How to Build a Simple DIY 2-Bucket Worm Compost Bin

At Let's Go Compost, we believe the best worm bin is the one you'll actually use. For some people that's a professionally designed worm farm, while for others it's a DIY project built from a couple of buckets.

This guide walks you through a simple two-bucket worm bin that's inexpensive to build, easy to maintain, and a great introduction to vermicomposting for homes, classrooms, apartments, and community spaces. If you're new to vermicomposting, start with our Worm Composting for Beginners guide to learn how composting worms work and what makes them different from earthworms.

Why Use a Bucket Worm Bin?

A bucket worm bin is a great option if you're looking for a compact, budget-friendly way to compost indoors or on a covered patio. Red wiggler worms thrive in small spaces and quickly transform fruit and vegetable scraps into one of the best natural soil amendments available. Compared to many DIY worm bins, this version improves airflow, reduces excess moisture, and makes harvesting simpler.

Materials You'll Need

• Two food-grade 5-gallon plastic buckets

• One bucket lid

• Drill

• 1/4-inch drill bit

• 1/8-inch drill bit

• Piece of window screen or landscape fabric (optional)

• Waterproof adhesive or silicone (optional)

• Shredded cardboard or plain brown paper

• Spray bottle filled with water

• Approximately 1 pound of red wiggler worms (Eisenia fetida)

  • Not sure where to find them? Use our guide to Finding a Worm Farmer Near You

Step 1: Prepare the Composting Bucket

This is the bucket your worms will live in. Drill:

• 20–30 quarter-inch drainage holes evenly across the bottom

• 20–30 one-eighth-inch ventilation holes around the upper 3 inches of the bucket

If desired, attach window screen over the drainage holes to help keep bedding from escaping during the first few weeks.

Step 2: Prepare the Collection Bucket

The second bucket requires no holes. It simply catches any excess moisture and supports the composting bucket above it. Most healthy worm bins produce very little liquid, but having a collection bucket helps prevent messes and improves airflow beneath the composting bucket. Place the drilled bucket inside the solid bucket.

Step 3: Add Bedding

Fill the composting bucket about halfway with damp shredded cardboard. The bedding should feel like a wrung-out sponge, moist enough to hold together, but never dripping wet. Add a handful of finished compost or garden soil if available. This introduces beneficial microbes and grit that help worms digest food.

Shredded cardboard is one of the best bedding materials because it provides the carbon your worms need. Learn more about balancing browns, greens, and grit in worm composting.

Step 4: Add the Worms

Place your red wigglers on top of the bedding and leave the lid off for about 15–20 minutes. The worms will naturally burrow down away from the light. Once they've settled in, place the lid on the bucket.

Step 5: Feed Your Worms

Start slowly. Bury small amounts of food beneath the bedding in different areas each week. Good foods include:

• Fruit and vegetable scraps

• Coffee grounds and paper filters

• Tea leaves (remove plastic tea bags)

• Crushed eggshells

• Plain paper napkins

• Shredded cardboard

Avoid adding:

• Meat

• Dairy

• Oily foods

• Large amounts of citrus

• Pet waste

• Glossy or plastic-coated paper

If food remains after a week, reduce how much you're feeding until the worms catch up.

Keeping Your Bin Healthy

Healthy worm bins rarely smell. If your bin develops odors, it's usually a sign of excess moisture or overfeeding. To keep your worms happy:

• Keep bedding as moist as a wrung-out sponge.

• Add dry shredded cardboard whenever the bin becomes too wet.

• Bury food completely beneath the bedding.

• For best results, keep your worm bin between 55°F and 80°F. Our Worm Composting Temperature Guide explains what happens when temperatures get too hot or too cold and how to protect your worms year-round.

• Harvest castings before they completely fill the bucket.

If you notice odors, fruit flies, mites, or other issues, our guide to worm bin pests, smells, and common vermicomposting problems walks through the most common causes and how to fix them.

Harvesting Your Worm Castings

Once the bucket is mostly full of dark, crumbly worm castings, stop feeding one side of the bucket and begin feeding only the opposite side for several weeks. Most worms will naturally migrate toward the fresh food. You can then remove the finished castings from the side with fewer worms, leaving the remaining worms and unfinished compost behind to continue working. Ready to collect your finished worm castings? Follow our step-by-step guide to separating finished worm compost for several easy harvesting methods.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does a worm bin smell?

No. A properly maintained worm bin should smell earthy, similar to fresh soil.

Can I keep this indoors?

This simple bucket system works well in homes, apartments, and other small living spaces. If you're composting indoors, check out our guide to composting in an apartment for additional tips.

Do I need to collect the liquid?

Usually, no. A healthy worm bin should produce very little liquid. If moisture collects in the bottom bucket, discard it rather than using it as fertilizer. This liquid is leachate, which is different from properly brewed worm compost tea. Learn more in our guide to What Is Compost Tea?

How long until I have finished worm castings?

Most home bins begin producing usable castings in about three to six months, depending on feeding rates, temperature, and the number of worms.

Start Composting for Less

Building your own worm compost bin is an easy way to reduce household food waste, create a valuable soil amendment, and learn about one of nature's most effective recyclers. Whether you're composting in an apartment, classroom, library, or backyard, this simple two-bucket system is an affordable introduction to vermicomposting that can last for years with proper care.

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About Let’s Go Compost

Let’s Go Compost is a national nonprofit making composting simple, affordable, and accessible. Our programs bring hands-on composting to communities, helping people turn food and plant waste into healthy soil that supports food systems, native plant ecosystems, and pollinators. Learn more at letsgocompost.org and support our work at letsgocompost.org/donate.