Whether you call it garbage or trash, you need a place to put it, and a can is an answer. Yet while we all deal with these practical containers, no one really wants to see them. That’s why we’ve collected these 18 plans for hiding your trash cans, including screens, sheds, and multipurpose enclosure options. No matter your budget or DIY expertise, you’re sure to find inspiration that will have your yard looking better in as little as a day!
On this page
- 20 DIY Plans
- 1. Simple Lattice Screen
- 2. DIY Garbage House
- 3. Waste Bin Enclosure
- 4. Outdoor Garbage Bin
- 5. Trash Can Cover
- 6. Doored Garbage Can Shed
- 7. Fence Board Trash Can Screen
- 8. Potting Bench with Garbage Can Cubby
- 9. Trash Can Fence
- 10. Color Block Trash Can Cover
- 11. Black Corner Trash Screen
- 12. Lattice Trash Can Screen
- 13. Wooden Garbage Box
- 14. Stylish AC Screen Cover
- 15. Wheelie Bin Storage Unit
- 16. Lattice Trash Can Screen
- 17. Recycling Shed
- 18. Trash and Recycle Bin Screen
20 DIY Plans
1. Simple Lattice Screen
Not only does this simple design hide your trash bin from sight, but it also adds a sturdy, flat surface on which to set your trash or recycling bins. It requires just two hours to complete, one for prep and one for assembly. The simplicity of this design means it’s best if you only need to hide your garbage can from one angle and don’t want the screen to serve any other purpose. However, you can spruce it up with paint or climbing plants if you’d like.
To make your own screen, you’ll need wood for the base and to frame the lattice. If you measure twice and cut once, you can practically wing this design without any plans. However, designer Sean gives invaluable advice when he reminds the reader to make sure the frame fits around the tops of the cans.
2. DIY Garbage House
It’s rare that a trash bin gets its own enclosure and rarer still that it can be called a “garbage house” like this DIY plan. But the name is as cute as the design, which includes a space for a small garden on top of the “house.” You’ll love how you can choose to add the sliding doors if you want to camouflage your garbage bin or not.
Blogger Rachel has clearly thought out the detailed instructions, which call for cedar boards for the frame of the house and pond liners to create a flower bed. Plus, she knows how handy pavers can be when staining and assembling your garbage house!
3. Waste Bin Enclosure
Compared to the garbage house, this enclosure isn’t much to look precisely that’s exactly the point! Simple slats are a smart choice. Additionally, it’s L-shaped, so it works well to hide your cans while keeping them accessible to deposit a bag or move to the curb on trash day.
The instructions take advantage of some free driveway space, so you don’t have to account for uneven ground. However, you can see in the finished photo how the plans weren’t perfect–one can’s wheel and top stick out. Keep that in mind when measuring materials for your trash can enclosure.
4. Outdoor Garbage Bin
If you’re wondering how to hide a single or smaller garbage can that you don’t need to move to the curb, this plan might be right for you! You can set your trash bag directly in the enclosure or place a garbage can in it like the original (which doesn’t use the can lid).
The hinged and sloped top of this wooden garbage bin makes it look more like a compost container than a trash can. In fact, you could start with this design and convert it to that purpose if you wanted! Don’t worry about confusing instructions either, because Shelly added blueprint-inspired images that make it easy to replicate this garbage bin.
5. Trash Can Cover
This DIY trash can screen is the perfect way to hide unsightly trash by cans without installing swinging or sliding doors. The entire structure is on wheels, so you can easily pull it out to move your cans to the street and push it back into place. There’s no side access, so you’ll have to toss your trash bags over the side. This design choice will work best on pavement and not dirt.
Although the original uses white paint, you could choose a different color or sand and paint the cover if it better matches your home. You could even adjust the plans to tuck the wheels inside the bottom slats and hide them from sight.
6. Doored Garbage Can Shed
Due to its size and multiple doors, this garbage enclosure is a bit more complex and time consuming to make than some of the other designs on this list. However, the finished design is so sleek and functional that you might not mind. You could knock it out during a weekend if you don’t get rained on like the Wilkersons!
Like smaller dumpsters, the top features two lids that you can lift to add trash to the cans inside. Simple hook-and-eye latches ensure that they stay closed even in inclement weather, however. But the real draw is the hinged doors in front that open to let you remove and replace your garbage cans with ease.
7. Fence Board Trash Can Screen
If you have some trash cans that are nothing more than an eyesore and a few fence boards, you have almost everything you need to create this screen However, like an actual fence, this split screen uses posts set into the ground, so you may need to purchase or borrow a posthole digger.
Once the posts are in, you can secure the boards to them horizontally. Some people might even stop at this step and sand or paint to match their existing fence. But you can continue to frame the screen and hide the posts. That extra step really makes the difference before the finishing touches!
