Ah, the 5-gallon bucket. It is the old workhorse of your homestead without a doubt. You only need many one or two at any given time, and yet over the years, you can amass so many of them that collect dust in a corner. Yet, the reason you keep all those buckets around is that there might be a day when you need them. They are one of the most useful tools to have. However, if you have a huge stack of 5-gallon buckets sitting in a random corner that needs to have a purpose, there might be some tasks you didn’t even consider them for. Here are Five 5-Gallon Bucket Hacks:
Chicken Feeder or Waterer
If you drill holes near the bottom edge of your five-gallon bucket and set it in a tray, you have yourself a perfect chicken feeder. You can also use it as a waterer if you get a deeper tray. The nice thing is that they are both cheap to make and hold way more than your cheapest store-bought options.
If you keep the lid on the top, it helps keep the water and food clean and secure as well, though a piece of spare wood can work just as well as a lid.
Furniture
Certainly, there is going to be some fight from anyone you live with if you try to bring a five-gallon bucket in from the barn to the living room to be your new footrest or stool. However, all it needs is a little dose of style. You upholstery a couch to change its appearance, and you can do the same with a five-gallon bucket. You simply cover the exterior with fabric or even paint and add a nice cushion on top. It works as a nice stool or ottoman, and the guests will never even know what it truly is.
Strawberry Bed
These buckets make for great portable gardens, but that is obvious. However, using them for strawberries may be less obvious. If you add holes to the sides, you can grow quite a few strawberry plants in one bucket. Leave it on the ground or hang it in the sun and you will have an easy to harvest, booming berry patch. Be sure to drill some holes in the bottom for drainage, though.
Nesting Boxes
This one is super easy. Turn the bucket on its side, and stuff it with hay, then place it in your coop. This provides a desirable, sheltered space in your chicken coop for your hens to lay. No need to build boxes and this option is very every to clean when the time comes.
Composting Bin
Five-gallon buckets can make the perfect composting bin for both inside and outside the home. if you don’t yet generate a lot of food waste or other compost materials – or have a smaller homestead – you don’t need to build or buy a huge composting tumbler quite yet. However, you can start building your compost pile inside a five-gallon bucket. Just drill holes in the bottom, put it somewhere it is at least partly sunny, and shake every few days. If you don’t want to have to water it occasionally, you may also consider one or two holes drilled in the top to let some rain in as well since good compost require both air and water.
It is also worth noting a five-gallon bucket in the kitchen can be a big boon too for larger homestead. They seal well, the smell doesn’t seep out through the plastic, and it has a lot of room for food scraps so you don’t have to make the trip to your already established compost pile as often.
P.S. Amazon has a ton of 5-gallon buckets to choose from if you don’t have any old ones laying around.
If you liked these 5-Gallon Bucket Hacks, don’t miss these 50 DIY Hacks That Will Make You Feel Like a Complete Genius.