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in DIY/Home Decorating· House & Home

It’s time to replace our compost bin #DigIn

This is the first  sponsored post written by me on behalf of The Home Depot as part of a series about outdoor DIY projects  in the yard.  We have composted for almost 8 years now, since moving to our current home.  For years, we’ve just used pallets to kind of frame an area  for the compost bin, which is not aesthetically pleasing but quite functional.  Having the open front means we can easy access the compost to turn it with the pitchfork or to grab shovels full for whatever we are planting.   Having the front open means also that the kids can bring worms they find around the yard to the compost and help the process along- and hey, whatever it takes to keep them from bringing worms inside my house and putting them on the table! But, the pallets aren’t made for this and are falling apart.  Part of the compost bin was also hit by falling trees and branches a few times during the nasty storms we’ve had here in Connecticut.  It’s time to replace and get something more substantial.

compost bin made with pallets

 

I have seen many different kinds of compost bins that you can purchase in stores and online.  I’ve seen fancy compost crocks that you keep in your kitchen and use to tote the food waste back and forth to the compost bins.  For us, it seems kind of strange to buy a container to tote our food scraps to the compost- we have a bowl we use and run through the dishwasher.  The kids take turns bringing the bowl down to the compost bin.  I’m sure the store bought composters are great but we’re DIY folks and I don’t think my husband would want a purchased bin.  He likes to make things and repurpose them (like the pallets). So we’ll be going with the DIY compost bin this time around.

I found really simple, clear instructions and a shopping list for supplies for how to make a compost bin over at The Home Depot website and was able to go to the store sans husband, get the items I needed and return home with a van full of wood.  The only thing I wasn’t able to do from the instructions was to purchase cedar posts or boards- apparently, these are special orders and not available for purchase off the shelves in most stores.  We will find a safe product to seal what I did purchase and I think we’ll find it to be a great alternative.  (If you really want to do the cedar, which I wasn’t able to wait, plan ahead and place the order ahead of time).

home depot employee

With my list in hand, my littlest one and I headed to The Home Depot on a Friday morning.  We were greeted with friendly smiles and Jamie was quite willing to offer his assistance so that I could find what I needed without pushing the humongous carts around the store in circles.  If you are ever shopping in Manchester, Connecticut,  ask for Jamie!! He was really helpful and more importantly, knowledgeable about both his department and where to direct me for assistance in other departments.  He’s also clearly a good sport, letting me take his photo for a blog post!!

Now that we have all of the supplies we need and plans for how to build a compost bin, we’ll be sharing the results of that project  after it’s complete.

shopping for compost bin materials

 

Maybe I’ll even show you pictures of the plants and flowers my shopping assistant convinced me to buy before we even met up with Jamie.  It’s hard to say no when she wants to help garden!

It’s home improvement time, and The Home Depot has everything you need to #DigIn for Spring. No matter what projects you want to tackle, they have great values on all you need. They’re ready to help you with renovation ideas and expert advice, too.

Get over $300 in email exclusive savings each year, sneak peeks on new products, monthly lawn & garden ideas for your region and access to The Home Depot’s gardening experts. Click here to join the world’s largest garden community today! Or go to homedepot.com/gardenclub to see some of the many benefits of membership.

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of The Home Depot.

About Brett

I'm a 40 something lifestyle blogger living in Connecticut with my husband and our 3 kids, plus our two rescue pups. We love to hike, travel, play games, watch movies, and just be outside together! Having 3 active kids makes for a hectic schedule and I try to share content, recipes and other things that can help to make today's busy family life simpler, easier, or just plain more fun!

I started working full time at a local middle school in fall 2021 and some of my students are insistent that I am mean.

Comments

  1. Jackie Watson says

    Very similar to the one that we built. We had two pallets on the back side. We just wired it together and it’s worked well. I use the Folger’s coffee cans (plastic) for my compostables. Be sure to hit up Starbuck’s for used coffee grounds!

  2. Dana Lange says

    I really want a compost bin. I have never thought about making one but have contemplated on buying one. I will defiantely be reevaluating making my own now!

