If you want to get creative for your turtle’s basking area, there are plenty of different ways to make one by yourself. Not only will it be a fun craft activity, but you can also save money. In today’s article, I will review some of the best diy turtle basking area designs.

DIY turtle basking area

Some easy diy turtle basking platform ideas include the plastic bin method and the egg crate box. Both are easy and cheap to make.

If you want to buy a pre-made one, check out my guide on turtle basking platforms.

Making a turtle basking platform with a plastic storage bin

This method is very cheap an easy. It requires a plastic bin, zip ties, and ideally a drill. You can see a video from the turtle girl for a step by step guide.

Step 1: Cut a large rectangle out of the bin

Using scissors or a box cutter, carefully cut a rectangle out of the plastic bin. Make sure that the wideth of the rectangle is bigger than the width of your turtle.

You also want to make the cut so the rectangle is cut about an inch into the bottom of the bin like this:

Step 2: Glue the ramp onto the box

Now you will reattach the part of the box that you cut out. You may need to use a hair dryer to help shape the ramp to be a little more curved upward. You should use super glue to then attach the ramp to the box.

Step 3: Ramp support

The last step is to add some support to the ramp so it doesn’t become to floppy. All you have to do is drill a hole in the top of the box, and then a hole in the front corners of the ramp. Then, you can run either a chain of zip ties, or a close hanger, to go on each side of the ramp.

Make sure you do this on both corners of the ramp.

If the ramp is too slippery for your turtle, you might need to attach a mesh to the ramp to provide more grip. You can also add some decorations on the inside of the box like I did with mine.

After the basking platform is complete, you can simply put the box on top of your tank. Just make sure that the ramp extends at least one to two inches into the water.

You can attach your turtle basking light directly to the box, or directly to your tank.

Related article: Why is my turtle not basking?

Egg crate cheap diy turtle basking platform

This second design is also a easy can cheap diy turtle basking area design. For this platform, you will need egg crates, pliers, and zip ties.

Step 1: Measure and cut top/bottom pieces

First, you will want to measure the width of you turtle tank. You can do this with a ruler, or you can just rest the egg crate on top of the tank and mark the edges. Once you have the width, you will want to cut two rectangles in the egg crate that are the same width as your turtle tank. I suggest you use pliers to cut them out.

The goal is to cut the egg crate so that it can sit perfectly on top of your tank like this:

Step 2: Cut out the other sides of the box and connect with zip ties

After you have the top and bottom pieces cut off, you will also want to cut out side pieces so you can make a box out of the egg crates. Make sure you carefully measure the pieces before you cut them.

After you have the shape of the box cut out, you will connect the sides together with zip ties. You will want to connect all of the sides except for the bottom piece, which should stay off by itself for now. Once you have everything connected (aside from the bottom), it should look like this:

Step 3: Make the ramp out of the bottom piece

Next, you will want to cut out a decently sized rectangle from the bottom piece. Make sure the rectangle is wider than the width of your turtle.

Now you will reattach the cut out square to the bottom. However, you will angle the piece so that it drops down under the rest of the bottom. You will then use zip ties to attach the piece.

Once the ramp is attached to the bottom piece, you will attach the entire bottom piece to the rest of the other pieces in the cube. Then you set the entire platform on top of your tank.

The final product should look like this:

Keep in mind that you can decorate this platform by putting green turf on the bottom. This will improve the aesthetics of the platform, and it will be more comfortable for your turtle.