homemade rain barrel in corner of garden

How to Make a Rain Barrel

Week 26

Week 26 of our Tiny Waste Resolution focused on the importance of water conservation. In an effort to cut back on my own water usage, I found multiple ways to conserve water at home. Most of that list involves easy habit changes around the house, but one suggestion, harvesting rain water, requires a little more effort. So, this week, I "made the change" by turning an outdoor trash can into a rain barrel.

If you're not terribly interested in making a rain barrel, you can find them for sale at most home improvement stores like Lowe's and Home Depot. However, the cost for a new one runs between $100-$300. This is a relatively easy DIY project and costs about $30 to make.

What you'll need:

    20 gallon lidded recycling bin on table
  • Large trash can, drum, or barrel with lid. I used a 20 gallon outdoor trash can I found in my garage. You can check Facebook Marketplace for a cheap or free bin, or I've seen lidded outdoor trash cans for as low as $15 at Home Depot.
  • Insect Screen - I found an old window screen that was being discarded, but you can also purchase a roll of insect screen at most home improvement screens.
  • 3/4" Boiler Drain Valve
  • 3/4" Bulkhead Union with EPDM washer fitting
  • Jigsaw - I borrowed one from my neighbor. A box cutter will also cut through the plastic, but is significantly harder and more time consuming.
  • Scissors
  • Sharpie
    • brass boiler drain valve and bulkhead union pieces

Let's make a rain barrel!

  1. hand holding bulkead union on recycling bin while other hand traces a circle around it

    Start by placing the threaded part of your bulkhead about 1 1/2" from the bottom of your bin and tracing it with a sharpie. See picture for clarification.

  2. bulkhead put through cut whole from inside the bin

    Cut out the traced circle with a jigsaw or box cutter, then push the bulkead through from the inside of the bin.

  3. hand screwing bulkhead fitting pieces together

    Screw on the other part of the bulked union. This should be as tight as possible to prevent leakage.

  4. hand screwing spigot into bulkhead fitting

    Screw the spigot into the bulkead union. Again, make this as tight as possible.

  5. hand using jigsaw to cut hole in recycling bin lid

    Cut a big circle in the top of the bin's lid.

  6. recycling bin lid on window screen while hand traces circle around it

    Place the lid on top of your insect screen and trace a circle that is about 2" bigger than the lid.

  7. scissors cutting traced circle on window screen

    Use scissors to cut out the insect screen.

  8. cut insect screen on top of recying bin

    Place insect screen on top of the recycling bin.

  9. lid with hole cut in it on top of insect screen and attached to recycling bin

    Attach the lid to secure the insect screen.

  10. homemade rain barrel in corner of garden

    Your rain barrel is complete, but you'll need to put it on a platform so you have room to fill a watering can. My platform was just a stack of scrap wood that I found.

Letter for Water Conservation Laws →