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Painting a Plastic Rain Barrel

photo rain barrel painted with Krylon Fusion Spray Paint

White or dark blue rain barrels don't work for you? Maybe you'd prefer a color that makes a statement. Perhaps you'd like the barrel to disappear into its surroundings?

Krylon® Fusion Spray Paint for Plastic® is the answer. The line up of 35 colors includes satin and gloss to choose from! It took two cans of spray paint to get good coverage and 3 would be better.

Want to see all the colors and get a great deal on Krylon® Fusion Spray Paint for Plastic®? MisterArt.com is the place to go for the best selection at a great price.

Camouflage paint job. A branch was used as a stencil to get this effect.
You CAN do this. To see how this was done, go HERE.

Painted rain barrel winners Burris Laboratory School, Muncie IN

Painted rain barrel winners Burris Laboratory School, Muncie IN

Barrel art contest winners from BSU - Burris Laboratory School, Muncie IN - they are standing in front of a garden house at Minnetrista Cultural Center where the winning barrels will be installed around the Cultural Center Campus. To see more barrels painted by these artists go here.

Painted rain barrel - to look like a whiskey barrel

Painted rain barrel - to look like a whiskey barrel

Real whiskey barrel? Only a close up inspection can tell the difference.

Rain Barrel painted by Toni Cecil Muncie -Delaware Stormwater Management

Rain Barrel painted by Toni Cecil Muncie -Delaware Stormwater Management

Images provided by Toni Cecil, Muncie / Delaware Stormwater Management

Aquabarrel® prides itself on being an environmentally friendly company. We offer this link because we understand that our customers demand choices and alternatives. As a company policy we do not paint or UV treat the rain barrels we offer. Will this change its life span? Perhaps. But what is worse for the environment? A barrel headed to the plastic recycler early or releasing toxins into the atmosphere? So we provide you with the options and ask that you consider what we have struggled with in bringing you this fine product.

If you want to use outdoor acrylics to paint your rain barrel you need to prime and top coat your plastic barrel.

Clean the exterior surface with a 1:1 mixture of vinegar and water.
Use a fine grade sandpaper to “rough up” the surface of the barrel. (This helps the paint adhere to the plastic barrel.)
Vacuum the barrel’s surface, then rinse barrel with clean water (static may try to hold the fine dust) and dry with a lint free cloth (or leave it in the sun to bake)
Apply at least one coat of outdoor primer. Primer must be allowed to dry per manufacture’s instructions.
Paint barrel and allow the paint to dry completely.
Apply two coats of polyurethane. Allow the polyurethane to dry between coats.

Aquabarrel LLC a Green America Member