Almost every summer resident has one or two, or even more, 200-liter barrels on his property. It is unknown where they come from, but over time they begin to interfere. Some people throw them away, others sell them for scrap metal, and the most skilled people think about the question of what interesting things can be made from a 200-liter barrel. And they make many interesting, beautiful and useful things.
Smokehouse
Smokehouse at work
And the oven for cooking pizza and barbecue can be horizontal.
Pizza and barbecue oven
For storing firewood
Another interesting use for a barrel. Two barrels are taken, each cut into three equal parts. Then they are nailed to the wall of a house or barn. The owner will always have dry firewood in any weather. And it’s convenient to put them there.
Firewood storage
For cleaning the area
The barrel is cut lengthwise into two parts by a grinder. One half is then welded to a regular garden cart. The craftsmen also add a pedal drive and drive around the site.
Mini bulldozer
Washing
A very necessary and useful thing in the country is a sink. A cabinet with a door is made from a barrel. A round sink of suitable size is inserted on top. Hidden inside are inlet and drain pipes, a waste bucket, rags and mops.
Garden sink cabinet
Coloring ideas
A beautifully painted container does not need to be hidden away from prying eyes; it will harmoniously fit into the landscape design of the dacha. The choice of location depends on its purpose and the theme of the drawing. If children are relaxing at the dacha, images of fairy-tale characters will organically complement the playground, especially if a painted barrel is used as a flower bed. Floral themes, butterflies or other representatives of flora and fauna as a design can decorate a front garden, vegetable beds or barbecue area. This is very practical from the point of view of the close location of water for irrigation.
There are several options for painting a barrel:
- Having artistic skills allows you to select a suitable image and then transfer it to the barrel.
- Lack of creative abilities is not an obstacle to creative garden design. All kinds of stencils will allow you to transform the barrel in accordance with your own ideas about beauty.
- The painted barrel looks original, where all family members left handprints as decoration.
Having chosen the first method of decoration, the subject of the image can be different:
- The presence of children at the dacha obliges us to take care of their aesthetic perception. Heroes of fairy tales and cartoons, funny animals or insects are the most popular version of a painted barrel. If you want to combine relaxation at the dacha with unobtrusive activities, put colorful letters and numbers on the container.
- Favorite flowers and ornaments are quite a favorite theme for decorating a barrel in the country.
- A painted container can depict cheerful, mischievous and loving faces.
Using a stencil also gives free rein to your imagination. You can make it yourself or purchase it ready-made. Stars, flowers and other vegetation are a suitable option to get an attractively painted barrel. Using live tree leaves as stencils for decoration is a favorite technique of many novice garden designers. The following photos will help you get an idea of the originality of the painted barrels:
Preparatory stage
Large painted barrels with a volume of 200 liters look most advantageous. Depending on the material from which the vessel is made and the method of applying the design, the following items will need to be prepared for work in the country:
- clean containers;
- sandpaper and metal brush;
- paints for external works;
- brush and solvent;
- a simple pencil or stencil.
Preparing a plastic barrel is considered less troublesome; just wash and dry the vessel thoroughly. Before painting a metal barrel, it is necessary to remove all rust using sandpaper or a special metal brush. At the next stage, the surface is degreased by wiping with a rag soaked in an alcohol solution.
Advice! If you want to paint a wooden barrel at your dacha, it must first be washed to remove any deposits, and after it has completely dried, it is varnished.
Types of barrel containers
Containers of this kind have been known since ancient times. They are convenient for manual loading and unloading work as they can be rolled on their sides. They differ in the material from which they are made:
- Metal (steel, aluminum).
- Tree.
- Plastic.
- Fiberglass.
The usual capacity of such containers is on average 200 liters. The word “barrel” can also be used to describe larger containers, but it is more appropriate to apply the name tank to them.
However, some enterprising people manage to install huge industrial containers in their gardens, which for some reason have been decommissioned from the main object of use.
Wooden tubs
Such containers are used for storing and transporting food. Especially massively in winemaking.
In the garden, an oak barrel can be used to store water supplies. It is advisable that it does not stand in the sun. If water suddenly evaporates or spills out of it, then under the influence of sunlight the wooden parts may dry out until large cracks appear.
Consequently, repairs will be required, which are quite labor-intensive and not every owner can handle, so it is advisable to place the tub in the shade of a tree or under some kind of canopy. It should also not be placed on bare ground to prevent the wood from rotting. You can use several bricks or natural stones as the base for the stand.
Such containers, even when empty, have quite a significant weight, so it is not practical to use them for transporting liquids.
Steel containers
The advantage of metal barrels is durability. They are not afraid of sunlight or wood rotting pathogens. The main enemy is rust , so for the sake of durability, it is advisable to cover the outer surface with paint or bitumen.
Metal barrels can be used in the garden to store water or to heat it using solar energy.
