I have been doing a lot of yard work recently and have been trying figure out what to do with the clippings and weeds. I decided to make a compost bin, and it was surprisingly easy and fast. There are a number of plans out there but I wanted to do it as cheaply as possible. Because appearance is a very low priority, I was able to throw this whole thing together in less than an hour in a half, including travel time to the hardware store, and for less than $20.00.
First I used some 2x4's to make a box frame using 2" exterior screws.
You can get a bundle of 4' by 1" wood at Lowes in the lumber section. They are very splintery so you should be careful when handling them but they are only about $15.00.
You can take about 10 at a time and throw them on the miter saw and cut them the width of the sides of your 2x4 frame. I was able to cut each bundle twice giving me a longer piece and a shorter piece for each of the sides. I would suggest trying to make the total length of your sides less than 4' so you can cut one 4' piece for both sides.
I then used a brad gun to nail them to the frame. A piece of scrap wood is a great way to space the slats evenly. If you don't have a brad gun you can use a hammer but I would suggest getting a brad gun as it cuts so much time off many projects it's well worth the investment.
Like I said before, the time it takes to throw this together is astonishingly little.
