DIY Composter Bin

Wire-Mesh Compost Pile

• 1

  Clear an area of your yard measuring 3 feet by 3 feet. Choose a sunny spot that's out of the wind.

• 2

  Wrap the wire mesh so it forms an open-ended cylinder with overlapping ends. Attach the ends together with wire that is 14-gauge or stronger.

• 3

  Fill the wire cylinder with lawn cuttings and kitchen scraps. Keep it moist. Use a shovel or pitchfork to turn the material weekly.

Plastic-Tub Composter

• 4

  Purchase a lidded plastic storage tub with a volume of at least 30 quarts. For a very small composter, you can use a plastic cat-litter tub.

• 5

  Drill several 1/4-inch holes, spaced 4 inches apart, in the bottom half of the sides of the tub for drainage and aeration.

• 6

  Place your compost bin in a sunny part of your yard and fill it with yard clippings and kitchen scraps.

• 7

  Turn your compost weekly with a small spade. If your tub is small enough, you can also pick it up and shake it to aerate and mix the contents.

• 8

  Use your compost when it crumbles easily and the individual components are no longer recognizable.