Creative Ideas for Galvanized Buckets and Vintage Containers
These decorating ideas for galvanized buckets and vintage containers will find you scooping them up whenever you find them!
I have to admit, old galvanized buckets and containers might be one of my favorite decorating essentials. Indoors or out, it’s rustic, vintage patina is the perfect match to just about anything! Hopefully after seeing all these ideas, you’ll be adding to your collection, or heading to the garage to save an old find! Enjoy Creative Ideas for Galvanized Buckets and Vintage Containers.
Today’s post is part of our Lifestyle of Love blog series, dreamed up by Cindy at County Road 407. We’re a group of creative bloggers who love vintage, antiques, farmhouse and repurposed finds. This series shows how we decorate and use our finds to send ideas your way!
If you’re visiting from Dabbling and Decorating, I’m sure you enjoyed Ann’s galvanized bucket planter ideas; I love seeing how she decorates her beautiful homes in Vermont and Maine! I’ll have the rest of the inspiration at the end.
Creative Ideas for Galvanized Buckets and Vintage Containers
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First , How to Clean Galvanized Metal
Before you start decorating and making cute, be sure your old galvanized bucket or container is clean. These old farm finds have usually come right from the barn and you never know what’s been scurrying over them. You’ll want them clean enough to use anywhere in your home decor.
I share my cleaning tips and how to revive the vintage patina in “How to Clean and Refresh Vintage Galvanized Metal”. It’s one of my top posts and has helped many people fall more in love with their galvanized finds!
What Can You Do With a Galvanized Bucket?
Your basic metal bucket can be used so many ways, indoors or out. I love to place a faux green plant in them as early Spring decor. This look kicks off the coming gardening season.
I’ve also tied a grouping of them to the rungs of a ladder outdoors and planted them with flowers and herbs. This is a great way to disguise an ugly corner. {“Upcycled Old Ladder Garden Display”}
Add Graphics to Old Buckets
Whenever I can find an old galvanized bucket or pail with the original graphic label, I’m excited. I make sure to keep it safe (which I explain in the post I mentioned above.). But it can also be fun to add a painted stencil to up the cute factor. This classic farmhouse stencil from Funky Junk’s Old Sign Stencils (find them HERE) made this bucket gift worthy.
Galvanized Chicken Feeders are a Fun Accessory
Another favorite galvanized vintage find are old chicken feeders. They make the perfect, changeable centerpiece or wall decor for any season.
I have a painted green speckled one on the wall of our kitchen sitting area. I switch up the decor for the season. It gets filled with pinecones and greens in the winter, old bottles and branches in the Spring and pop bottles with garden flowers in the summer.
A pair of upright chicken feeders have become a year round decor essential, too. They’ve become the perfect wall pockets for seasonal foliage and can easily be hung on old bedsprings (my go-to decor foundation).
The latest addition to the chicken feeder collection is a chippy white trough, perfect as a kitchen island centerpiece.
Chicken feeders also look amazing filled with faux or real succulents; great combo of texture!
Old Galvanized as Garden Planters and Yard Art
Old galvanized containers can be found all around our home and gardens. They’re the perfect vintage farmhouse accessory for outdoors and can be used in so many ways!
Corrugated garbage cans make the best planters, all season long. I fill them up with empty plastic flower pots upside down so not as much dirt is needed (and they’re not so heavy to move). They’re filled with seasonal flowers and foliage year round.
Our new picket fence veggie garden got a double laundry tub last year, perfect to harvest herbs at the right height. More washtubs are planted with lettuce.
Use Galvanized Vintage Containers Every Which Way
Whether they’re right side up, upside down, or on their side, metal buckets and old galvanized containers add patina and charm to your outdoor decor. They can add function, too!
We’ve got an old water bath thing-a-ma-jig on it’s side holding firewood for the chiminea. A rusted out corrugated bucket sits upside down in the garden, perfect for a flower pot. A tall bucket is the perfect perch for a pumpkin in the Fall.
Try switching up the direction of your containers for a fun change, and to make them more functional!
And of course, there’s vintage galvanized watering cans, too! Just so many to love!
Obviously, you can never have enough galvanized buckets and containers! And I didn’t even mention the fun you can have with old minnow buckets! Whenever you come across these old friends, definitely scoop them up because you can use them anywhere and everywhere.
I hope you had fun seeing all the ways I use these old classics indoors and out in my home decor! For more inspiring ideas, visit Emily at Le Cultivateur next; she has wonderful vintage finds, styled beautifully!
For more posts in the Lifestyle of Love series, see HERE.
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Lifestyle of Love: Galvanized Buckets & Containers
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Love these ideas so much I’m featuring it on Farmhouse Friday tomorrow. Going thrifting this weekend too. Hoping to find more galvanized goodies! Thanks for linking up Lora. pinned
You have such an awesome collection!!! I love all the beautiful ways that you have used these buckets/containers!!! Soooo beautiful!!!
Lora I just knew you would have a post full of vintage galvanized goodies! I love your watering cans and your herb gardens in galvanized tubs. Such creative ideas for chicken feeders too!
Always fun hopping with you, especially with a vintage theme. Happy summer!
So creative!! Love them all! If I had to pick a favorite I’d say the upright chicken feeder🤩 I need one now😂
Boy, you have so much to look at and inspire. I have a few buckets and wash tubs, but love your cute chicken feeder.
Chicken feeders are fun to have!
So many fun ways to use galvanized containers, Lora! I really want to add graphics to one of mine like you did. Thanks for the great idea. I can’t tell you how much I love your style.
Thanks for your sweet words, Kim; I appreciate them:)
Lora you have so many wonderful seasonal galvanized bucket ideas. Wow. Loved them all👏🏻👏🏻
Glad you were inspired, Ann!
Love all your ideas and fun pieces, Lora. The ladder with buckets on the rungs is just so wonderful. Thanks for all the inspiration. And oh yay, a pumpkin on top of the galvanized container for Fall!
They’re so much fun to use all year long, aren’t they?
Love this!! That green chicken feeder is my favorite!! I also love what you did with the old trash cans. So creative, Lora!!!
Thanks, Rachel! I’ve amassed quite a few old trashcans through the years;)
So many great ideas and so many different containers! I’ve not seen many of those and love them. While shopping, I’ve literally said – nope, lot like Lora’s, keep looking! LOL. I love your ideas and can hardly wait to implement some. Thanks for sharing and joining in. pinned
We can always bring one more galvanized container home, right?
Lora,
I love vintage galvanized containers and I love how you’ve used all of yours in your decor.
They are the best, indeed!