Say Goodbye To The Eyesore Of Outdoor Trash Cans — This DIY Hides Them Completely

When you leave them outside unprotected, garbage bins are magnets for crows, raccoons, squirrels, and other marauders, and — let's face it — they're pretty darn ugly. What if you could build a structure to contain them that would actually add a little class to the front of your home? That's exactly what TikTok user nauticalhomedesigns did, and she even shared detailed instructions to help others do the same. In her design, cuts of dimensional lumber come together to make an attractive small shed with doors, providing just enough space to hide the bins.

For this project, you'll need clean 1-by and 2-by wood, some proficiency with a drill and a circular saw, and a fairly large and flat working space. To get the streamlined look that nauticalhomedesigns achieved, you'll also need to use a jig for drilling pocket holes. Pocket screws efficiently join wood while remaining invisible after you fill the holes, and when you use wood glue to reinforce them, the joint is incredibly strong. One more essential design feature is the wood slat spacing on the doors, back, and sides of the structure (but not the top). This looks more appealing than a solid structure while still keeping out varmints, and it helps aerate the trash so it doesn't stink. 

You can make an enclosure big enough for one, two, three, or more bins. In the interest of economy, don't design it bigger than necessary. If you include in your measurements about 2 inches of clearance on each side of each bin and about 6 inches on top to allow for the door frame, that should be plenty. 

While you could start this project in several ways, perhaps the easiest is to design a frame from 2-by-4 lumber that's wide enough, deep enough, and tall enough to accommodate your trash bins. Assemble the frame with pocket screws on a flat surface. While nauticalhomedesigns uses her kitchen table, a standard work bench is obviously preferable.

@nauticalhomedesigns

Finally, put it all into one video! Two cart cart enclosure to hide these unsightly bins! FULL plans available in my bio #garbagecan #outdoorliving #diybuild #diytutorial #buildit Build it yourself Do it yourself Outdoor project Woodworking project Woodworking plans Trash can

♬ original sound – Nautical Home Designs

Construct panels for the sides, back, inside divider (if desired), and doors from 1-by-4 or 1-by-6 material. Make each door half the width of the back. Cut the pieces you need using a circular saw, lay them flat on the work bench, and assemble horizontal cross pieces to vertical stiles, using a spare piece of wood to get uniform spacing between the slats. Spread wood glue on each joint, clamp the structure together until the glue dries, and drive pocket screws through the slats and into the stiles. Omit the spacing when you assemble the top to protect the bins from rain and snow.

Finish assembly by screwing the panels to the frame with pocket screws, hanging the doors on hinges, and installing a latch to secure the doors and keep out critters. It's a nice touch to also attach the top with hinges to make it easier to put trash in the bins. After you stain the enclosure to fit your desired aesthetic and apply two or more coats of spar urethane (spar varnish) to protect the wood from the elements, your enclosure is ready to accept your garbage and recycling bins.