Many garden plants, such as cucumbers, are harmed by cold watering, so warm liquid from a barrel is an agronomic necessity.
It is easy to equip a metal container with water shut-off valves for watering through a rubber hose.
It can also be adapted for moving short distances within the garden. You just need to attach a few wheels to the barrel. It is best to use an existing wheelbarrow or cart for this purpose.
The disadvantage of the products is the labor-intensive preparation for their use. Typically, petroleum products, paint, and various toxic substances are transported in such containers. Before using in the garden, barrels will need to be thoroughly cleaned of any remaining substances in them. It is impossible to do this through a standard hole into which the plug is screwed. You will have to completely remove the top plane. To do this you will need:
- chisel and hammer;
- Bulgarian;
- welding machine.
Removing the top cover by welding must be done carefully. If flammable substances were transported in the barrel, the vapors remaining in the container can easily ignite and lead to an explosion.
To avoid an accident, the barrel should be thoroughly washed first. In this case, you need to fill the container with water to the top and let it stand like that for several hours.
Plastic tanks
Such containers, not only cylindrical in shape, are produced by modern industry specifically for public consumption. Summer residents use them to arrange a summer shower. If desired, water from them can also be used for gardening needs.
Plastic is also widespread in modern packaging.
The main disadvantage of such products is the insufficient strength of the material. Falls from heights, proximity to open fire, accidental mechanical impacts or too low temperatures are completely undesirable for them. But barrels made of such material can easily withstand the biological influences of living nature. They are not afraid of any microorganisms or insects.
Creative process options
It is practical to paint barrels at the dacha with acrylic paints, which have the following advantages:
- resistance to precipitation and other negative natural influences;
- easy to apply to the surface and easily washed off your hands;
- do not pose a risk to the child’s health when participating in coloring;
- a painted barrel will have a bright pattern.
Working with a stencil
To paint a container using a stencil, you need to choose a dense and flexible product. If the finished specimen has an adhesive base, the decorating process consists of the following steps:
- The future painted barrel should be given a plain background. The shade is selected depending on the color palette of the future drawing. If you plan to paint the barrel with vegetation, avoid a green tone so that the image does not merge.
- The adhesive base of the stencil is removed, the template is fixed on the barrel and carefully smoothed.
- Free spaces are painted with a brush, aerosol paints or by tamponing using a sponge.
- Painted containers look impressive, where the shades smoothly transition into each other.
Comment! In the absence of a sticky base, the glue is independently applied to the stencil, after which it is attached to the barrel.
You can paint a barrel at your dacha using a homemade stencil:
- A suitable image is selected and printed on paper. If desired, apply your own design.
- The paper is compacted in any convenient way: glued to cardboard or covered with tape. It is permissible to use plastic containers as a basis for a small stencil.
- The contours are cut out using a stationery knife; it is better to do this on an old table.
The stencil is ready to be used in the country as a template for a painted barrel. Several templates are shown in the photo below:
Another simple way to paint a container using natural foliage:
- First, you should take care of your own protection and the landscape of your dacha. Personal equipment includes gloves, a hat if necessary, a respirator and an apron. In order not to spoil the vegetation of the dacha, the surface is covered with polyethylene.
- The background for the future drawing is created. In addition to the traditional plain surface, painted barrels with smooth white-green transitions applied diagonally with aerosol paint look original.
- After the base has dried, large foliage with different outlines is fixed on the surface of the barrel, and its edges are emphasized with spray paint.
The procedure for applying an individual drawing
Barrels in the country are a great way to show your creativity by turning them into an organic element of landscape design by painting them. The painting process contains the following steps:
- Clean containers are cleaned of rust using sandpaper or a wire brush.
- The primer is applied.
- Depending on the future appearance of the image on the painted vessel, the background surface is formed.
- Using a thin brush, apply the contours of the image in accordance with the selected sketch. If adjustments are necessary, use solvent.
- Then they begin to paint the inside of the picture. For large sizes, a wide brush will help.
Advice! It is desirable that the dimensions of the picture correspond to the dimensions of the barrel.
When installing several painted containers nearby, it is better to paint them in different colors, giving the design of the cottage more bright touches. Admire the photo examples of how cheerful the painted barrels look at the dacha.
Non-standard methods of decoration
In addition to coloring, you can decorate containers at your dacha in other ways:
- One of the simplest tricks is to cut out colorful shapes from plastic bottles and glue them onto a painted barrel. Most often they choose the butterfly option.
- Mastery of weaving techniques allows you to decorate a barrel with vines. Such decor will organically fit into the design of the dacha, and periodically painting the container will no longer be necessary.
- Using small pebbles, a kind of mosaic is created on the container. In this case, it is important to choose the right frost-resistant glue; liquid nails are used as a replacement.
