Super Easy DIY Indoor Compost Bin

Ever since we moved to our acreage I have been meaning to build a compost bin. I hate throwing away fruit and scraps in the garbage when I could easily throw it in a pile and make some nutritious soil for my garden next year.

After this past weekend I was motivated to get home and make on. My BFF’s in law’s are great at recycling and composting items so it was an easy motivator.

I wanted to get something for inside though so I didn’t have to keep walking all the way across the yard to throw stuff in the compost. I came across a super simple DIY indoor compost bin made from:

• 2 gallon bucket
• drill
• felt or bristle pads
• glue

Here is what mine looks like!

I started by finding an old paint bin with lid from our Quonset barn, you definitely need to have a lid to keep of the smelliness inside the bin.  I didn’t want one that was too big so I stuck with a 3 gallon.

I started out by using a drill to create the holes in the top to let air come in and out of the container. Three rows in the center is about all you need.

From there, flip the lid over and using felt or bristle pads glue it over the holes. I used spray glue… so easy!

 

This will keep away those stupid little fruit flies that always seem to make their way into the house no matter what but will still allow for air transfer.

After this… being that I am a girl and like things to look pretty… I spray painted the containers lid and bin from white to green.

After that, I took a sharpie and decorated it up! Just make some room under the kitchen sink and WaLa indoor compost bin in less then 30 mins!

But where do I throw the stuff when it needs to be emptied?

My outdoor compost pile!

The previous… possibly previous previous owners had this old cattle wire wrapped and placed elsewhere on the property to burn trash in. I’ve had my eye on it for quite some time. I understand if you’re going to burn stuff… it’s a big thing out here in the mid west… but when I took this apart to move it I went through the pile of rubble and they were burning cans, tires, glass bottles, bolts, wire, basically EVERYTHING! You don’t do that, it’s not good for the environment and if your going to burn, try your best to recycle cans and plastics separately.

This this was a HOG to move but I rolled it a good 150yards across our land from the old burn pile to a spot near our garden. Picking a place to compost is just as important as how your are going to compost. I choose near the garden off the yard because  A) the garden is right there – easy access for spreading future compost & throwing yucky veggies into the pile and B) it’s far enough away from the house so we can’t smell it but close enough that I don’t get sick of walking out to throw my scraps from the kitchen out.

Compost and Garden

Winston Love’s to Compost as well

To start my compost pile I grabbed my stack of news papers from inside and laid them out and sprinkled water to moisten them. This will help kill the grass and weeds beneath so they don’t grow up through my pile. From there I have already thrown rotten tomatoes from the garden and plan to throw some dried up day lily leaves on it from around the house. 

G & I plan to have another larger pile near the barn for where we will compost manure from animals. I’m happy with what I’ve done for now and really need to get out and buy some containers for recycling glass & plastic.

Go Green :)