  3. Yesenia says

    This is a great idea! We actually started a very small compost bin that actually worked so I think we need to upgrade!

  6. Sue Hull says

    That’s an awesome idea and would be a fun project for the whole family to do. Thanks for the tips 🙂

  7. Lisa Brown says

    A compost bin is great. My MIL just has a pit in the ground where she tossed all the material in.

  9. Dawn Lopez says

    Oh how cool! I’ve always wanted to make a compost bin, thanks for the encouragement and tips! This just might be the year 😉

  10. MattK says

    I always like building things with discards like pallets and 5 gallon buckets… saving this idea for later! 🙂

  11. Stefani says

    I love that you have one and actually use it! How neat. I have thought of making one somewhere in my back yard.

  14. Ellie W says

    The truth is I know nothing about composting. And not much about gardening either. Very informative post!

  20. Amanda says

    Hubby had plans to make a three bin composting system that looked pretty simple until I received a compost tumbler. I would love to see your project and hope it is going well.

  21. Maria says

    Our home deopt is great about assisting us with our questions as well. Kudos for composting!

  24. Matthew's Mom says

    I know so little about composting, but am excited to learn. Please keep posting on this!

  26. Robin Wilson says

    I am 100% compost pro! We compost too. I wish we had the huge kind that gave you 3 diff levels so that it would “turn” faster. But ours is more like the one you pictured. Please post pic when you are finished! Home Depot rocks!

  27. Amy Orvin says

    I have never composted before but I know it’s excellent for flowers and plants. I’d love to see pictures of your flowers.

  28. Tammy S says

    I love how helpful they are at Home Depot. My husband could spend hours on their website. Making your own composting bin is so easy and great for your plants.

  29. Kathleen says

    We have had many gardens; vegetable and flower, but we have never had a compost pile or bin. I always wanted to. I just worried it would smell and be more of a job than I wanted to take on. I enjoyed your post and would love to see pics of your growing gardens!

  31. Sarah L says

    I think it’s great that you compost – apartment living doesn’t work for that.

  32. Elizabeth Owens says

    You have to post the pictures of the flowers and plants! I want to see!

  33. Carla D. says

    Have seen so many awesome ideas involving pallets. Would love to try this myself.

  34. Ari says

    I love the idea of a more sturdy compost bin. Ours is currently just chicken wire in the shape of a cylinder. We also use a bowl to take scraps straight to the bin once a day. I bet cedar would be a great wood to make a more durable compost bin, but I guess as a specialty wood type it would require a pre-order. Your little assistant is adorable! Glad you had a knowledgeable person at Home Depot! Thanks for sharing your project! I look forward to reading the rest of the process!

  35. Marti Parks says

    They’re not nearly that helpful and friendly at my local Home Depot, but I love the idea of the pallets.

  37. Rust says

    I’m a garden club member and I love home depot. Can’t wait to see how your new compost bin turns out!

  38. Vicki Hale says

    Hello, every time I put my coffee grounds in the trash can, I think ‘that would make good compost material’, but I live in an apt. complex without an inch of land to call my own. So…anyway, I hope your project goes well. Vicki

  40. Kimberly Schotz says

    This is something I have been thinking about. I am going to add it to our to do list.

  41. Dianna Thomas says

    We made the pallet compost bin too, I really want one of the tumble drums but alast my hubby says”NO” we are not spending money that way– so the pallet bin is what we are going to have to use. It does help alot to get the garden going, and I am thankful that we have have it. I’ll be keeping my eyes open for your next post on this….Thanks

  42. Christina says

    I can’t wait to see the results of your compost project when you are done. I want a compost bin so bad… and a rain barrel lol.

  43. Holly Thomas says

    What a great idea with the pallets, my Husband can get them from work for free!!

  44. Susan Marina Brown Lane says

    We used to compost at our old house and haven’t started here. We are talking about getting some gardening going, so I need to start it back up. I need to talk to somebody at Home Depot – we have coyotes- about the best way to keep animals out of the compost AND garden. We will probably need some kind of fence…. =)

  45. Karen Glatt says

    Composting is very good for a garden and it is all natural fertilizer. I like Home Depot because they are so good at helping with any need that a homeowner has. They can get you everything you need to make a new Compost bed. You also had a cute helper with you!