- Decorating a barrel with forest moss using twine is a rather original replacement for a decorated container.
Selection and preparation of barrels for further decoration
Not only designs on the surface are in demand, but also decoration with plants
, as well as decoration with wicker boxes and other design elements.
You can simply paint the surface a single color or decorate it using special stencils. It’s not difficult to paint containers in an original way with your own hands, but it is important to choose the right materials, as well as to properly prepare the work surface:
- the water barrel must be intact, without water leaks;
- the container in which flowers or garden crops are supposed to be grown must have drainage holes in the bottom;
- containers can be plastic, wood or metal, but metal and plastic structures are most often used for painting;
- the surface of the old barrel must first be very thoroughly cleaned of dirt.
In order for all applied decorative elements to be preserved throughout the entire period of operation, it is imperative to remove rust and old paint from the surface using coarse sandpaper or a special brush with stiff metal bristles.
At the next preparatory stage, you need to wash the surface well and dry it, and then thoroughly degrease the surface to be painted with a regular solvent, which will significantly improve the adhesion of the applied paint. A good result is obtained by using a primer before applying the main, base background paint.
Children's entertainment
Cars
The barrel can be used to make entertainment for young children, such as model cars. Just wash the barrels thoroughly and check that there are no burrs.
Children's cars
Riding horse
And not only cars, but also horses.
riding horse
How to decorate a water barrel using a stencil
You can brightly decorate the surface by drawing fairy-tale characters or animals, seasons, and cartoon scenes. To apply a beautiful design, you can use ready-made stencils or create an original and stylish stencil yourself in accordance with your personal preferences.
Making your own stencil
The basis for the stencil can be cardboard or thin plastic of sufficient thickness, from a file folder. The picture can be selected from any source
, but the most convenient way is to take a ready-made suitable pattern from thematic Internet sites and print it on a regular household printer. If necessary, an image that is too large is divided into several separate fragments.
How to paint a water barrel (video)
Basics and features of the technology for creating a stencil with your own hands:
- on a paper or cardboard base the drawing is applied with a soft pencil, and on a plastic base the drawing is applied using a felt-tip pen or marker;
- Using sharp scissors, carefully cut out the design along the lines, without damaging the internal jumpers;
- The inner small sections of the pattern can be cut with nail scissors or a wallpaper knife.
The workpiece must have smooth edges without burrs, dents, cracks or accidental cuts and tears. Landscape images are best done according to the template only partially
, and complete the smallest details using a regular art brush. It is very convenient to fill large areas of the design with paint using a foam sponge.
Also, all kinds of natural materials, represented by leaves, twigs or shells, can be used as very original and quite accessible stencils. First, the surface of the container is painted with paint in light green tones and the diagonals are drawn in white, after which natural material is applied to the surface and sprayed from a can of paint.
Technology of applying a pattern to a barrel
After cleaning the rust and old layer, the surface of the metal barrel is coated with a metal primer. The standard technology of ornament or pattern, as well as a plot design on the surface of the tank, is not complicated, but requires compliance with certain rules:
- the main background should not be too bright, and is applied from a spray can with paints for working with metal;
- the stencil is fixed on the surface of the container using paint or ordinary stationery tape;
- the paint must be applied very carefully and in doses, which will prevent the pattern from blurring;
- To get a three-dimensional design, you need to add different shades of paint using an already painted stencil, starting from a lighter color and ending with the darkest tone.
The only difficulty that a novice designer may encounter is the problem of accurately calculating the amount of paint and high-quality drawing of the smallest elements. To make the drawing durable, the final stage is varnishing.
Forms of application
Barrels in the garden are used mainly for storing water supplies and for irrigation. A sharp change in purpose can only occur if they are damaged.
If a small leak has formed in the bottom and the water does not hold in the container, it can be used as a container for humus. All plant waste, spoiled fruits, fallen leaves are collected in such a barrel, allowing them to rot without oxygen for several years. The resulting portion of humus is used in the garden to fertilize the soil.
It is possible to plant some plants in the barrel itself: strawberries, cucumbers. To make it convenient for them to weave, it is advisable to cover the improvised bed with a large-mesh steel mesh.
growth guard
In small gardens, where every piece of territory is valuable, it makes sense to use spoiled barrel containers to limit the growth of certain types of plants with a very actively developing root system. Specimens without a bottom or even sawn in half are suitable here. First, you should bury the barrel in the ground so that a limiting edge of no more than 100 mm remains above the surface, and then plant the plant inside the circle.
If we take horseradish, for example, its root system goes very deep into the ground and lateral restrictions will not harm it in any way.
If the garden or part of it is located on a steep slope, then it is advisable to adapt an old barrel container without a bottom for constructing terraces. Along the line of greatest height difference, a row of barrels is dug into the ground with a small gap in relation to each other, with a depth of 1/3 of their height. First, ordinary soil or crushed stone is poured inside the container for better drainage, then a fertile layer of soil. The area above the created thrust wall is compared at the level of its top.
