10 Compost Bin Plans

Creating a worm bin is a great way to begin composting, and takes up a lot less room than a large composter. All you need is a couple of five-gallon buckets and an hour time to make this under $5 worm bin.

Under $5 Worm Bin from Attainable Sustainable

Making a compost bin out of a trash can is a great way to get a compost pile going quickly and without much of a budget. You'll need a plastic trash can with a lid and a few other materials to build it. The whole project will take you less than an hour.

Trash Can Compost Bin from The Spruce

Here's a free compost bin plan that's an affordable choice for someone who wants a permanent area for compost, but isn't looking to spend very much money. This plan uses pallets to build the frame and some hardware to keep everything together. It's pretty easy to find free pallets, making this an inexpensive way to compost.

Compost Bin Built from Pallets from Mike's Backyard Nursery

If you're serious about composting and want to make a commitment to build something that will last, this wooden outdoor compost bin is what you'll want. A hinged lid makes it easy to add in items you want to compost but is sturdy enough to keep out any animals. Added features include hardware cloth which provides air circulation and hinged access to the bottom of the bin to get out the composted soil.

Wooden Compost Bin from Practically Functional

If you have an area outside where you'd like to start a compost pile, this plan will show you how to make it secure by surrounding it with chicken wire. You can easily change the size of this compost bin depending on the area you have.

Chicken Wire Compost Bin from The Spruce

A plastic tote can easily make a compost bin with some drilled holes to promote air circulation. Since this compost bin is low to the ground, it's also a great way to get kids involved with composting.

Tote Compost Bin from Just Call Me Homegirl

Another way to make a permanent outside compost pile is by surrounding it with straw bales. This lets you decide the size of the pile and you can easily change it as you see fit. It also provides insulation making quicker compost. As the straw breaks down it can easily be incorporated into the compost pile.

Straw Bale Compost Bin from The Spruce

This compost bin plan makes a compost tumbler, which makes it very easy to turn over your compost. These can be pricey if you buy one, but this tutorial shows you how to make one on the cheap with an old barrel and some sawhorses.

Compost Tumbler from Kinda Crunchy Kate

Here's a slightly different way to build a compost bin out of plastic storage bin. It includes directions on how to cover your drilled holes with wire mesh if you'd like to get even more air circulation inside the bin.

Plastic Storage Container Compost Bin from The Spruce

The easiest, quickest, and cheapest way to start composting for a garden is using the dig and drop method. All you need to do is a dig a hole by your garden and then add your organic matter to it. Cover the hole back up and you'll enrich the soil for your garden. If you're looking for a way to use this method for a large garden, consider trench composting.

Dig and Drop Composting from The Spruce