8. Potting Bench with Garbage Can Cubby
Why settle for a garbage box when you can also have a potting bench? Gardeners will love this multifunctional structure, which could also be used for other hobbies or crafts. It includes shelves that are perfect for clay pots and soil, slats from which you can hang smaller tools, and doors that close securely to hide trash cans or other supplies underneath the benchtop.
Get ready to put your woodworking skills to the test, however. This might be the most ambitious project featured here!
9. Trash Can Fence
Next up is another screen inspired by fencing, but you don’t have to dig holes for posts thanks to its shape! Because the fence isn’t fixed in place, you can easily move it if you want to change your landscaping or mow your lawn, and you could even add casters if you want it on wheels.
The original plans used scrapwood, including some fence posts, and 2x4s. Corner braces add stability, and hanging a flower basket on the side, whether real or fake, ensures the space is an eyesore no more! Just make sure to keep it light or removable if you do wind up moving the fence.
10. Color Block Trash Can Cover
The combination of painted and natural wood in this DIY project is a highly customizable way to prevent your trash bin from blowing open or tipping over on those windy days. Paint the entire thing or choose a different border color. It’s up to you! It was initially designed for a single trash can, and you could alter it to fit another bin or two if you need. And although the original uses pretty basic hinges and latch, you could upgrade the design with premium hardware to give it something just a little bit more!
11. Black Corner Trash Screen
You’ll appreciate the way this simple black trash screen hides your cans. When concealed behind a plant and tucked against the side of the garage like Katie’s garbage screen was, it practically blends in! The trash can remains hidden inside the screen yet is easily removable for trash, thanks to large pavers and an open side.
Aside from digging portholes, the project couldn’t be easier, partly because the width of the two sides is precisely the length of the boards Katie chose to work with. Of course, you could make your bin screen wider or deeper if you prefer.
12. Lattice Trash Can Screen
Carpenter Ethan offers a simple solution to an untidy yard with this trash can screen made from lattice and supported on fence posts. The hardest part of the job may be ensuring that the posts are level, but Ethan does a great job explaining how he achieved this in his plans. After that, you must secure the cut lattice and border wood to the posts and apply a coat of paint or sealant if you desire.
13. Wooden Garbage Box
This wooden box serves as a dumpster for Nikki, who needed a place to store her garbage bags before pickup day. She lives in the country and doesn’t use plastic garbage cans, so a DIY box was her smart idea! You could potentially store trash cans inside the box permanently, but it’s not the best option for cans that you move to the street because it only opens from the top. Still, the lids were an easy solution for Nikki’s garbage bags and could also work if you want to create a compost bin!
14. Stylish AC Screen Cover
With its angled slats and posts topped with pyramids, this screen stands apart from others on this list. It was originally designed to hide an air conditioner, so you’ll need to adjust the plans for a taller and possibly wider screen to hide trash cans. If you wanted to hide your bins from more than one angle, you could craft multiple screens and leave a gap at the corners or secure two sides to the same post at a 90-degree angle. Finally, a coat of paint or decorative plant would be a great addition to this design, but you could do without it, too!
15. Wheelie Bin Storage Unit
The author of the blog post is open about the mistakes he made. For example, he initially had a more ambitious plan for a suspended floor that was a lot of unnecessary effort. He also discovered the drawbacks of using pallets, which are made from boards that aren’t as uniform as those you can purchase at a hardware store. Finally, choosing untreated wood means that his storage unit will eventually need to be replaced. Still, readers can learn from his mistakes as they build their own garbage bin storage unit and get inspired by the unique green-tinged stain he used.
16. Lattice Trash Can Screen
This trash can screen looks quite sleek thanks to the combination of lattice on top and solid pieces below. The extra height ensures that the entirety of your trash cans remains hidden from view.
Unlike other lattice screens we’ve highlighted, this one actually uses vinyl fencing that’s designed to be modular and easy to put together with all of the finishing touches. This saves you time and effort. And if you’re not a big fan of the lattice look, you could choose a similar product with a different style. Best of all, these vinyl components will last a long time!
17. Recycling Shed
Adding shingles to this recycling shed makes it look professional and not at all like a DIY project! It’s also the only design on this list that is specifically built for a trash can and the smaller recycling bins that you might still use if your recycling company requires you to sort recyclables. You don’t have to use this shed for recycling bins, however. The shelves would be perfect places to store garden tools, which will remain tucked behind the two smartly-designed doors.
18. Trash and Recycle Bin Screen
Pam made this screen to hide her trash and recycling bins with standard-sized boards that completely hide her hideous trash can. She even used scrap wood to create the pyramid caps for each of the posts! Her instructions are perfect for those following along, especially if you may want to use different dimensions than she did. If you’re worried about the stability of the posts, you can use quick-drying concrete instead of pebbles, but it will make the DIY project take a bit longer.
