Today’s featured DIY project is a great one because we are entering a lovely rainy season soon! Collecting rain water is a convenient, thrifty and green way to water your yard. But not only that, is is a cleaner, more natural way to care for your gardens, yard and landscape.
There’s an article here on 5 Reasons to Collect Rainwater.
There are many approaches to collecting rain water, but we wanted to share one easier, frugal way to collect it with thrifty resources and a bit of leg work. It’s best to make your own because purchasing a system is not cost efficient and takes quite a while of use before you make your money back.
But by making your own and becoming resourceful is going to save you a lot of money. Remember, you are not drinking this water, you are using it to water your yard and gardens.
This project was created and shared by Eileen from Just Measuring Up. She shares the step-by-step instructions, along with the full list of supplies to turn a regular garbage can into a very functional rain barrel.
>>>Find the Step-by-Step Instructions on the Just Measuring Up Site HERE<<<
And if you are looking for some other great outdoor projects, check out the DIY section of our site and click on “outdoor.”
What do you think of this idea?
*Want to see your project featured? Bloggers and readers can submit their projects HERE. For many more DIY projects and ideas, see our DIY Gallery of ideas here.
Kari (Happy Coconuts Travel Blog)
So simple, I love it! I stumbled this for future reference 🙂
MervB
My concern might be the effect of sun light on plastic bin … great idea
Matt
I have been using plastic trash cans for many years now and have over 30 cans in my yard. I take an cordless electric drill and drill several 3/16” holes in the lid to let the water through but not the mosquitoes, ladybugs and other insects and tree debris etc that can be food for a bacterial bloom. I do not see any reason to go to the work of putting a drain fitting on the cans as I just dip my water cans or a bucket in to use the water for garden plants throughout the dry season which in California is most of the year. Please be aware that innocent animals can drown in your rain cans if they climb on the lids and they fall through as the lids slide sideways. There are brands of plastic 32 gal cans where the lids fit more deeply and more securely which is safer for cats, raccoons, oppossums etc. I go one step further and get two long nails per can and drill a hole through the inverted lid and top flat surface of can next to each handle then simply put in one nail per side to prevent the lids from side shifting. I also use a 800 GPH submersible pump and 75’ long 1/2” hose to remote water plants using a 1/2” plastic petcock as a shutoff valve. I connect the cans together with siphon hoses made from 5’ sections of that old garden hose that you didn’t want to throw out.
Jen
I think I’d be worried about mosquitos with this… Between West Nile and now Zika. Isn’t this standing water? Looks like the mosquitos could get in.
Kat
She has a mosquito netting in the instructions, this is a nice easy plan…I’m gonna make a couple!
Sherrell
I recently read that adding a few goldfish to a rain collector will solve a mosquito problem.
Kayleigh Rodgers
That is a pretty awful thing to do to a goldfish
Cherry
While it seems like a good idea, it is actually a bad idea. The goldfish will quickly suffer and die a painful death since the water is stagnant and not oxygenated. I’m a goldfish owner, I’m speaking logically here, they require a lot of care to keep them alive and they pollute their own water quickly with their waste. They are fun pets and unfit for living in a rain barrel dungeon.
Carolyn
Add gold fish to the water.
Alex
That’s a great idea! Is this a hydroponics type of concept? Thanks for the suggestion!
Lisa
It’s not a nice thing to do to goldfish though, they’ll be swimming around in the dark for their eternity
Cherry
While it seems like a good idea, it is actually a bad idea. the goldfish will quickly suffer and die a painful death since the water is still and not oxygenated. I’m a goldfish owner, I’m speaking logically here, they require a lot of care to keep them alive and they pollute their water quickly with their own waste. They are fun pets and and not fit for living in a rain barrel dungeon.
Catherine
I used to have one without a lid on the property I rented. I felt the same way. My landlord had me add bleach to the water. (Sorry, can’t remember the proportions, but it worked! Didn’t kill the plants because it wasn’t 99% bleach)
Christy
I know that this maybe late but I would not be too concerned with standing water if you use it to water your garden everyday instead of using a garden hose
Dan Price
Depending on what part of the Country you live in, your going to need to secure that screen to the top of the can; in a more durable way. A good thick coat of clear bathroom caulk,a round each piece of screen on each should do the trick. And (nature has a way) of getting though things, as tiny of a gap between the lid and the top of the can, regardless of the wires; things will get in there! As an extra measure use the water proof tape around the can over the wires.
And keep in mind, rain water, or re-claimed water treated correctly is consumable, in an emergency! Don’t just think garden, think survival!?
FRANKIE MCRAY
I love this. Please send directions.
Danielle Coney
I totally agree! I have been encouraging my mom to let me change her bug infested “rain barrel (plus diseases) but she feels it’s important! I’m trying to educate her and I more! Thanks for the help…well get it worked out!
Sherrell
Add goldfish for mosquito control.
Mickie Smith
If you add goldfish, you will need to put fish food in there too…right? Won’t that get yucky?
Christy
fish feces is actually great for gardens it works as a fertilizer some people use fish to grow there plants in water
Cherry
While it seems like a good idea, it is actually a bad idea. The goldfish will quickly suffer and die a painful death since the water is stagnant and not oxygenated. I’m a goldfish owner, I’m speaking logically here, they require a lot of care to keep them alive and they pollute their own water quickly with their waste. They are fun pets and unfit for living in a rain barrel dungeon.
Ann
I went a step further,used an old small pond pump in the barrel, 40 feet of pond pump hose and I can reach all of my garden. Yes the goldfish are great in the barrel,none of the pesky critters.
It was convent to fill a watering can, but after knee surgery . I had a problem with too many steps, pump solved all.
Misty
Isnt it illegal in America to collect rainwater?
Cheryl Lee
It seems that Colorado is the most restricted, but all states vary on legality. I found thiational and helpful in answering that question!—-> http://www.ncsl.org/research/environment-and-natural-resources/rainwater-harvesting.aspx
Kay
I have a barrel ready under under the rain spout I’ll be busy making mine soon
CHERYL RUSHTON
I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A COUPLE OF THESE , COULD YOU SEND ME THE INSTRUCTIONS. PLEASE. I LIVE IN THE STATE OF WASH. WE GET OUR SHARE OF RAIN. ESPECIALLY THIS PAST YEAR. I AM ALWAYS LOOKING FOR A WAY TO SAVE MONEY IN MY SENIOR YEARS. THANKS SO MUCH….
Sharon Hanna
Send rain barrel instuctions for survival and garden
Julie
Please send instructions. We seem to get our fair share of rain. I live in Alaska.
Thank You
Robyn
Hi,
I live in a climate where the outside temperature gets to 45oC+ in summer. Would goldfish survive in that quantity of water at those temperatures?
Pat
Are garbage cans food safe … meaning boa free or are we leaching poison into our water for the garden?? Just want to be safe!
Milo
Ho ho, what a inventor. Rain is ideal for plants because of their ideal pH.
Really interesting tbh, just im curious can i use like tehnical water…
Alex
What an invention! Considering that most of us have garbage cans, now they will have another job other than throwing waste haha