There are many types of compost bin available to buy but making your own can often be rewarding as well as allowing you to design the bin especially to your needs. Homemade bins have the potential to look attractive in your garden and also allow you to reuse and recycle materials that you may already have around.

Types of homemade bin

There are many tried and tested methods of constructing your own bin and here we list just a few of them. We have also included detailed construction plans for a simple wooden compost box. There are several important points to bear in mind when building your own bin:

• Choose the right material – wood is often a good choice as it is easy to work with, looks good and has good insulating properties. Other materials to consider are straw bales, which provide great insulation but won’t last very long and can take up a lot of room. Chicken wire wrapped around some stakes in the ground makes a perfect leafmould bin, and this design can be used as a compost bin if you use some cardboard around the inside for insulation. Effective wormeries can be made with two or more large polystyrene boxes stacked up with worm-sized holes punched in the bottoms or from old dustbins (see Step by Step Worm composting for more information).
• Reuse materials if possible when making your bin or buy recycled materials - old pallets can be made into perfectly respectable compost bins. If using virgin timber ensure it is from a sustainable source (FSC certified).
• Consider the size – the bigger the bin the more likely it is to retain it’s heat, but only if you’ve got enough material to fill it. For households with small gardens consider a volume approximately 300 litres (0.3m2).
• Make it accessible – it’s important to be able to remove the finished compost, or to turn it if required. The usual method is to incorporate removable slats or sections into the design.
• A lid can be useful to regulate rainfall into or evaporation out of the bin.
• Safety – be careful when using tools, especially any power tools, and watch out for protruding nails.

Making a Compost Box 

The following instructions describe how to make a moveable, wooden compost box consisting of identical interlocking sections that are stacked one on top of the other. As the compost decreases in volume, the top sections of the box can be taken off and used to start building up a new container. Make a few extra sections and you will have a very flexible composting system. Keep the rain out with a wooden lid or polythene.

The size

The instructions given here will make a square compost box 75x75x75cm. These dimensions can be adjusted to suit your requirements and the materials available, which makes it ideal for using reclaimed timber such as floorboards or pallets. We would not recommend a box much smaller than this.

Materials and equipment

Materials & equipment needed to
build your compost box

To make one section of the box you will require:

• 2 of 75cm wooden boards, 7.5cm wide*, minimum 1.5cm thick.
• 2 of 72cm wooden boards, 7.5cm wide*, minimum 1.5cm thick.
• 4 of 5cm x 5cm wooden corner blocks, 5.5cm long*.
• 20 of 3.6cm screws, size number 8.
• 1 screwdriver, 1 drill, and 1 saw.

Total materials for 10 sections:
30m of 7.5cm x 1.5cm timber; 2.2m of 5x5cm timber; 220 of 3.6cm number 8 screws.

Building the box

1. Cut 2 boards, each 75cm long.
2. Cut 2 boards, each 72cm long.

Fix corner blocks
3. Cut 4 lengths of 5.5cm from the 5cm x 5cm timber. These will make the corner blocks.
4. Take one of the 2 shorter boards and place it in position on two of the corner blocks. The ends of the board should be flush with the blocks; the blocks should be offset so that they project 2cm beyond the edge of the board, as shown in the diagram.
5. Hold the board in position on the blocks. Drill 3 holes, 3cm deep at one end of the board, through the board and into the block below. Fasten with 3 screws.
6. Repeat steps 4 and 5 at the other end of the board.

Make up sections


Completed sections
7. Now repeat steps 4-6 with the second shorter (72cm) board. For the next stage you may need someone to help hold the pieces while you fix them together.
8. Stand the 2 shorter boards (with blocks attached) on their ends, approximately 75cm apart, with the protruding ends of the blocks away from you. Place a 75cm board on top of these vertical boards to form the third side of the section. Ensure that the ends of the longer board are flush with the outer edges of the vertical boards.
9. Drill and screw each end of the 75cm board, as in step 5. Use 2 screws only this time.
10. Turn the section over so that the unfinished side is uppermost. Place the second 75cm board across between the shorter boards as before. Position squarely and drill and screw as in step 9.

You have now completed the first section of your compost box. Continue making sections until you have as many as you want.