Making a Rain Barrel in 30 minutes!

It is true!  I made a very nice functioning rain barrel and it took no more than 30 minutes to complete.  Here is the parts list you need and links to the items from Lowes.com.

1) 55 gallon plastic drum barrel  (You can find these for FREE if you ask around..  I did!)
2) NDS 8 inch Black Round Gate  Round Gate $4.67
3) 3/4 inch T-handle hose bib  Hose Bib (spigot) $5.33
4) 3/4 inch x 3/4 inch x 1/2 inch Male Garden Hose to MIP adapter  Overflow attachment $3.46
5) pipe thread tape

THAT'S ALL THE MATERIALS YOU NEED TO BUY!  ALL UNDER $15!

Here are the steps I took to make the rain barrel.

1) Take the round gate and put it on top of the barrel where you want the downspout to go.  Trace the circle that you need to cut out for the round gate.  Next, drill a pilot hole in the center of the circle you just drew.  Next step is to cut out the circle with a saber, jig, or another similar saw.  Make sure you hold onto the plastic piece so it doesn't fall into the bottom of the barrel when you finish the cut.

You may need to take a file and shave a little more plastic off the edges to make sure you have a good fit.  You can use silicone to seal it up tight around the edges or do what I did and just tap it in nice and tight.









2) Using a 1 inch spade wood bit or hole saw drill a hold about 6 to 8 inches from the top of the barrel where you will want your overflow spout to go.  This needs to be on the left or right side of your rain barrel as you are facing it.  Take some plumbers tape and wrap it around the threads of the over and simply screw the overflow into the barrel with a wrench until it is tight.

As you can see to your left, I used large rubber washers as extra precautions between the connectors and the plastic barrels.  You simply glue or silicone these in place once the connections are tight.










3) With the same 1 inch bit drill a hole about 6 inches from the bottom of the barrel where you will want your spigot.  Once you have the hole drilled, as above, wrap plumbers tape around the spigot threads and screw it into the barrel with a wrench.

And that is it as far as making the rain barrel!  Simple huh?

















4) Now the final step is fitting your rain barrel to your downspout.  I set the rain barrel in front of the downspout up on bricks where it would be sitting normally and cut the existing downspout off a few inches above the barrel to allow me enough room to put the curved downspout back on into the top of the barrel.

I used a marker and a hacksaw to cut the downspout off.  It took about a minute to cut the downspout off and get the curved piece in the right spot.  I reattached all the metal clamps etc on the shorted downspout.





DONE!  Nothing else to do but collect the free water and use it on your plants, lawn, or anywhere else you may need it.

Here is the way my finished barrel looks. I plan on painting it in a subtle grey or brown color to blend into the house. 

Very quick easy and rewarding project!


Chris