How to decorate a barrel in the country?

Creative owners of summer cottages are well aware that using the most common improvised means, you can decorate the territory of your suburban area in an original way. For this, even the most ordinary barrels are suitable, which can be turned into an unusual flower bed, and into a waterfall or a container for storing water.

You can use a variety of types of barrels in your summer cottage. Each of them has its own advantages.

1. Wooden. These barrels can be an excellent base for a flower bed or mini-vegetable garden. Even leaky barrels or their halves are used in such situations. If desired, they can be additionally decorated with carvings. It does not take a lot of time.
2. Metallic. Old iron barrels are perfect for storing water in the country. Their peculiarity lies in the fact that before decorating, they need to be well prepared.
3. Plastic. Lightweight plastic drums are good because they can be moved from place to place if necessary. In addition, they are weather resistant. They can be used in the garden or turned into an original garden sculpture.

To decorate a large or small barrel, use any materials at hand.

The easiest way to decorate a barrel with your own hands is to paint it. It doesn't take a lot of time or money.

As a rule, metal barrels are painted. Before working with them, the material must be prepared. The metal tank should be thoroughly cleaned of rust. To do this, you can use a stiff metal brush or regular sandpaper. Also, experienced summer residents are advised to use a high-quality rust converter.

Special attention should be paid to the choice of paint. It is worth picking up material marked "for outdoor use." This paint does not fade in the sun and does not crack. One of the following types of paint is suitable for work:

• acrylic aerosol - it is convenient to apply them to the surface, and even a beginner can cope with this task;
• alkyd - they are sold in ordinary cans and are applied with a roller or brushes;
• oil - this is the cheapest, but at the same time the most short-lived version of paints.

To hide the presence of the container in the garden, it is recommended to paint it in neutral colors. You can use different shades of green or brown. This barrel will be the perfect base for a flower bed or small garden.

If the owners of the site do not have any special drawing skills, you can get by with the usual stencil. In this way, it is easy to depict simple ornaments, floral patterns, or even some fairy-tale character on the surface of the barrel.

The stencil is easy to make with your own hands. To do this, you just need to choose a suitable image and print it on paper, then cutting out the necessary elements. This stencil can be discarded immediately after use. But there are also more durable materials.So, you can make a simple reusable stencil out of plastic by cutting the desired pattern on it with a clerical knife.

If you have the time and desire, you can paint the barrel by hand. In this case, it is possible to make any fantasy come true. On the surface of the barrel, you can depict an original floral pattern, a fairy-tale character or some unique pattern that fits perfectly into the landscape design of the site. In this case, it is convenient to use a roller to finish the background and thin brushes to draw details.

But coloring is not the only way to decorate a barrel in the country. You can decorate a metal or wooden tank without paint. Different materials are used to decorate it.

1. Plastic bottles. Old beverage containers can be found in every home. You should not throw them away, because they can come in handy when decorating a summer cottage. From plastic bottles, you can cut not only a stencil for drawing, but also details to create embossed patterns, for example, three-dimensional flowers or butterflies.
2. Vine. This natural material can be used to decorate flower beds. Styled like large beautiful baskets, they will easily fit into the style of any site.
3. Stones. Small stones are also great for decorating a metal or iron barrel. They can be used to create mosaic patterns. Such stones are attached to high-quality frost-resistant glue or liquid nails. In this way, you can decorate a water storage tank or a small garden waterfall. Several large stones should be placed next to it to complete the picture.
4. Natural materials. You can use forest moss or weaving plants to decorate barrels. In this case, the tank will fit perfectly into the style of the garden.

To understand how to use barrels on your site, take a look at some interesting examples.

You can make beautiful flower beds from unnecessary old containers. In order for the wooden tank to last longer, it must be covered with a layer of varnish or paint. When the flower bed is dry, you can fill it with earth and plant flowers there. They will grow very quickly.

In such a barrel, petunias, cornflowers and chamomiles look great. Additionally, the container can be decorated with an elegant lantern that will illuminate the garden at night. You can also supplement the flowerbed with special supports for climbing plants.

An old metal tank can be given new life by turning it into a mini vegetable garden. This design has many advantages. Firstly, they take up a lot of space, which means they are suitable even for very small summer cottages. Secondly, the harvest ripens faster in such a container. The fact is that in a high bed, the soil warms up much faster and remains warm longer. Finally, the plants in the barrel are fairly easy to care for.

It is most convenient to grow climbing crops in such a container. Beans, cucumbers, zucchini and garden strawberries will feel comfortable there. You can also grow potatoes in barrels.

In search of ideas for decorating your site, you can turn to children. Coloring the barrel with your child will be more interesting and fun. You can draw any cute pictures on it. The easiest option to perform is to depict on the surface of the barrel some cute character, for example, a pig from a popular children's cartoon.

On the territory of any site, you can arrange a small waterfall. It is very easy to make it from an old wooden barrel. Additionally, it is worth decorating the territory with large natural stones and original garden sculptures. This design will perfectly fit into the design of any site.

To extend the life of the barrel used to decorate the site, certain rules must be followed when caring for it.

1. If the surface of the tank has been painted in any way, do not allow acids or solvents to come into contact with it. They can eat away at the pattern and ruin everything.
2. To decorate the barrel, you need to use high-quality waterproof materials. In this case, you do not have to worry about how she will survive the bad weather.
3. Rot, rust or mold should not be allowed to appear on the surface of the barrels. Proper care will help extend the life of the reservoir.

Summing up, we can say that it will not be difficult to decorate a barrel beautifully, even for novice summer residents.

You can learn how to decorate a barrel in the country with your own hands from the video below.