Split in half
If any barrel is cut into two parts along the vertical axis, you will get a pair of troughs. They can be used in various forms:
- As a container for preparing liquid fertilizers for garden plants.
- Like a spacious body on a wheelbarrow for moving all kinds of bulk or liquid cargo.
- Plastic halves are convenient for covering young shoots of plants during spring frosts.
Storage or refrigerator
In a garden in its pure form, when there is no country house, you have to bring agricultural tools with you each time and then take them back. If a metal barrel is completely dug into the ground and a removable, secure lid is made that can be closed with a padlock, then any property needed for working in the garden plot can be placed in the improvised storage.
If the inside of such a pit is sufficiently clean, it is appropriate to use it as a small cellar for food. This may be food brought with you, but first of all, harvested crops, which for some reason cannot be immediately removed from the site.
Garden barrels in garden design
Many owners of household plots and garden plots are very well aware that an incorrectly designed barrel can create real disharmony, and very often does not fit into the “green interior” of the landscape at all.
Children's zone: how to paint a barrel and apply a design
To decorate a children's or play area, you can use containers with the most fun and thematic designs that will harmoniously fit into the environment and become an original addition to sandboxes, swings or painted plywood houses.
It is mandatory to cover barrels with water with tight lids, in which a round hole is cut to allow rainwater to drain. You can paint with the brightest and most cheerful colors
or depict funny faces and cartoon or fairy-tale characters. The images of butterflies and frogs flying over flowers look especially interesting.
Ideas for decorating barrels (video)
Painted barrel flower beds
A blooming flowerbed made from a barrel is the most interesting way to design flower beds in your backyard. The main advantage of a plastic barrel is its excellent safety and durability. This design does not rust, but before using it as a flower bed it should be properly decorated. Painting can be done using a spray gun or spray can.
The metal structure is also often used as an original flower bed. The simplest and most accessible stencil is used to use twigs or other available materials to create an easily recognizable outline. Such materials should have sufficient density, and the contour obtained around the template should be slightly adjusted using an artistic brush.
From a large number of metal containers, decorated in the same style, very beautiful and unusual compositions are obtained. Nutrient soil is poured inside the barrel or containers with soil are placed
, after which petunias or various types of ampelous, profusely and long-flowering ornamental plants are planted. The barrels can be placed at different heights or dug into the soil at different depths.
Artistic painting of a barrel in accordance with the style of the garden
A win-win option for decorating containers in accordance with different styles is to create original designs from plastic bottles. Transparent plastic bottles cut into random pieces are painted with different colors in accordance with the design. The cut out elements are glued to a surface painted in a base tone using regular construction adhesive. This way you can get a mosaic or plot design.
Barrels that are painted with floral patterns look very beautiful and harmonious with garden vegetation. The main condition is the correct choice of background
, which should not be too bright and distracting from flower beds, flower beds and garden edgings. You can effectively decorate the surface with a pattern of fluttering butterflies, bees and dragonflies, or use images of other representatives of flora and fauna.
Various furniture
Tool storage and minibar
And a thrifty owner can turn a barrel into a comfortable workplace with tool storage. A window is cut out on the side and a door is hung. Hooks and holders are fixed inside. The upper bottom is used as a table surface.
Tool cabinet – “tool-box”
Or you can make a mini-bar for your country living room.
Country minibar
Or any country furniture.
Nightstand with shelves
Original ways to decorate a barrel
An unusual alternative to standard coloring is represented by relief decorative screening. In this case, the technique consists of applying a layer of construction adhesive to the surface of the barrel and adding a dense layer of screenings. After drying, the desired color can be achieved using spray paint. The lower part of the container can be decorated with large pebbles, and the upper part can be decorated with shells.
If you are decorating a garden space in a country style yourself, then it is advisable to decorate the barrels with wicker boxes:
- harvesting willow, dogwood or bird cherry twigs a couple of meters long until the beginning of February;
- the basis of the wicker structure is thick and even branches with a diameter of 20-30 mm in the amount of seven to eight pieces;
- thick frame branches are pointed at one end and buried around the container into the ground by about a quarter of a meter.
How to decorate a barrel (video)
Weaving with soaked rods begins from the back side. The ends of thin branches must be nailed with small nails to the supporting thick branches. Weaving involves threading each thin twig between vertically installed thick shoots of the frame. To obtain the most dense weaving, the twigs must be tapped periodically from above using a wooden hammer. The wicker structure can be supplemented with artificial sunflowers.
To get an original and stylish design, you just need to use your imagination and purchase high-quality working material. It should be remembered that for proper painting it is best to use spray paint for painting cars, and also be sure to use rubber gloves, work clothes and safety glasses when working.
