Make Due and Mend
#throwbackthursday
By: Sabrina Merks
For the next few weeks I will be sharing some crafts and things you can do while at home and to get yourself ready for a fruitful spring! This week will be how to make your own compost bin!
Composting is one of the best things you can do for your garden, but a compost bin can cost you anywhere from $50 to $300. This will give you some instructions to make your own for a fraction of the cost! Compost is the perfect soil amendment, and it’s free for you to make at home. A compost bin needs to have space for the dirt, scraps, and other items you add into it. It needs to have drainage holes and air circulation. Pretty simple, right?
Items you will need!
- Rubbermaid Container
- Knife, Box Cutter, or Drill
- Duct Tape
- Chicken Wire
- Scissors
Step 1: Pick Your Compost Bin
First, find the container that you want. Rubbermaid compost bins work amazing! Make sure it’s, at least, 24 inches tall or taller, and it does need to have the lid as well. A lid is necessary to keep the dirt moist and all of the critters out of the bin.
Step 2: Poke Holes in Your Compost Bin
Once you have your container, poke holes in the bottom and sides of the container. Adding holes to the bottom of the bin is necessary for two purposes.
- You need aeration (air movement) throughout your compost. You really don’t want to trap all of those scents into the bin.
- The holes let water drip out of the bin.
Step 3: Fix The Lid
Next, cut a rectangle out of the lid. This provides plenty of airflow and lets you add water to the bin without needing to take off the lid. Plus, it keeps animals out of it. Cut the chicken wire to be a bit larger than the rectangle you cut. Using duct tape, secure it to the lid.
Step 4: Toss in Dirt and Create a Base
Now, you’re ready to start composting. Add dirt, fruit and veggie scraps, some dried leaves from your yard, and more.
Step 5: Toss in Your Food Scraps
Now it’s time to start composting kitchen waste. So many items that you have and use in your daily life are compost safe.Worried that you’ll put something unsafe into your compost bin? Make a composting list!
Here are some green and brown materials for composting.
- Eggshells
- Coffee Grounds
- Tea Leaves
- Fruit Scraps
- Veggie Scraps
- Newspaper
- Napkins
- Lint
- Old Wine
- Leaves
- Grass Clippings
- Twigs
- Shredded Brown Paper Bags
- Corn Stalks
- Coffee Filters
- Straw
- Peat Moss
Step 6: Turn and Moisten
The last step is to moisten the materials and turn it with a shovel. It’s not a good idea to add TOO much water. If you add too much water, you can end up with a stinky compost bin. Turning with a shovel is just as easy as it sounds. Use a shovel and turn the dirt around. You need to do this each time you add something to your bin, but that’s simple. Leave the shovel nearby.
And that everyone is how to make a compost bin! Just in time for spring! Make sure to tag is if you make one! See you next week for another make due and mend!
If you have the time consider donating to help support the museum in our time of need!
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