Metal barrels are often left on the site after completion. construction work and repairs. For some, it's just garbage or a simple water container. And for craftsmen and people with imagination, a metal barrel - excellent material to create useful and beautiful things that will be useful in the household.

The simplest option is a flowerbed in a painted barrel. Special labor You don’t need to put any effort into it, but the end result will be very beautiful.

Which child can resist such a real train, where the barrels received steering wheels, seats and were put on wheels? The question is rhetorical, most likely, you will have to give rides to all the neighbor’s children, because your own will definitely boast about dad’s creation.

A metal barrel can become a spacious storage facility. If this version of a chest of drawers seems too brutal for your home, why not adapt a barrel for storing all kinds of tools in the garage.

A nest for laying hens in a barrel is also a good option for those who breed poultry. Just don't forget about the bedding.

Furniture made from old metal barrels - separate topic. What is not made from these items - chairs, garden benches, coffee tables, even sofas and bar stools.

Convenient and durable option creating a stand for washing in the country or in summer kitchen. If it is not possible to connect the water supply and drainage, you can always adapt a metal barrel as a base for a washstand.

As you can see, metal barrels are an excellent material for creating a wide variety of functional items. We hope our photo selection will inspire you to create something similar, and perhaps you will be able to do something even more creative!

For a long time already as water collectors under sewer pipes garden houses Summer residents use iron barrels for various fuels and lubricants. Convenient volume, durable material and affordable price have made barrels an indispensable element of gardening.

Let's consider other possibilities for their use; Perhaps some ideas will be unexpected for you and they will end up in your plans for the coming summer. Just remember that before use, the barrels must either be rinsed from the contents or set on fire from the inside to burn off any remaining fuel and lubricants on the walls.

Barrels are a container for burning.

This method of using barrels has been known to gardeners for a long time. In the most hidden part of the garden, protected from the wind, an iron barrel with a sawn-off top (lid) is placed on a non-flammable base. The base can be a platform of several paving slabs or simply earth with removed top layer turf. Several holes must be drilled in the bottom of the barrel to allow oxygen to enter.

Gradually, the barrel is filled with flammable waste from the gardener’s activities, such as paper, cardboard, dry branches, and leftover building materials. Periodically, the contents of the barrel are set on fire and burn out very quickly, since the holes in the lower part create good draft for the fire. In addition, this method of burning is safe compared to an open fire - the wind does not scatter burning debris around the area, and you can extinguish the fire by simply pouring a bucket of water over it and closing it with a lid. The ash that accumulates in the barrel will also benefit the gardener, as it is an excellent fertilizer for plants.

Of course, the walls of the barrel burn out over time and need to be replaced, but it is enough for 5-6 seasons (depending on the thickness of the walls and the frequency of burning waste).

Iron barrel compost container

To organize compost, it is necessary to provide oxygen to the contents, for which it is necessary to drill holes around the entire circumference and in the bottom of the barrel. The more holes, the better the compost will “breathe”. Before adding plant residues, it is necessary to arrange a drainage layer of branches or twigs at the bottom of the barrel. Be sure to provide a lid for compost - it can be made from leftover metal tiles or ordinary boards. Compost ripening in such a container occurs at an accelerated pace; within a year it will be suitable for consumption; you just need to stir it from time to time with a pitchfork.

Since in in this case the barrel will not be exposed to temperatures, it can be painted on the outside with paints, enamel or otherwise shaped decorative look.

Mobile beds made of iron barrels

Preparing a barrel for a mobile bed is the same as when organizing a composter. Zucchini and cucumbers can be planted in such beds; Moreover, this can be done directly onto the compost, adding a 20-30 cm layer of fertile soil on top.

Such a ridge is convenient because the spreading foliage of planted crops does not take up space on the beds, but hangs down and entwines the barrel. In addition, if the garden is still at the beginning of development and there are no prepared beds, barrels can serve as a temporary option that is easy to move and change as the site is developed.

A simple option for organizing an outdoor oven for cooking dishes in a cauldron. It is better to use a small metal oven with a capacity of 60 liters. Cut off the lid of the barrel; Drill holes along the top and bottom belts, cut a door on one side for storing firewood. When purchasing a cauldron, take into account the diameter of the stove so that it is firmly installed on top.

The good thing about such a stove is that it has a low cost, is simple to manufacture, and is absolutely unattractive to garden thieves.

Frying pan with iron barrel lid

The next stage in the evolution of the iron barrel is a roasting pan with a lid. It differs from all previous options in that the lid of the barrel remains in place; the barrel itself is sawn lengthwise into two parts. One of the parts serves as a base for laying coals and installing a grate or skewers, and the second part is a lid connected to the base using ordinary door hinges. An X-shaped structure made of non-combustible materials — iron pipes or fittings.

The roaster is convenient because it can be built into, for example, a gazebo and the contents are protected by a lid from precipitation.

Outdoor and indoor furniture made from iron barrels

Furniture made from barrels is very diverse. A novice master will choose a simpler option, for example, a bar table made of a barrel with a round top. You can make the tabletop yourself, using large wooden reels for power lines as a model, or order a solid one from solid wood.

Experienced master With good set tools, you can easily take on a set of patio furniture - sofas and armchairs, or make an original cabinet - a bar.

