How to make a compost bin cheaply

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Making a cheap compost bin really is easy. A compost bin is simply a structure built to hold the heap of composting kitchen and garden waste together in a pile. This keeps the heat created during composting inside the pile and speeds up the process.

You can use almost any material to build a compost bin as long as the contents are set directly on the ground. This will allow garden worms and other beneficial insects to get into the bin to do the important work they do in the composting process.
It's also important the compost bin is big enough and constructed in such a way to allow easy access to the compost to turn it over. This aerates the composting waste by letting oxygen into the heap.
Easy access to the compost bin will also be important when it is time to shovel out the finished compost.
Plan to be able to cover the heap to help retain heat the composting process generates will speed it up.

• Timber in the form of wooden pallets, sleepers or sawn timbers, I have included instructions to make a bin using sawn timber later in this article. Scroll down for how to make a wooden compost bin.
• Plastic could include a purpose made composter available free or at a small cost from some councils. You can also use PVC panels fixed to a frame, they are impervious to water, so would not rot away over time. If you or a neighbour are having cladding replaced the old strips fixed to a frame are ideal too.
• Concrete breeze blocks or old house bricks can be used to make long lasting compost bins. They have the added advantage of easily fitting a top to keep heat in and rain out.
• Coal bunkers. I use one of the old fashioned concrete coal bunkers. The ones that used to sit just outside the kitchen door. If you are lucky enough to find one and can dismantle and move it, they make great composters.
• Straw bales. Straw compost bins are maybe on the large size for most domestic gardens, but are a great way of producing a lot of compost in a short space of time. Scroll down for Straw compost bins.
• Garden soil. A really simple and very effective compost bin can be made by piling up earth to form a square. Instructions below.

Use six foot gravel boards for the length. Saw them in half for the sides and use four x four wooden posts for the corners to make the bin stronger.

A lid could be made and fitted, but newspaper, plastic sheeting or bin-bags do the same job.

You will need four pallets, plastic ties or nails.

Place the pallets on end to form a square, tie or nail two sides and the back together.

Use ties, wire or strong string to tie one side of the front pallet to the end of a side pallet, to form a hinge (you will need to be able to open the front to shovel out the finished compost)

Wedge the other side shut or tie shut with an easily opened knot.

To make a stronger and more stable compost bin using pallets, hammer 4x4 wooden stakes into the corners and tie or nail them to the structure.

old truck or car tyres.

Simply stack the tyres as high as you want, fill with kitchen and garden waste and remove the tyres one by one to get to the compost. Tyres speed up the composting process because they retain daytime heat.

Wire compost bin made from chicken wire.

Hammer four 4inx4in sharpened posts into the ground to form a 3ft square, tack wire netting to the posts leaving the front easily detachable so you can get the finished compost out. Use a couple more posts positioned in the middle to build a 6ftx3ft wire bin.