5-gallon buckets are a staple of any garage, workshop or storage shed. They’re great for storing everything from nuts and bolts to seedlings and soil. You can use them as feeders for your chickens or rabbits, too! But there’s so much more you can do with a 5-gallon bucket than stick it in your garage. Read on to find out how you can maximize this simple container into something that will delight both your family and friends!
Drip Irrigation
You can easily make a drip irrigation system with a few simple items you might have at home right now! All you need are 5-gallon buckets, drill bits, 2-3 feet of half-inch tubing, stakes, nails, and something to weigh the buckets down. Drill about ten holes, evenly spaced around the bottom of your bucket, and use zip ties to attach the tubing at two points on either side of the base. Then drive stakes into the ground to support the bucket and fill it with water. It’s as easy as that! Your plants will be so happy, and you can rest assured knowing that your flowers and veggies are getting all the water they need to grow big and strong.
Bubble Machine
Got kids? Enjoy bubbles? Well, you can make a bubble machine with nothing more than a 5-gallon bucket, some PVC pipe, a small fan, and a small holed net. Take apart an old computer fan and attach it to the lid of your bucket. Then, drill a couple of holes in the side near the bottom, just big enough for your PVC pipe to fit inside.
Put one end of the pipe inside of the bucket so that it’s pointing up towards where you can screw on your lid. Attach another piece of PVC pipe to the other end and run it to your outside faucet. The fan will push the bubbles through the pipe and into your net, and voila, you’ve got a homemade bubble machine!
Clothes Washer
Got a whole load of dirty clothes to clean? Rather than running it through your machine, you can use a 5-gallon bucket and laundry soap to do it by hand. Fill your bucket with soapy water and wash away! Just make sure the soap suds up before you put in your clothes, and be careful when putting them in and out of the bucket. Once you finish washing, rinse your clothes in the bathroom sink with warm water until all the soap is gone. Then hang outside to dry.
