Composting has already become a passion for garden lovers. The benefits you gain from it are very rewarding.  Some do it the usual way in their yard or farm.  Those who don’t have much space could use an ordinary trash can as a compost bin, but still others make their own compost tumblers for easy turning.  Be creative and learn how to build a compost tumbler as follows:

1. Acquire a 30 to 55 gallon barrel.  You can ask for this from your local car wash or from a chemical re-seller who buys merchandise wholesale and repacks it for retail selling. Normally, they will have no use of their big barrels and would love to give them away.

2. Cut out a one square foot opening on one side of the barrel.  This will serve as the door, so attach hinges and a latch on it as you will have to open it every so often when you start putting in your compost material.  Make sure it is strong enough so it won’t fall off when being turned.  Putting plastic or wooden support on the screws will help strengthen it and keep it from falling off later.

3. Secure wooden planks for both ends of the barrel.  The size should be identical.  Attach this on each end using screws and drill a bigger hole in the middle. The size of the hole should be slightly bigger than the circumference of the pipe that you will be using to pass through both end holes to allow it to easily turn.  The wooden plank will help strengthen the hole where the pipe will go through.  Plastic normally tears, especially when a heavy load is already placed inside the barrel. Wood is a better choice. As soon as this is done, insert the pipe to pass through the first hole and into the next.  The pipe should be long enough to cover the whole length of the barrel, plus about a foot each on both ends.

4. Build a sturdy stand made of wood or steel that is strong enough to hold the barrel length-wise with all its contents.  Both ends of the pipe should rest on this stand, so install the bearing on both ends to make it easily turn.

5. Drill some holes about a quarter of an inch big and about 6 to 8 inches apart all over the barrel to allow aeration.  Painting your barrel black is also recommended as the color black absorbs more heat, which help hastens composting. Mount the barrel on the steel or wooden stand and test it.  Make some adjustments if necessary, then you can start putting in your compost materials.

6. Your compost materials should have a ratio of four parts brown and one part green materials.  Brown should include your garden weeds, leaves, spent plants and flowers, spent ground beans, tea bags, tea leaves or just shredded newspaper.  Green parts can include your kitchen scraps like left over vegetables, peelings from fruits and vegetables, and almost rotten fruits and vegetables cut into pieces.  Meat and dairy products should not be included as they easily spoil and emit foul odors.

With everything all in your compost tumbler, you can periodically turn it to allow the contents to mix together.  This should also be kept moist but not wet.  Knowing how to build a compost tumbler can make composting much easier and may produce better compost as aeration is easily achieved.