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How to Make a DIY Pull Out Trash Can

Monday,August 24, 2015 By Kristi 24 Comments

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How to make an easy DIY pull out trash can and recycle bin. 

I am so excited to share another project with you from the kitchen renovation. Yes, it’s another job crossed off the list, but it’s one of the things that was on the top of my must have list from the very beginning of the kitchen remodel. Not only that but it’s a great solution for some of the kitchen storage issues we face…a DIY pull out trash can.

Want to hide your ugly trash can? Build this easy DIY trash drawer for the kitchen. | chatfieldcourt.comRight now we have a stainless steel garbage can and a very ugly plastic recycle bin sitting out in the kitchen. They are always in the way, and I hate looking at them, so I really wanted to be able to hide them away.

I’ve always had my garbage cans out in the open and easily accessible. It’s never been a problem before but with space at a premium, we didn’t have a good place to put 2 bins.

A kitchen storage solution for your garbage and recycle bins. | chatfieldcourt.com

Kitchen storage has been a huge problem in this small space since the day we moved in. The only way to solve the issue was to make a custom trash can cabinet on the empty window wall to hide them away.

A kitchen storage solution for trash and recycle bins in a custom-made cabinet. | chatfieldcourt.com

Once we built and installed the cabinet, we constructed a wooden drawer to house the garbage and recycle bins. There’s even some space in the box to store garbage bags and recycled plastic bags.

A genius kitchen storage solution for trash and recycle bins in a custom-made cabinet. | chatfieldcourt.com

Genius! A kitchen storage solution for trash and recycle bins in a custom-made cabinet. | chatfieldcourt.com

The door for this cabinet was a lucky find at a local ReStore, for a whopping $2. Not only was was the door the exact size we needed, but it was made of solid wood. It was also a pretty close match to our existing cabinets.

And…what’s better than finding one cabinet door for $2? Finding a matching door that we were able to use on the cabinet next to this one (also for $2).

A kitchen storage solution...hidden trash and recycle bins in a custom-made cabinet. | chatfieldcourt.com

All I had to do was putty and sand the knots, then they were ready for primer and paint.

A genius kitchen storage solution...hidden trash and recycle bins in a custom-made cabinet. | chatfieldcourt.com

To attach the door to the drawer, we just screwed it on from the inside of the drawer.

A genius kitchen storage solution...hidden trash and recycle bins. | chatfieldcourt.com

Instant garbage/recycle drawer…well…not exactly instant but it’s pretty close!

Now I don’t have to look at my trash and recyclables every time I go into the kitchen. Plus, it opens up the space where the cans were and keeps the dog from getting in the trash. A double win. I love how it turned out!

A genius kitchen storage solution...hidden trash/recycle bins with full extension drawer slides | chatfieldcourt.com
What is your opinion on trash/recycle bins? Are you ok with them out in the open or do you need them hidden away?

You can see how the whole kitchen remodel turned out, here, and check out a recap of projects and sources, here.

Reveal of a complete remodel of a small galley kitchen from dark to light and bright, for under $3000. Kitchen Remodel Reveal

Project and source recap from a complete remodel of a small galley kitchen for under $3000. Kitchen Remodel Projects and Sources

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About Kristi

Kristi here…lover and doer of all things DIY, home improvement, home decor, and quick and easy recipes. I’m the voice behind Chatfield Court where I share the budget-friendly DIY projects, crafts and decorating tips in the hopes of inspiring others that they can do it too.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Michelle

    Friday,January 11, 2019 at 10:37 pm

    What wood did you make the box out of?looks great!

    Reply
    • Kristi

      Saturday,January 12, 2019 at 10:39 pm

      Thanks Michelle! We used MDF to construct the box, we had scrap pieces left over from another project. You could also use pine. Hope this helps.

      Reply
  2. Pam

    Tuesday,March 15, 2016 at 4:20 pm

    Did you build the cabinet bases from scratch or recycle from the restore as well? How many square feet of granite did you have and how much did it cost?

    Reply
    • Kristi

      Tuesday,March 15, 2016 at 5:39 pm

      Hi Pam. We used the cabinets from that were in the kitchen and we built a set of them on the wall that had none. We bought 2, 12 foot slabs of granite and paid about $800 for both.

      Reply
  3. housefulofhandmade

    Friday,August 28, 2015 at 4:47 pm

    Looks so good. I definitely want hidden trash and recycle in my new kitchen… but first I have to have the money to redo it 😉

    Reply
    • Kristi

      Monday,August 31, 2015 at 4:55 am

      Thanks. I totally understand. It’s taken us two years to be able to do this and we are doing everything ourselves to save money. Hard work, but worth it. I hope you are able to get a new kitchen one day too. 🙂

      Thanks so much for stopping in.

      Reply
  4. Vel

    Wednesday,August 26, 2015 at 3:00 pm

    I wish I had the cabinet space for it, my recycling bins are currently in the laundry room. Love your DIY version!

    Reply
    • Kristi

      Thursday,August 27, 2015 at 2:12 am

      Thanks Vel. I probably would have put them in a pantry, I would like to put my food in a pantry ;), but we have no extra room for one.

      Reply
  5. [email protected]

    Wednesday,August 26, 2015 at 6:22 am

    Hidden trash and recycle bins are the best!….What did we ever do without them..Loving the progress of the kitchen….Have a great day Kristi…

    Reply
    • Kristi

      Thursday,August 27, 2015 at 2:07 am

      I don’t know Shirley! I just wish I had done it sooner. 😉 Thanks for taking a peak at our progress. Happy Thursday to you!

