When I first started gardening, I really wanted to try making my own compost, but I didn’t have a lot of money to invest in a fancy bin.

So I made my own DIY compost bin for free using materials I found in my garage, and you can too!

This easy project doesn’t take much time, and will get you set up to start mixing your own black gold right away.

Homemade Easy (& Cheap) DIY Compost Bin

If you’re new to gardening, and want to try composting for the first time, there’s no need to spend a ton of money on a fancy garden compost bin!

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Making your own doesn’t need to be a complex project either. You can easily build this one for very little money, and it’s a super quick project to set it up too.

This cheap homemade bin is the perfect way to try out composting, without a ton of risk. If you decide that composting isn’t for you, then you can just pull this out or your garden.

How Much Does It Cost To Make This Cheap Compost Bin?

As I’ve already mentioned, this project is extremely inexpensive. My local home improvement store sells small rolls of hardware mesh for less than $20.

At that price, you could create a really nice sized DIY compost bin, and still have leftovers. We had a roll collecting dust in our garden, so I didn’t have to spend any money on my project.

Be sure to check your garage or shed to see if there are any materials laying around in there that you might be able to use.

Related Post: 7 Tips For Winter Composting Success

How To Make Your Own Compost Bin

The best part about this easy DIY compost bin project is that you don’t need very many things to build it. Heck, you’ll probably be able to find most of this stuff lying around the house…

Supplies Needed:

  • Galvanized hardware cloth
  • Wire ties
  • Wire cutters
  • Work gloves
  • Safety glasses
  • Stakes (optional)

Steps For Making A DIY Compost Bin

Before getting started, I highly recommend that you put on some work gloves and safety glasses. The ends of the hardware cloth are very sharp.

Total project time = 20-30 minutes

Step 1: Measure & cut the wire mesh cloth – Unroll the hardware cloth, and then figure out how large you want the diameter of your homemade compost bin to be.

Then use the wire cutters to cut the mesh cloth to the desired length. Be sure to wear eye protection while cutting the metal.

Step 2: Position it in your garden – After cutting the mesh, bring it out to your garden, and set it up in the desired shape.

As you position it into place, just set the wire on top of the ground. Don’t bury it or it will be difficult to open once the compost is ready.

Step 3: Secure mesh into desired shape – Once you have the hardware mesh situated where you want it, and in the shape you like, then secure the ends together with wire ties.

Be sure to secure it along the entire length of the seam. You don’t want it to pop open once it’s full. But keep the ends of the ties facing out so it’s easy to open when it’s time to use your black gold.

Step 4: Support the sides with stakes (optional) – If you made your DIY compost bin very large, and the sides are a bit flimsy, then secure them with a few stakes.

I used the green plastic coated ones, but you could use metal fence posts instead if you want. If necessary, you can use additional ties to attach the wire mesh to the stakes, but that’s totally up to you.

Step 5: Start filling it up – Now that you have your homemade compost bin all set up, you can start using it right away. Simply toss your compostable kitchen scraps, plant material, and yard waste in.

Modifying My Easy Compost Bin Design

Now that you know the steps for building it, you can modify it to fit your needs, and the size of your garden. Simply modify my design to make yours larger or smaller.

You can build this DIY compost bin to any size you want, it’s completely up to you. But there are a few things to think about when choosing the size.

The smaller it is, the harder it will be to turn the compost. So, I recommend making it a 3′ diameter at the very minimum.

On the flip side, if you decide to build a larger one, then you may need to use stakes to hold up the sides. The longer and wider it is, the flimsier the sides will be.

Related Post: Beginner’s Guide To Gardening On A Budget (19 Cheap DIY Tips)

Like I said, this is super fast and simple to make. But if you’re not interested in putting one together yourself, then you can buy a pretty inexpensive one instead. Here are some good garden composting bins for beginners…

  • Classic square bin
  • Basic tumbler
  • Compact tumbler
  • Larger capacity

This simple DIY compost bin isn’t only cheap, it’s also a great way to get started with little risk. Plus it’s very fast to build. You can set it up, and begin mixing your own black gold in as little as 20 minutes!

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Share your cheap homemade DIY compost bin design plans in the comments below!