Every homeowner with a lawn and garden should learn how to make compost. It is much easier than you might think. Learning how to build a compost pile that will eventually break down on its own and provide you with natural fertilizer for the garden, is the first step toward an eco-friendly lawn. 1. Material: You will need green materials (like grass clippings, yard trimmings, or kitchen scraps), brown material (like dried shredded leaves or newspaper) and some soil. 2. Layering: Layer two-thirds brown material to one-third green material. Repeat this until you run out of material. 3. Water and Heat: Add water to dampen the pile and let the pile heat up to 140 degrees. 4. Turn the Pile: To speed up the composting process, turn your pile once a week. You can continue adding fresh non-animal products to your pile. While the amount of time it takes to go from a debris pile to rich compost for the garden depends on what is in the pile, the temperature of the pile, the moisture level, and the micro-organisms that are in the pile, you should expect to have compost in 1 to 2 months.