I thought I knew how to post pictures, but I guess not.

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That's great, good job on the painting. I just love that.

I've been passing up those blue barrels because they're so uuugggllly. But I don't want to pay hundreds of $$$$ for the fancy faux terra cotta version.

Did you use special paints?

Thanks! I'm really happy with how it turned out.

I wish I could find the blue ones you've been passing on. I've got one more in the works and need two more.

I used a spray paint for plastic as a base coat in a mustardy yellow and then a mocha colored glaze followed by spray exterior sealer.

WOW!!! That looks amazing! What a great job! You should be very proud of your work.....thanks for sharing with us!

Yes that is great .!!!!

Looks like an expensive wooden barrel! Turned out great!! That's a fine looking boy there also! Are you going to put it on blocks or some kind of platform so it is easy to get pail under the spigot? Jan

You did an awesome job jazzing up that barrel! I thought of buying the former food container barrels that we can get fairly cheap through the city here but I suck at painting unless it is painting it one solid color. lol! I wish I had your talent! Who is the good looking youngster taking a dip in it?

A quick check of Craigslist in my area brought up a number of options from $10 to $25. One listing had more than a hundred available and another said "only 20 left!"

Thanks for the inspiration and for showing us how to pretty those up.

Luna - You can buy spray paint for plastic in almost any color and I think they would look great that way too. Don't know why I never thought of it because I'm always spray painting plastic planters with terra cotta paint.

Some of the water barrels sold online are just terra cotta color plastic priced at $200 or more and they don't even hold 55 gallons.

That's why I love this idea.

That turned out great. You are a very talented painter. DH has been wanting a rain barrel, maybe I'll try to work him one up. I like your barrel model,cute.
Frou

WOW -- that looks like a fine wooden cask ! I always wanted one , ( I love the look ) but I don't know how they work . Did you install the bottom spigot ? Is it for emptying it ? What's the top spigot for ? Overflow ? Questions,questions,questions .... LOL Maybe if I can convince DH that I know all about it - I can build one ,too !

Very, very nice, lizzardly! Who would have known that was once blue plastic!! You did a wonderful job on it! DH fixed up a clear plastic barrell for me this summer & I am amazed at how quickly it fills up! It's been a great asset for watering! TFS! ...cute kid there, too! Jeanne S.

toomuchglass...lots of good instructions on Internet on making one...that's where I found info for DH.

Thanks ! I'm off to Google ~~~~

This is too cool! My garden junk heroes are complimenting me on something. Yay me.

TMG- our local county extension office had a rain barrel workshop in April and that's where I made mine. There's a link here though for the paper work they handed out. It's from a different area, but I guess if the extension office can borrow so can I. http://monroe.ifas.ufl.edu/pdf/fyn/how%20to%20make%20a%20rain%20barrel.pdf

I learned the paint technique from a video that my daughter sent me. I think it was called That Painter Lady faux wood or something like that.

I've come back to this post several times! I am flabbergasted by your INCREDIBLE talent!!!!! Just BEAUTIFUL...and functional too! Thanks for the insprational idea! You could teach workshops on how to do this! AMAZING! Bear Hugs! Kirk

Well the video came at the right time, that's the perfect combination. I was wondering if you studied faux bois or if the technique just naturally came to you. That turned out really nice. I did a little when we were working with furniture, I always enjoyed it. Some interesting painting techniques to achive the wood look. It's an art in itself. You did an Excellent job on that rain barrel!

Thanks for posting your picture of the rain barrel. It looks great! Now I'll know what to do if I ever get another blue barrel. Just being told about using spray paint for plastic was helpful to me.
But I especially wanted to thank you for the link. I have many rain barrels and was challenged as to how to make screen covers for them. The idea of using bungee cords was very useful. Sometimes the solutions are so simple!

I was planning on getting installed this weekend, but it looks like maybe not. I twisted my ankle and my whole foot has blown up to 4 times it's normal size. Oh, well a weekend of relaxing with the feet propped up isn't a terrible thing.

I plan on putting it up on cinder blocks that I'll face with somthing I can paint white to mimic the white stones on my house.

That's my youngest in the picture. If he sees you with a camera in your hand, he WILL find a way to get in the shot. It's funny when we go somewhere touristy he has to jump in everybody's pictures. I mean everybodys. People we don't know have vacation pictures of my son! Don't know where he gets his lack of bashfulness. (Ok maybe I do and that's why I don't fuss too much about it.)

Thanks again for the kind words. You guys are the best!

what about that 'band' around the middle? How was that done being as a real wood barrel has that metal band? is it just painted on with paint? You have got the talent 'going on'.Keep up the projects.

Doodys- the bands are actually molded into the plasic of the barrel. I just painted them black to finish the "look". This is what the barrel started out as:

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Those are amazing

AMAZING!!! GREAT JOB! I have a couple of big white ugly ones(250gal?) that will def paint with krylon plastic paint...one has a metal cage around it, will paint that too! I have just been getting into the water barrel thing this year and have learned some things, 1) have an overflow so your barrel doesn't bulge/back up...and 2) have a good filter screen where the water goes into the barrel, as all the crud will collect at the bottom and plug your tap/outflow. Just figured I'd pass on the info to newbies to this as I am.