9 Budget-Friendly Ways To Hide Outdoor Garbage Bins To Make Them Less Of An Eyesore

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

Outdoor garbage bins are an eyesore, but also a necessity on your property. Leaving them out in the open can ruin your landscape aesthetic, especially if they're worn out and faded from years of use. Fortunately, there's no need to leave large outdoor cans out in the open. There are plenty of budget-friendly and DIY ways to hide outdoor trash cans and boost your curb appeal.

Below are nine affordable ideas to conceal your garbage for under $140, especially if you already have the necessary tools and supplies to get them done. It doesn't matter if you're an amateur or expert DIYer, as any of these projects are doable with some planning and motivation. It'll take less than a weekend to conceal your garbage bins from your neighbors and passing cars for the foreseeable future. Read on to learn where you can purchase products and find materials to create outdoor garbage can storage that is far more pleasing to the eye, so you can have the beautiful yard you always dreamed of.

If you're looking for a classy but cozy way to hide unsightly outdoor garbage bins in your yard, try a woven-style partition. Choose one that is at least 42 inches tall and 32 inches wide to ensure it can hide a standard-size outdoor garbage bin. Pick a partition labeled waterproof and for outdoor use, so it holds up against the outdoor elements. The PayLessHere Room Divider comes in four, six, or eight-panel models, which range between $51.99 to $87.99. The more panels you have, the easier it'll be to maneuver and balance on an uneven surface. However, only the four-panel version comes in all three color options: black, brown, or beige, making it easier to complement an outdoor landscape.

Most people don't have two spare doors sitting around, but they are findable for cheap at thrift stores like Habitat for Humanity's ReStore, or on local online listing sites. All you need are basic DIY building materials, like hardware, a drill, and wood sealant, and to find four pressure-treated wood posts at a local home improvement store. This project's total cost varies depending on how expensive (or free) the doors are, but can easily be kept under $100 if you scavenge for the materials. 

Another solution to hide outdoor trash cans is building a rustic wood barricade. Buy outdoor-treated wood planks from a local home improvement store, and cut them to size. YouTuber Robin Renovates found her wood blocks for only $4 a piece, and by cutting them in half, she only needed four of them to hide 42-inch-tall garbage bins. Her total project was very budget-friendly, only costing $16 for the base materials. If you follow her lead and already have spare hardware, a drill, and a saw on hand, it's doable for cheap. You may need extra supplies and to take a custom approach to secure it in place with brackets on a cement, grass, or wood surface.

For a more modern and minimalist disguise for your outdoor garbage bins, consider using a retractable privacy screen. The Kanagawa Retractable Side Awning comes in polyester or aluminum form in three different sizes, and all options are tall enough to hide a garbage can. The gray polyester screen is the most budget-friendly and goes for $105.99. As long as your house has a walkway, driveway, or front porch, you can easily install this awning and slide your garbage bin behind it during non-pick-up days. It isn't installable in natural earth, so be wary if you don't have a cement, concrete, or wood base to work with.

Blend your garbage can area in with the rest of your landscape using a unique wood privacy screen with attached planter boxes. Set up something like the Vivohome Wood Planter Raised Garden Bed with Trellis on the side of your house, protruding out to hide the trash bin spot. It's made of a natural-colored fir wood that fits in with a woodsy and plant-filled landscape, and features a square-patterned trellis where you can grow tall and thick vines to hide your refuse. It's only $114.74 for the combination planter and trellis. If you don't have a green thumb, you can always cover it in affordable artificial vines, just make sure to pick a UV-resistant option like these CQURE Artificial Ivy Garlands.

If the planter box aspect is too bulky, you can also shield your garbage bins with a traditional standalone trellis. Make sure your chosen trellis is at least as tall and wide as your garbage bin, so it isn't visible from the street. The Zhongma 2 Pack Metal Garden Trellises for Climbing Plants is over 50 inches tall, and comes with two trellis pieces. It's only $64.99 for the pair, and they stake directly into the ground without prep work. Wait for real plants to grow or drape the trellis with artificial vines and other decor. The $21.99 outdoor Suddus Solar Fairy Lights with Vines are a great option to jazz up your landscape and distract from the unattractive garbage bins behind them.

Consider hiding trash bins in your yard with a DIY wood fence that matches a pre-existing fence line. If you still have spare fencing on hand from an earlier project, all that's left to purchase are minimal materials and supplies to execute this concept. If you don't have leftover fencing, you only have to buy a single panel that's large enough to hide a garbage bin. Cost will vary depending on your previous style choice, but purchasing a single wood fence panel usually falls between $45 to $100. Follow these easy tips for building your own fence to DIY a garbage can cubby while on a tight budget.

Embrace a classic mid-century American landscape by hiding garbage bins behind a vinyl privacy screen that emulates a white picket fence. White picket fences can be styled to add curb appeal, obscuring your trash can while adding a traditional aesthetic to your yard. Enclo Privacy Screens' No Dig White Vinyl Privacy Screen is just tall enough to hide your garbage can from several angles. A two-panel pack costs $89.99, and it stakes directly into the dirt, grass, or mulch surfaces, making installation stress-free and easy. However, the stakes are not built for concrete or wood foundations.

If you don't want your garbage bin to be seen from any angle, a pre-built shed will do the trick and have extra perks. A lockable shed made out of solid materials will also protect a bin from curious and hungry wildlife, and keep it safe from rain and wind. It can be tricky to find sheds that meet this criteria that are also within a budget-friendly range. The best places to look are on Facebook Marketplace and other resale sites, where you might find a used one for cheap. Otherwise, Amazon occasionally has like items listed at a steal, such as the Greesum Outdoor Storage Shed, which goes for $109.99.