Craftsmen without tools or skills, but with a talent for drawing, can make an original cabinet out of a barrel, painting it in the manner of an old forged chest. The color and complexity of the product will be given by the handles and metal clasps screwed to it.

Bottom line

If at your dacha an iron barrel has another use that has eluded us, take a photo and write about it. Maybe your idea will inspire other gardeners to get creative and become a classic of the garden genre!

You can build a flower garden from old barrels. From one single barrel, using a hacksaw, you can organize several wooden tubs. Moreover, you can saw an old barrel both lengthwise and crosswise.

We cut the resulting tub in half - and here you have two additional containers for planting flowers. They can be placed close to a stone border or the wall of a house, filled with soil and sown with bright, fragrant summer flowers. And by cutting out a small barrel in steps and making fences from boards, you will get a multi-tiered flower bed that will decorate the entrance to the terrace.

Using old barrels you can create fabulous compositions in the form of picturesque islands on the lawn, and use small barrels as flowerpots for hanging plants. The combination of delicate openwork vegetation, old wood and iron hoops, wasted by time and rust, looks almost conceptual: life goes on. From the inexhaustible floral theme we smoothly move to water procedures. Old barrels, sawn in half - great solution for organizing country mini-ponds. And those who prefer the sight and sounds of flowing water will certainly like country ideas for decorating a pond using wooden barrels.

Or maybe you like a cascading waterfall or a vintage washbasin made from a large oak barrel? For true jack-of-all-trades, nothing is impossible! Continuing the “wet” theme in the country interior, what can you say, for example, about the plumbing “bells and whistles” in barrel decor? No extra pipes, original, hygienic, and most importantly, your country bathroom is in a fashionable and current eco style.

Garden furniture for the garden and home continues our hit parade of crafts made from old barrels. Here, as they say, options are possible, and there are an incredible variety of them.

Ottomans and armchairs, bedside and coffee tables, bar stools and tables made from solid wooden barrels and their halves.

With a certain skill and ability to handle carpentry tools, all these old and new things can easily settle into the interior of your country house and in the surrounding area.


If you are not attracted by solid shapes, old barrels can be freed from hoops and bent wooden boards can be used to make garden benches, armchairs, sun loungers and folding portable chairs. Latest model, by the way, is especially convenient to transport - throw it in the trunk of the car, and even for fishing, or for a picnic.


From the same wooden curved ribs old barrel you can make it easy too garden swing, and an incredibly comfortable hammock. Just don’t forget to thoroughly sand and polish the boards before doing this, and enjoy your summer vacation!

For those who like to gather outside the city, a large and noisy company You will certainly like country ideas for minibars, solid barbecues and containers with ice for cooling strong drinks.

The front wall of the barrel is cut to the size of the door with an electric jigsaw, hung on hinges and, voila, the original bar table is ready to receive guests. All that remains is to equip it with shelves, partitions, glass holders and make sure that your mini-bar is not empty.

The kitchen in the country, as in any home, is a favorite and, one might say, sacred place for every housewife. Useful household items such as comfortable chairs, trays, baskets and fruit dishes or suspended structure for different kitchen utensils, may not be essential items, but they are the ones who create the mood and comfort in the kitchen feminine kingdom. And all this can be made from old barrels, or rather from their wooden planks, remaining after the manufacture of furniture.

And finally, a couple more country ideas for transforming old barrels into stylish interior items. Lamps, lampshades and entire chandeliers in the medieval style will undoubtedly become original decoration for the veranda and any room in your country house.

How can we bypass our smaller brothers, the lovers? country holiday and part-time security guards? A booth made from an old barrel is a reliable shelter for a serious watchdog; it looks simply fabulous and very cozy.

Booth-booth, but for pet Comfort is also important. A comfortable bed made from the bottom of an old barrel with a soft feather bed will appeal not only to small terriers, but also to large ones.


That's all, actually. The review of country ideas for repurposing and using old barrels has come to its finale. All that remains is to start implementing them.

I always want to decorate my garden or dacha plot in such a way that it would be pleasant for myself and I could surprise my neighbors! How do you think barrels can be used in the country?

Of course, the first thing that comes in response is:

- gather rainwater. This is of course very important!! The water given to us, how can we not use it in a good way. Well, of course, the barrel needs to be decorated so that you can admire it!

Can be done summer house for a faithful watchman.

A house for children who love to play mother and daughter. Such a cozy house, with windows and curtains, and decorate it with a beautiful pattern.

For relaxing in the garden, it’s really possible to make such a waterproof garden furniture. You can come up with many design options for such furniture, I offer options that I found on the Internet.

To collect green mass from summer cottage for the formation of organic fertilizer.

Planting vegetables too good option! Tomatoes, cucumbers, potatoes, strawberries, wonderful options for growing vegetables and berries in already unnecessary metal barrels. And the barrels can also be painted!!

The flowerbed is a locomotive, I think that not many people can see such a use for a barrel. And it's good fun for kids too!

A wonderful cabinet for storing dishes and an option to prevent rodents from accessing food supplies!

Outdoor barbecue.

Lamps, if the barrels are not standard, but smaller. Drill holes using a drill according to the design you came up with, apply paint, install electrical equipment and the whole dacha will glow in the evening!

A small pond for a summer residence.

- container for swimming!

So you got acquainted with the proposed options and found out what can be made from barrels in the country.

And how to decorate barrels used for irrigation is in the article.