Repurpose Old Doors For An Outdoor Barrier To Hide Your Garbage Cans

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Curbside garbage and recycling bins are an intrinsic part of everyday modern life — they help us keep our homes clean and allow us to manage waste responsibly. But when it's not pickup day, those same cans can become eyesores, cluttering up driveways, sidewalks, or the sides of our homes. Their presence can quickly limit your ability to take your landscaping to the next level, making an otherwise tidy exterior look unkempt; if only there were a way to keep those garbage cans out of sight! YouTuber JMakes discovered a simple solution to this pervasive problem. By attaching two no-longer-needed, wooden doors together with 2x4s, he created a beautiful and purposeful divider for his garden to hide stored items, showing how fulfilling it can be to repurpose household staples as something new. 

His technique is a stylish DIY solution for hiding ugly outdoor trash bins. To make a homemade screen, JMakes screwed two 2x4s to the back of the doors at their tops and middles to securely attach them together side-by-side. He utilized a variety of woodworking tools, including a circular saw, to make precise cuts. However, this project can be executed just as effectively without extensive woodworking skills. And while the YouTuber's toolkit is much more extensive than that of many homeowners, it wouldn't be difficult to achieve similar results with more basic equipment. With a bit of ingenuity, DIYers at any skill level can assemble a similarly beautiful and useful structure to hide those unsightly garbage cans from view.

After JMakes connected his wooden doors together, he reinforced the structure by attaching two sturdy wood posts to them and sinking them into deep, cement-filled holes for stability. You can simplify this step by using an inexpensive post digger along with quick cement to get the job done quicker and more easily. However, if you don't want to go to all that trouble, there are plenty of other equally handy approaches that would work just as well. For example, if your screen will be kept on a level and hard surface like a driveway, you could follow Karianne of Thistlewood Farm's lead and simply attach two wood doors together with large hinges and stand them in front of your garbage cans. While she re-sized her doors by cutting them in half, you can keep yours full-sized if that fits your vision and skill level. 

The finishing touches are completely up to you, too. You might leave your doors as-is and embrace their chippy rustic charm, or you could sand them down and paint them for a fresh and clean look. Another option is to instead apply a topcoat of outdoor furniture oil to give the wood extra weather protection. Whatever option you choose, you'll be repurposing materials that might otherwise end up in a landfill and can save money by avoiding a store-bought screen — and creating a custom piece that's both practical and something you can be proud of.