How to Make a Rain Barrel From a Trash Can

by Eileen

3 Materials

$35

1 Hour

Easy

Did you know that with a few simple modifications to a trash can, you can make a really useful rain barrel for cheap? For a budget of only $35, we made an eco-friendly rain collector. Now our water utility bill has been practically cut down to $0 when watering our organic garden.

how to make a rain barrel from a trash can

Here's how we did this project...

First we bought a 20 gallon trash can, and drilled several holes: 1 overflow hole on the side of the can for excess water to exit, and 5 collector holes in the lid to receive rain water.

Next, I covered the all the holes with insect screen, using weatherproof tape to attach the screen to the trash can.

One last hole was drilled at the bottom of the trash can and a water spigot was installed there.

The rain barrel was completed at this point. I flipped the lid upside down, and fastened it to the trash can with some wires.

To allow easy access to the water spigot, I built a simple stand for the rain barrel. I used some pressure treated wood left over from a previous project.

Finally, I used two bungee cords to secure the rain barrel to the stand. I didn't want to risk the rain barrel blowing away on a windy day when not full of water.