A DIY Storage Shelter And Raised Garden Bed Combo That'll Hide Your Outdoor Trash Cans

Outdoor trash cans are a type of necessary evil — you need somewhere to store your garbage before it gets picked up, but the bins are far from aesthetically pleasing. If you keep your trash outside, then finding budget-friendly ways to hide your outdoor garbage bins to make them less of an eyesore is probably top of mind. Luckily, you can DIY a beautiful cover for the bins that doubles as a raised garden bed.

Making a structure to conceal your bins is an easy and common way to keep them out of sight and make them less accessible to raccoons and other critters. Adding a garden bed on top helps make the structure more beautiful and is a great way to save space in your yard. So if you're ready to say goodbye to the eyesore of outdoor trash cans with a sleek DIY solution, this is the project for you.

To assemble the structure, begin by making a simple rectangular wooden frame using 2-by-4 boards, or any suitable scrap wood you have on hand, and some screws. Make sure your structure is wide and tall enough to cover your garbage bins. Remember to leave a little extra space so you can easily pull the bins in and out as needed. Once your frame is secure, use your drill and some screws to attach more wooden boards to the top and sides to fill your structure in. To save some time, you could also build the entire structure out of old wood pallets.

For the next step, you have a few choices. You can continue adding wooden boards above the top of your frame to create a built-in garden bed area. For something a little simpler, however, you can just place some pre-made or store-bought garden beds on top of the structure. 

To customize this DIY, consider adding doors to the front of it as well. The doors can conceal your bins further, or they can be used for additional storage of common outdoor items. When you're happy with the structure's build, add a fabric liner to the bottom of the garden bed portion, and fill it with soil. Then you're free to fill the bed with all kinds of plants that are perfect for a raised garden bed.