      Reply
  6. MaryJean

    Tuesday,August 25, 2015 at 10:32 pm

    My mom always had her garbage container under the sink, but us with 2 growing boys we had a lot of garbage and needed a larger bin. We always had a plastic bin that I hated. We have a good location for it, but I didn’t like looking at it. Now that the boys are gone . . . yeah,right . . . we have a stainless steel rectangular bin that I love! We still have a great deal of garbage and I don’t understand why. It could be because my son and family are always at our house. I’m not complaining, I love having them over. It is such a joy to have two little ones running around and getting into everything. Like they say, “If I knew having grandkids would be this much fun, I would have had them first!”

    Your kitchen is looking great and I love the bin storage!

    Reply
    • Kristi

      Wednesday,August 26, 2015 at 2:13 am

      Thanks MJ!

      I always needed a big container too. I never quite understood who would be able to use those small ones under a sink. 😉

      Hope you are doing well my friend!

      Reply
  7. dkhalcomb2

    Tuesday,August 25, 2015 at 10:04 am

    I hate seeing the garbage can in the kitchen but most places I lived there was no spot for it out of sight. I have had a galley kitchen like yours before but we had a utility room at the end. I would keep the trash and recycle cans in there but bring the trash can into the kitchen when cooking. As you said, then it is in the way. I have always carried the recycle to the outside bin. Always thought an inside bin would be nice though, especially on rollers. Your kitchen is not only going to be beautiful, but efficient too. Debbie

    Reply
    • Kristi

      Wednesday,August 26, 2015 at 12:59 am

      Awww, thanks so much Debbie. I would have liked a small closet/pantry to put my bins in but I don’t even have that. I’m hoping that this works and that I didn’t take up space that could have been used for something else. I guess I’ll know soon when we load everything back in. 😉

      Reply
  8. Shirlee

    Monday,August 24, 2015 at 10:23 pm

    We have always had our garbage can under the sink as I don’t like having them out in full view. It has a lid and looks like a small version of an outdoor trashcan. I really like your trash/recycling area. I struggle with the recycling and need to figure out a better system. Right now I have boxes in the furnace room downstairs that I try and organize by type of recycling. But the soda cans/bottles need help. The hubs wants the carton left out so cans can be easily put back in when empty but that box out on the counter drives me crazy. lol

    Reply
    • Kristi

      Tuesday,August 25, 2015 at 1:26 am

      We’ve struggled with recycling too Shirlee. We probably recycle twice as much as we throw away but the things that you usually recycle are big and oddly shaped so they take up a lot of room. I think I empty our can every other day, as opposed to once a week for trash. My husband would leave cans and bottles on the counter all week long if I didn’t tell him to get rid of them. What is it about men and empty cans? LOL

      Reply
  9. Havok

    Monday,August 24, 2015 at 10:27 pm

    I have ALWAYS wanted this kind of thing! Trash cans are not attractive. Growing up, my mom always had the garbage under the kitchen sink (she still does, actually), but it doesn’t allow for the normal 13 gallon size. Now, in my own apartment, we just have it off the side of the counter (with the flip-y kind of lid, so it’s not having garbage entirely out in the open at least).
    Amazing that you were able to find the perfect cabinet doors for so cheap! 😀

    Reply
    • Kristi

      Tuesday,August 25, 2015 at 1:14 am

      I agree about having a can under a sink…they fill up so fast because they are small, plus we needed room for two because we recycle more than we throw away. I wanted a lone dedicated space where 2 full size cans would fit so that’s what we created. 😉 I can’t believe we found those doors either, and on our very first trip. I know it’s unusual because we have been looking all over for 5 months for 3 other doors and can’t find anything. Beginner’s luck I guess. 😉

      Reply
  10. Nancy

    Monday,August 24, 2015 at 7:23 pm

    I like my trash and recycle bins hidden away. Right now I’m working on what to do with our trash can. In the utility closet? Under the kitchen sink? Hmmm. I’d like to have it completely out of the house. Well, that’s not practical, is it? Your solution is wonderful. I don’t have the space for that, though.

    Reply
    • Kristi

      Tuesday,August 25, 2015 at 1:07 am

      We have a small kitchen too Nancy and I was really hesitant about using that precious space for garbage cans, but there was no other place to put them. It’s all good though. I’m sure you’ll find the perfect spot for yours in your beautiful new kitchen. 🙂

      Reply
  11. Kim

    Monday,August 24, 2015 at 2:09 pm

    Our garbage is hidden away. We didn’t have room for the official trash cabinet, so we just have a pail on a rolling track under the sink…out of sight! Glad you were able to cross another to-do off your list!

    Reply
    • Kristi

      Monday,August 24, 2015 at 5:13 pm

      It’s always good to cross something off the list, big or small. I’ve never had my garbage hidden away but now I’m wondering why we didn’t do it sooner.

      Reply
  12. Phyllis cooke

    Monday,August 24, 2015 at 9:31 am

    I absolutely love it. So need this myself and we will have it when we reno our kitchen. A beautiful job.

    Reply
    • Kristi

      Monday,August 24, 2015 at 5:11 pm

      Thanks so much Phyllis. I was always nervous about having an enclosed garbage can but I just don’t have the floor space for one anymore. I love it and I wonder why we didn’t do it sooner. 😉

      Reply

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