How to Make a Compost Bin: Five DIY Designs That Actually Work

You can spend $300 on a plastic tumbler that produces six gallons of compost a year, or you can spend a Saturday afternoon building a system that keeps up with a family’s kitchen and yard waste indefinitely. Knowing how to make a compost bin that fits your yard size, your aesthetic, and the volume of waste you actually generate is the difference between a backyard amenity and another good intention slowly rotting in the corner. The five designs below cover every scale from apartment balcony to half-acre suburban lot.

Design 1: The $20 Plastic Tote Bin (Apartment / Small Yard)

A 27-gallon tote with a lid handles kitchen scraps for a couple or small family with no yard waste contribution. Materials and build:

• One 27-gallon Sterilite, Hefty, or HDX tote with snap-on lid ($14)
• One drill with a 1/4 inch bit

Drill 25 to 35 holes in the bottom, sides, and lid. Set the tote on two bricks for drainage and airflow. Layer browns (dry leaves, shredded cardboard) and greens (kitchen scraps) at roughly a 3:1 ratio by volume. Stir weekly with a stick or trowel. The tote produces 5 to 8 gallons of finished compost in 4 to 6 months.

The single most common failure on tote bins is too much wet kitchen waste without enough browns to balance. Keep a paper bag of shredded cardboard or fall leaves next to the bin and add a fistful with every dump.

Design 2: The Wire Mesh Bin (Side Yard, Cheap and Fast)

For a yard generating modest grass and leaf volume, a wire bin is the cheapest large-volume option. Materials:

• 10 ft length of 36-inch wide hardware cloth or 2×4 welded wire mesh ($35 to $50)
• Six 12-inch landscape staples or four 4-foot wood stakes
• Wire cutters and a tape measure

Form the wire into a 36 to 40 inch diameter cylinder. Overlap the ends by 6 inches and fasten with three pieces of 14 gauge wire twisted with pliers. Drive the stakes around the outside to keep it from blowing over. The bin holds about 27 cu ft and produces roughly 9 to 12 cu ft of finished compost per cycle, every 6 to 9 months.

Wire bins look industrial — fine in a side yard, less appropriate as a garden focal point. Plan placement accordingly.

Design 3: Pallet Bin (Free Materials, Sturdy Construction)

Heat-treated wood pallets (marked HT) are free or nearly free at any home center, retail receiving dock, or Craigslist post. They build solid mid-volume bins. Materials:

• Four matching pallets — same height and width
• Eight 3/8-inch by 4-inch carriage bolts with washers and nuts, or eight 4-inch zip ties for a temporary build
• Drill with 1/2-inch bit
• Four 12-inch landscape staples

Stand three pallets in a U-shape with the slatted sides facing inward. Bolt the corners together at top and bottom. The fourth pallet becomes a removable front: hang it on hooks or attach with hinges. Stake the back corners into the ground for stability.

The finished bin holds about 36 cu ft and produces 12 to 16 cu ft of compost per cycle. The slatted sides provide excellent airflow, which speeds decomposition. Avoid pallets marked MB (methyl bromide treated) — they leach chemicals into the soil.

Design 4: Three-Bay Cedar System (Serious Gardener)

The gold standard for any yard producing more than a few yards of compost annually. The three bays let you turn finished compost forward as you fill the back bay with new material. Materials:

• Twelve 8 ft 1×6 cedar boards ($120 to $180 depending on grade)
• Six 4×4 cedar posts, 4 ft long ($120 to $160)
• One pound of 2.5 inch deck screws
• Optional: 4 ft sections of 1/2 inch hardware cloth for bay floors
• Optional: hinged or removable cedar lids per bay

Build three 4 ft by 4 ft bays side by side using the cedar boards as horizontal slats with 1 inch gaps between them. Each bay holds about 64 cu ft of material — enough for a half-acre property’s seasonal yard waste plus weekly kitchen contributions.

Cedar lasts 12 to 20 years untreated. Skip the pressure-treated lumber — the chemicals leach into the compost. The total build runs about $350 in materials and takes one experienced DIYer a Saturday plus a Sunday morning.

Design 5: Tumbler (Pet-Proof, Fast Compost)

Commercial tumblers ($150 to $400) work, but a DIY tumbler from a 55-gallon food-grade plastic drum costs about $80 in hardware and works equally well. Materials:

• One 55-gallon food-grade plastic drum (free to $30 from a soap manufacturer or food distributor)
• One 5 ft length of 3/4-inch black pipe and two 3/4-inch flanges as the spinning axle
• Two pressure-treated 4×4 posts and 2×4 cross-pieces for the frame
• Stainless hinges and latch for the loading door
• Drill with hole saw and 1/2-inch bit for ventilation holes

Cut a 12 in by 16 in door in the side of the drum, drill 30 to 40 ventilation holes around the body, and run the steel pipe through the drum at the center. Frame the support stand to hold the pipe at a comfortable rolling height (about 28 inches off the ground).

Tumblers produce compost in 6 to 10 weeks because the rolling action aerates the pile constantly. Capacity is smaller than a bay system but the speed and pet-proofing make tumblers ideal for smaller yards or homes with raccoons and dogs.

Brown to Green Ratio: The Single Rule That Matters

Every compost system fails for the same reason: too much wet, nitrogen-rich green material and not enough dry, carbon-rich brown material. Keep the ratio at roughly:

• Greens (1 part): kitchen scraps, grass clippings, coffee grounds, fresh garden waste
• Browns (3 parts): dry leaves, shredded cardboard, straw, wood chips, paper towel cores

If the pile smells bad, it has too many greens. Add browns. If the pile is not heating up, it likely needs more greens or moisture. A finished pile should feel like a wrung-out sponge — moist but not dripping.

What Not to Compost

Skip these items in any home system:

• Meat, fish, dairy, and oily foods (attract pests, smell)
• Pet waste from dogs and cats (pathogens)
• Diseased plants or weeds gone to seed
• Glossy or coated paper
• Charcoal ashes from briquettes (chemicals)

Pick the design that matches your yard and waste volume, build it once, and the system will pay back in finished compost for the next decade. Knowing how to make a compost bin properly is one of those skills that quietly improves a home and yard for years to come.