  46. Mary v. says

    The use of pallets is a great idea kind of a double reuse– house and yard scraps and what would just end up waste wood

  47. April Yedinak says

    I think it is neat that you all DIY your compost bin. I thought the pallets were ingenious, can’t wait to see the new one. I find it hard to pass up flowers at Home Depot when I go, too.

  48. Jill A. Collins says

    I have always wanted to do this where I live now, however, we are getting ready to hopefully sell our house so I don’t want to start one right now. But this IS something I very much am going to try once we move into our new home. It’s just awesome for gardening!

  51. Cynthia C says

    This is such a good idea. Kitchen and yard scraps can do a lot of good for the garden and don’t need to go to the landfill.

  52. joseph gersch jr says

    wow, I never thought of making your own compost bin, would love to try it myself

  53. Ruby Daniels says

    I will see what my husband says about this, but I am just afaird around here we have to many dogs and cats runnings loose, (heck, I have 2 myself, of course not run loose). this might be a good project for my son and husband durning their summer break.

  54. Sue C. says

    So great that you’ve got the family involved in the compost project. It’s so nice to find such helpful info on so many DIY projects at the Home Depot website – it’s really inspiring to know there’s such good help available when I’m ready to start a new project, both at the website and in the store.

  58. Lewis says

    I live in an apartment, but, if I leived in a house composting is great, green way for sustainable living.

  60. Pam says

    Your helper is definitely a cutie. 🙂 I get motivated by the Home Depot flower department too! I can’t wait to see the new bin.

  61. Rust says

    What fun! I can’t wait to see how the new compost bin turns out. (but hey, I thought your pallets were fine!) Home Depot is one of my favorite places to shop and their assistance-folks are always so helpful.

  62. sandy weinstein says

    have fun, i prefer to compost by throwing my stuff over the front porch into my plants…coffee grinds, etc. i live in the country and would have way too many problems w/ coyotes, deer, foxes, rabbits, etc….

  63. sandy weinstein says

    i dont really compost, i live in the country, i throw coffee grinds, egg shells, old lettuce, etc. off my porch into my plants around the porch. also orange/lemon rinds to keep the bugs away….my home depot is not that helpful at all. in fact, it is hard to find anyone to help you when you go in…

  64. Christina Kelbel says

    I really wish we could compost but it’s just too difficult living in a rat infested city.

  66. Shelley P says

    I want to start composting this year. We don’t have enough room in our yard for anything big but I saw a DIY project where you can use an old plastic garbage bin. You drill small holes in it and can roll it around to turn the stuff inside. I don’t know how well it will work but I am going to try it : ) Can’t wait to see your finished project!

  68. cole marie mckinnon says

    We shop at Home Depot at least once a week and have spent thousands there. Love their products because they stand behind them if they are not up to standards. As for a compost bin, we do not have one, however, I read the review and am thinking in terms of buying one at Home Depot, which is approx. 300 yards from my home.

  69. Tammy S says

    Thanks for the tip about checking the Home Depot site. We compost and have been talking about getting a bigger bin. By composting we have been able to go to every other week trash collection. That has helped us save a lot of money over the year. I would much rather do a repurposed bin if we can. I will have to show the site to my husband. Thanks for sharing!

  70. Beeb Ashcroft says

    I’ve been meaning to start a compost bin for years now! I think a compost crock for the kitchen would be really good for me, because I love the idea of having a sealed place indoors to collect the wet trash. (We seem to get a lot of bugs in the summer )

  71. Daisy says

    Very cool! We’ve been trying to learn more about composting. I look forward to reading more about your experience.
    PS – Love your cute helper! 🙂

  72. Holly S. says

    I can’t wait to see the finished bin. We would love to start composting and I really want one of the kind that you can turn with a crank.

  73. Karen Glatt says

    Home Depot has gotten a lot more helpful. Before, I had a hard time getting help, but now when I walk in there they are so helpful and really teach you about what I need to learn about a home project I am doing. That is nice that you were able to get your compost pile fixed. That is great that you compost, very healthy for the garden. Your little helper is so cute! you must show the flowers you planted!

