I LOVE 5 gallon buckets… well… I THOUGHT I did until I found how how expensive they were.   BUT then…I found out how I could get FREE food grade buckets that were 2.5-3 gallons and were even BETTER than the 5 gallon ones! Because 5 gallon buckets are SO expensive (I mean, they are just a bucket), I am 100% willing to transition to a smaller FREE bucket! Check out my post HERE on how you can get them for free!

I now prefer the 3 gallon ones because they aren’t as bulky, and are so much lighter when I use it for bulk food storage.

*Updated Sep. 2020* This post may contain affiliate links.  Read my affiliate link disclosure here

FREE CLASS: How to Start a Food Storage Using Food you eat now. Sign up here.

Outside uses for Buckets

Gardening

• Garden planters are fun uses (drill holes in the bottom), and easy to move towards the sun
• Grow hanging tomatoes
• Use them for composting
• Create a hanging strawberry garden
• Learn how to grow potatoes with them (It’s way easier to dump them out and find your potatoes than sift through a hole in the ground)
• Enjoy mushrooms? Grow a Mushroom farm

Animals

• Carry warm water out to the chickens in the winter time (We did this for 2 years!)
• Make a chicken watering device  or THIS one
• Use it for chicken nesting boxes like shown HERE
• Try making a chicken feeder
• Turn it into a bee hive
• Do you love birds?  Then make them a bird house

Garage

• Use them as garbage cans around the house. We love to do this, and it can so annoying to pay $15 for little garbage cans around the house which the kids break…
• Put old car oil or grease in
• Store charcoal with them. The buckets will keep it clean and keep the bag from ripping.
• Store camping gear such as bungee cords, tent stakes, ect.
• Great for Extension Cord Storage, we used them to move all our extension cords without ruining them.

Camping

FREE CLASS: How to Start a Food Storage Using Food You Eat Now. Sign up here.

• Create outdoor camping chairs
• Make a “Hillbilly Washing Machine“
• Try to build a camp shower
• Build a DIY Bucket Swamp cooler
• Create a “pump” outdoor sink
• Turn it into a “fishing gear” bucket, which would work as a great seat too!
• Turn them into a fish trap
• Use it as a bucket backpack
• Make a Bucket Light
• Check out how they made a rain water purifier

Indoor Uses for Buckets

Kids

• We love it for toy storage, they fit great in the 12×12 in toy shelves.
• Clothing storage, the circle buckets fit great in the backs of closets and can stack high.
• “Water table”  be sure to supervise your children and do so at your own risk. Our kids love filing up squirt guns with it, and just using the water and toys to make mud pies.
• Foot stools (Use with caution, they aren’t the most stable when empty, try putting food storage in them for more support.)
• Store outdoor toys in with lid to keep from getting wet
• Re-purpose it into a kids chair  or this is another kids chair
• Make a camping toilet or an emergency toilet
• Use as sensory “bin”.  fill full with rice and/or beans.  OR store your sensory items in it
• Create a bucket swing with the bucket.
• Use as a cloth diaper pail
• Create a “Pediatric seat”
• Make a wishing well
• Create a PVC frame use the buckets for toy storage

Food Storage

• Store bulk items such as wheat, flour, sugar, rice, beans, etc.  This is how I use it to store my food.  (You may want to use Mylar bags if they will be store for long periods) Read tips on how to use mylar bags..
• 72 hr kit storage
• Learn how to make a Water Filter with them
• edited to add: store water in them for easy rotation

Home Improvement

• Mix cement or mud for drywall
• Great use for using a paint roller
• Seems like tools are always scattered in the garage, you can create a “Tool Bucket“

FREE CLASS: How to Start a Food Storage Using Food you eat now. Sign up here.

In the Home

• Foot stools
• Turn it into a cute Mini Ottoman
• Use as laundry baskets/buckets
• Garbage cans- Pretty much EVERY room in our house where our “Guests” don’t really visit or use our garbage
• Create a “Gift Wrapping Bucket“
• Make a mouse trap
• Build an “Art Bucket” (shown in #5)
• Finally, fill it full of tools for a “house warming gift”
• Store your 72-Hour Kit or Bug out Bag in it

As a result, 53 outdoor and indoor uses for free food grade buckets!  Finally, go to your closest grocery store with a larger bakery and ask away to take a few home!  It’s usually easier to find them in the winter vs summer times.

What do you use your buckets for?  Comment below.

Further Reading:

17 DIY Projects for Frugal Living

Ultimate List of  Frugal Living Websites

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This post may contain affiliate links.  Read my affiliate link disclosure here