13 Simple DIY Compost Bin Ideas You Can Make on a Budget

Last Updated on October 31, 2021 by Phil

Want to create your own composter? Here are some amazing DIY compost bin ideas that are easy to create and dot eh work efficiently.

Composting is a great way to create your own rich organic material to amend garden soil. It uses things that are likely to end up in the garbage dump. So, the process doesn’t really cost a thing.

Plus, it saves you even more money since you don’t have to buy it from the store.

Check out the different compost bin designs below to see which one you prefer.

Simple & Easy DIY Compost Bin Ideas

Triple Compost Bin

Once you learn how composting works and want to increase the amount compost you can produce, you can expand the your bin to something like this.

This 3-box composter will let you create more humus-rich material for your garden easily.

Covered Compost Bin Crate

This is a lovely composter you can recreate by using wood and a few metal components.

All you need to do is construct a box out of the wood making sure that you leave some gaps in between. This will allow air to get into the bin which is crucial if you want to be successful in composting.

At the bottom, there is a slide out drawer which makes it easy to take the end product out. This beats having to go over the top to having to shovel out the finished compost.

Simple DIY Compost Bin

This simple DIY composting bin is a great place to start when you’re just beginning or learning to compost. I’ll admit, it takes some trial and error to get the hang of things.

This simple creation take just a few hours to create. And, you’ll be able to easily monitor things because it is open.

Concrete Compost Bin

While many bins are made from a bit more elaborate creations, you really don’t need anything more than 3 covered corners with some holes to allow oxygen to get to the pile.

IN most cases, people like to over the front as well. In this case with large pieces of wood. This keeps all the material out of sight from guests who may not be fond of seeing a pile of dump, especially if the compost is still in the early stages.

DIY Barrel Compost Bin

This is a DIY compost tumbler created by placing a large barrel on its belly with a strong wooden structure underneath the support it.

The large barrel works very well because it is much bigger than most of the tumblers that are being sold commercially. This will let you place more raw material in to get more compost out.

At the bottom, there is a wheelbarrow/wagon where you can open the bottom section of the barrel to collect the final “black gold” with. This makes getting it out of the bin and transporting it to the garden easy.

Wire Compost Bin

If you’re more concerned about function rather than looks, this is probably the simplest way to create your own compost bin.

While it’s not actually a bin, it serves the same purpose. The wire holds all the starting material (brown and greens) while the openings allow for enough air to fuel the heating process.

DIY Water Barrel Compost Bin

This is another version of the DIY compost bin above. It uses the same concept of a setting up the barrel above the wooden stand.

But, in this case, the stand holds the barrel vial its middle instead of underneath. Also, the openings are different with the previous flipping up and this one flipping downwards.

DIY Pallet Compost Bin with Flip Top Lid

If you happen to have some shipping pallets lying around in your shed or storage, you can use them as well. Pallets are perfect because they have slits in between the pieces of wood. This lets you just form the box and already have the air vents there.

You can leave it as that or add a top lid if you wish.

Box Style Composter

Box style composters are popular because they make it easy to build a pile. Plus, they’re easy to create. Should you want to be able to see how the process is going without opening the lid, you can use this design.

It provides larger gaps between the sides and a see through top as well. This way, you can easily take a peek at how the composting process is going without opening the top lid, which will interrupt its internal temperature.

DIY Wooden Composter with Top Lid and Bottom Door

Here’s another design with a bottom door to facilitate taking the final product out.

It uses the same concept as the other wooden boxes in our DIY compost bin ideas list. But, it uses a slightly more compact, taller construction with smaller openings.

Decorative Compost Bin with Front Facing Doors

In case you want to have something that looks good that does the job as well, how able adding some design to the walls of your bind.

Carvings and different decorative designs work really well because they allow oxygen to get into the pile. As long as you there’s air circulation and the right ingredients in there at the correct balance, it will start composting.

DIY Compost Bin Tumbler

This is probably one of the simplest compost bin setups I’ve seen. But, it does the job. And, you don’t need to spend a lot of time or money creating it.

All you need is a large plastic trash can and some wood. The canister will serve as you bin/tumbler. And, you’ll create the stand from wood.

Be sure to make the holders on the side strong enough to hold the bin when it is filled with organic material.

Small Compost Bin

If you’re just starting out or don’t have a lot of spare room in your yard, then this is a great way to compost without taking up tons of space.

Most bins are designed this way to create a pile upwards which produces more heat once the process gets on its way.

That said, it is a good idea to have a shovel or long stick around along with some kind of platform you can stand on to the side of the bin.

This will allow you to aerate the pile later on which makes the composting process work better and faster.

Sources

Triple Compost Bin – https://www.thegardenglove.com/12-creative-diy-compost-bin-ideas/
Covered Compost Bin Crate – https://www.pinterest.com/pin/452400725072557929/
Simple DIY Compost Bin – https://www.pinterest.com/pin/115967759143749430/
Concrete Compost Bin – https://www.pinterest.com/pin/51721095709915551/
DIY Barrel Compost Bin – https://www.pinterest.com/pin/252975704058858379/
Wire Compost Bin – https://www.thegardenglove.com/12-creative-diy-compost-bin-ideas/
DIY Water Barrel Compost Bin – https://www.pinterest.com/pin/1407443622948256/
DIY Pallet Compost Bin with Flip Top Lid – https://www.pinterest.com/pin/70298444173992252/
Box Style Composter – https://www.pinterest.com/pin/734227545478092058/
DIY Wooden Composter with Top Lid and Bottom Door – https://www.pinterest.com/pin/858428378962512128/
Decorative Compost Bin with Front Facing Doors – https://www.pinterest.com/pin/15692298690771664/
DIY Compost Bin Tumbler – https://www.pinterest.com/pin/53691420546198177/
Small Compost Bin – https://www.pinterest.com/pin/53550683056375582/