How to Make a Simple DIY Compost Bin for Your Garden (Step-by-Step)

🌱 Introduction

Want to turn your kitchen scraps into garden gold?
Building a DIY compost bin is one of the easiest ways to recycle organic waste and nourish your plants naturally.

Whether you’re gardening in a backyard or on a balcony, composting helps reduce waste, save money, and create a sustainable gardening routine. It also pairs perfectly with growing your own vegetables in containers. In this step-by-step guide, you’ll learn how to make a simple compost bin using inexpensive materials—no fancy tools or carpentry skills required!

🌼 Why Build Your Own Compost Bin?

Making your own compost bin has many advantages:

• Saves money – no need to buy a commercial composter
• Customizable – build a size and shape that fits your space
• Eco-friendly – reduces landfill waste and greenhouse gases
• Produces rich, organic fertilizer – perfect for enriching your indoor plants naturally

🧰 What You’ll Need

You probably already have most of these at home. If not, here are basic tools every beginner should have:

• A large plastic bin with lid, wooden crate, or old trash can
• Drill (for airflow holes)
• Optional: mesh screen, hinges, or handles
• Gloves
• Compost starter (or a handful of garden soil, dry leaves, or shredded newspaper)

🔧 Step-by-Step: How to Make a DIY Compost Bin

🪛 Step 1: Choose a Suitable Container

Pick a bin that’s at least 18 gallons (70L) if you have a garden. For balconies, smaller bins work too. It must have a lid and should be made of durable material (like plastic or wood).

🧱 Step 2: Drill Holes for Ventilation

Use a drill to make small holes on the sides, base, and lid of the container. This ensures proper airflow, which is essential to prevent foul smells and help microorganisms thrive.

🔩 Step 3: Add a Lid or Cover

If using a bin without a lid, attach one with hinges or use a breathable cloth to loosely cover the opening. This keeps pests out and moisture in.

🌿 Step 4: Add Your First Compost Layers

Start by alternating layers of greens and browns:

• Greens (Nitrogen-rich): veggie scraps, fruit peels, coffee grounds
• Browns (Carbon-rich): dry leaves, shredded paper, cardboard

Top it off with a sprinkle of garden soil to introduce beneficial microbes.

🌀 Step 5: Maintain and Mix

Every few days, stir your compost using a stick or hand shovel. Add water if it’s too dry, or extra browns if it’s too wet.

You’ll know it’s working when:

• It heats up inside
• The smell is earthy, not sour
• Scraps break down into dark, crumbly material within 1–3 months

🚫 What to Compost (And What to Avoid)

✅ Compost These	❌ Avoid These
Fruit & veggie scraps	Meat, fish, dairy
Coffee grounds & tea bags	Oily or greasy foods
Eggshells	Pet waste or plastic
Dry leaves & paper	Diseased plants
Grass clippings	Charcoal or coal ash

🧠 Common Composting Mistakes

• No ventilation: Compost turns soggy and smelly
• Too much wet waste: Balance greens with enough browns
• Overfilling: Leave space to stir and allow airflow
• Neglecting it: Stir regularly to avoid pests and slow breakdown

⚡ Tips for Fast, Smell-Free Compost

• Chop scraps into smaller pieces
• Keep a 2:1 brown-to-green ratio
• Cover fresh kitchen waste with dry material
• Store in a shady but warm area
• Add crushed eggshells for extra calcium

🌾 Final Thoughts

Building your own compost bin is easier than you might think—and the rewards are big. You’ll waste less, grow healthier plants, and contribute to a more sustainable lifestyle.

It also pairs well with projects like sMaximise Your Small Balcony: Space-Saving Gardening Ideas That Actually Worktarting a herb garden on your balcony.

👉 Have you started composting yet? Share your DIY setup or ask questions in the comments below!