  74. jules m. says

    i tried doing worm composting once, i was supposed to keep the bin under my sink and put my waste in it.. but i just couldnt deal with the worms LOL i ended up throwing it outside and freeing them.. i wouldnt mind doing a compost bin outside though

  75. Sandy Cain says

    Um…..this is a little embarrassing – but I never knew what a compost pile was until just now. I’ve always lived in apartments – I always had a vague idea that compost was just a pile of garbage you left in the yard, for some unknown reason. Now I know about it. PLEASE DON’T LAUGH AT ME!! *ashamed at ignorance*

  76. Amanda Sakovitz says

    good luck and I’m excited to see the pictures. I’ve never done composting before but my fiance and I have considered it. I love your little help too, shes adorable 🙂

  78. addrienne mertens says

    we started a garden this year and got a rude awakening ..frost! we are in with the neighbor..she knew there was an alert but didnt cover.. now we have to start over with the tomatoes. i think we should start the compost pile too. i hear compost tea is great for watering plants.

  79. Jennifer says

    Your little assistant IS the cutest!!! Sounds like quite a project, but cannot wait to see the finished product. 🙂

  80. DEBIJOT says

    Looking forward to your pictures when you have finished. Maybe that will be the deciding factor for us in building a compost heap.

    • Brett says

      Do you garden, Amanda? It’s a great way to boost your plants without spending more $$. and kids love watching stuff rot. LOL

  85. Paula V says

    Yeah, who could resist that face to much of anything but especially to something like gardening…it’s a great think to learn about when young. I am so blessed that my mom taught me great fundamental things like cooking, gardening, and such.

  88. denise smith says

    we dont have a home depot in our are wish we did the project looks good so far i wish you luck and hope everything gos well

  90. Janet W. says

    We love shopping at Home Depot. Whenever we need plants or supplies, that’s where we head!

  91. Crystal W says

    I couldn’t believe how much nice my flower garden looked after I started composting.it really makes a world of difference.

    • Brett says

      It was 1/3 FULL at the beginning of the spring- we’ve just had to do a lot of planting (25 trees++ ) and it’s all gone. We’re building it back up.

  94. Tammy S says

    I wish I could have a compost here someday I will do when I have a house. Home depot is a great place for home improvement projects indeed. Compost is so great too help with the environment plus great for plants

  95. Sarah L says

    My town house has no place for composting. This year I will have a Growbox with herbs on my patio.

  96. md kennedy says

    Good for you! I am sure you could have bought some fancy-shmancy super-expensive compost thingy at Williams-Sonoma (along with a $4,000 chicken coop and chicken diapers!) but I’m with you – DIY is best and probably works as well or better and is and of itself biodegradable!

  97. Chrysa says

    I wonder if that store associate knows he is “famous” now? 🙂 I haven’t composted in a while, but am thinking I have just the spot for it at our new house. I think I might have to head to Home Depot to get started!

  98. isis says

    Home Depot always makes me feel encouraged to do some improvements at home! I’d love to see your project after it’s done!

    • Brett says

      In a week or so- hoping to get the new bin built Sunday, but I have to shoot a wedding all day tomorrow so it may not happen

  99. Michelle says

    Hmmm…can’t wait to see this project from start to finish. You may be inspiring me to try something new in my backyard!

  100. Mitch says

    Firstly, your helped is adorable!
    I mean your daughter!
    And I may live in a NYC aprantment, but I have 4 tomato plants growing in my son’s room (best sunlight in there), and we have done some home composting to help it along!
    thanks!
    Mitch
    PS There is a Home Depot in Manhattan, we have gone there for their free kids workshops, they are awesome!

    • Brett says

      Mitch- my niece has a city- window garden in Boston- we found a cool carrot growing method using a 2 liter soda bottle!! I think its more exciting almost doing gardening in a city dwelling- we have a lot of space to make a huge bin and stuff. Many don’t. So you have to be really creative!

  101. JulieK says

    You DO have an adorable assistant!!! I actually like the look of the pallets but definitely looking forward to what your NEW bin looks like!!!

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