Yard chores for many are an opportunity to exercise, be creative and enjoy the satisfaction of beautifying the everyday world around them. But when it’s time to rake up and bag all those clippings and leaves, yard chores turn to just plain work.

You can make this part of yard duty work for you by building a simple compost bin for garden and even kitchen waste. Here are the 8 steps on how to build a compost bin to recycle those clippings:

• Build the bin using pressure-treated wood from the lumberyard. Pressure-treated wood won’t rot from the wet clippings and waste. The sides and back of the bin are built up six boards high, but the front has a double rail that allows you to slide boards into place as your pile grows. You can also remove boards to more easily access the organic compost when you are ready to use it.

• You can build your bin any size, but 36 inches square is large enough to contain a suitable supply of waste, while being small enough to allow air access to the center essential in the composting process. Cut six posts of 2-by-2 lumber 4 feet long. Cut side boards from 1-by-6 lumber. You will need: 18 side and back boards 36 inches long, and four front boards cut 34 inches long. To secure the boards, use 2-inch galvanized steel lag screws.

• Begin with one bottom side rail by laying two posts flat on a work surface and placing a side board on top, with the bottoms of all pieces flush and the ends of the board lined up with the outsides of the posts. It helps to use a carpenter’s square and C-clamps to make sure all pieces are square and stay in place while you attach them. Drill holes for two screws at each end of the board, one near the top and one near the bottom, and screw them into place to secure. (Note: Lag screws sit on top of the wood and add a decorative element, so you will want to carefully mark the placement of each screw before drilling).

• Continue to attach boards up the side posts, leaving about an inch of space between each board as you connect them to the posts. This allows for vital air ventilation. After attaching six boards to one pair of posts, repeat for other side of the bin.

• Now place the side pieces so that their posts measure 36 inches apart from the outside. Begin attaching back pieces from the bottom up, again spacing 1 inch between each board. The ends of the back boards should be flush with the outside surface of the side boards and will hide the cut ends of the side pieces.

• Next create a track for the front boards by screwing an upright post into place behind the front post on each side piece. Leave 1 1/2-inch spacing between the two posts and measure carefully to ensure you have this same spacing all the way from top to bottom. You can then insert two front boards into the post track and ad boards as needed. Finish the bin by cutting the excess length off the top of all the posts so that they are all flush with the edges of the side and back boards.

• When you are ready to fill your bin, there’s no real secret to composting, although a good rule of thumb is to add roughly equal amounts of “brown” and “green” waste. In addition to recycling leaves, pine needles, small twigs and shredded newspaper, you can add kitchen waste such as coffee grounds, eggshells, fruit and vegetable leftovers. Don’t toss in any leftovers of animal fat, meat or bone.

• Turn your pile regularly to aerate it. Always add water when contributing quantities of dry material so that the compost stays slightly moist. After about three months your dark compost, full of nutrients, will be ready for use in the garden. When removing compost, it’s a good idea to use the older materials by digging from the bottom of the pile (this is where your removable front boards are particularly handy).