworms in my compost bin but read they like temps no hotter than 77 degrees.
Unfortunately I live in HOT Florida. I was wondering if…..
anyone has had (in a hot climate) success raising earthworms in their compost bin?
I made the exact compost bin but put holes in the bottom, raised it by sitting it on four pots, and put a pan under to collect compost ‘tea’.
In the bin I put equal amounts of leaves, torn newsprint, grass clippings, table scraps, and a bag of store bought cow manure which contained several earthworms. I am really hoping the worms will multiply but fear they will die in the heat. Only morning sun hits the bin. I also keep the lid half open during the day and close only at night to protect from animals.
Any suggestions are welcomed
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Thank you so much for the info and the good laugh. I am going to go out right now and make it!
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Sigh. If I only had either an available trashcan with a lid, or a spare $15-$20 to purchase one. My 14yo wants to start composting and it’s not going very well!
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this is exactly what I was looking for. had one something like it but w/o the lid and side holes. will revise. thank you thank you thank you
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there are several ways to compost your kitchen scraps! i have 2 different systems and looking into another one currently. 1) i have an expensive $190.00 compost bin fill the top and remove finished from the bottom. 2) vermicompost, with this system you can keep it in your appartment, basement, garadge, warm months outside. red wiggler worms eat food scraps and can be kept in small plastic bins or totes, my favorite web site about this is http://www.redwormcomposting.com/getting-started/ and 3) now i have found another interesting way to compost my kitchen scraps with black solider flys. they do not bother you at your picnic they do not annoy you they do not carry disease i am looking forward to starting my first biopod. i came across this web site threw the red wiggler worm site i mentioned above. http://www.thebiopod.com/ i am finding out that i can start my food scraps in the biopod with the black solider flys then when they are done eating i can move the scraps to the red wiggler worm bins then when they are done eating i can move the mostly decomposed scraps to my big outside compost bin for it to finnish off. the black solider flys like the fresh food scraps. the red wiggler worms like to eat the microbes that grow on decomposing food scraps. hope you all find the system that works best for you! good luck to you all! enjoy!
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What a great site. Your directions were clear and easy to follow and realistic. Being a happy homemaker myself, I exceedingly appreciate that. It was exactly what I was searching for, an inexpensive, easy, space-conscious way to compost. My can is drilled and ready and I’m off to begin filling. Thank you
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I LOVE it!! We are on year 2 of Square Foot Gardening and I cannot decide whether we will tackle our on compost this year or next! You make it look easy enough to do this year!!!
We have the frames built for this years garden. Hoping to have it all in by this Sunday!
Thank you for sharing your inspiration. Best wishes for safe delivery with a healthy baby and mommy!!
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I love the kids rolling it around too!
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Gotta love it!!
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