22 Unique DIY Burn Barrel Design Ideas For Decoration & Functionality

How do you dispose of your garbage? Do you pay someone to haul it to the landfill for you? Do you haul it to the landfill yourself? Or do you burn it in a burn barrel?

Even if you have your garbage situation covered now, what if an emergency happened, and you needed a way to dispose of waste and stay warm too? Then what?

Well, you would need a burn barrel. I live in an area where it is really common for people to burn their garbage. I don’t like all of the harmful smoke being ingested so we dispose of our waste differently.

But I do have a burn barrel just in case of an emergency. Truthfully, I’m not thrilled with it because it is quite the eye sore.

Which is why I’m going to bring you different options for your burn barrel. You are sure to find one that suits your needs.

Burn Barrel Options

1. The Yard Waste Burn Barrel

This burn barrel isn’t what I would call pretty, but it sure is functional. This is a great way to burn your yard waste.

So if you have leaves or wood that you would rather burn than pay to have it disposed of at the landfill, you could use this option. It even has a nice lid that goes with it.

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2. Washing Machine Burn Barrel

Not everyone uses a burn barrel to dispose of yard waste or to even stay warm. In fact, some people use it as a fire pit and a place to gather.

Well, if you would like that, then you might want to consider using an old washing machine drum as a burn barrel. It is big enough to double as a place to gather.

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3. The Country Boy Burn Barrel

If you love to hunt, and you get into all of the designer brands of hunting gear, then you’ll love this burn barrel.

Again, it’s an idea and not a tutorial, but I know my oldest son would flip over this as his burn barrel. So I can only imagine a few others would enjoy it as well.

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4. The Garden Incinerator Can

This can is actually one that can be purchased. If you are the crafty type, then you can probably figure out how to recreate it yourself as well.

Either way, it appears like it would be a good option to help you rid your yard of excess yard waste.

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5. The Deer Head Burn Barrel

This is another burn barrel I can only assume that young country kids would enjoy. I know my oldest would love to have this as his burn barrel too.

So if you like rustic décor, this would be a great way to add a little touch of that in something as simple as a burn barrel.

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6. The Functional Burn Barrel

I really like this burn barrel. I’m still relatively new to the idea of even needing a burn barrel. I grew up in the city where ‘burning’ didn’t exist.

But I’ve watched enough people around my rural area burn that I think it is really smart to add a space in the bottom where the fire can be easily stoked.

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7. The Cheap Hi-Temp Burn Barrel

If you’d like to have a hi-temp burn barrel but don’t want to spend a fortune purchasing one, then you might be interested in this idea.

So this site teaches you how to create your own in only 4 simple steps. It doesn’t get much easier than that.

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8. 6 Steps to a Burn Barrel

Are you someone that needs detailed steps and pictures to create a project? I am that way too so I understand how important it is to have a solid tutorial to creating the perfect burn barrel.

Well, this tutorial breaks it down into 6 easy to follow steps. It may not be the fanciest burn barrel, but it will certainly do the job.

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9. The Easy Efficient Burn Barrel

Do you want a burn barrel that is both easy to create and use? Plus, it is also efficient?

Well, if so, then this could be the perfect tutorial. Again, this isn’t for a fancy burn barrel, but it appears that it will get the job done.

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10. The Rustic Wedding Décor

Maybe you don’t really want a burn barrel to burn your lawn waste or to have as a way to keep warm in an emergency? Instead, maybe you’d like it as a nice addition to a rustic themed wedding.

Well, this burn barrel will certainly do that. It actually requires three barrels. 2 barrels will be the bride and grooms initials while the third is the one that has the heart engraved in it.

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11. Blain Farm’s Burn Barrel

This tutorial (created by Blain Farms) shows you how to create your very own burn barrel. It shows you how to create a barrel that will function and also offers safety tips.

So if you need a basic tutorial so you know how to create a burn barrel that is effective and safe, then this could be what you need.

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12. The Safe (And Less Smoke) Burn Barrel

I mentioned in the beginning of this post that I don’t like to burn things because of all of the smoke it produces.

But with this tutorial that could eliminate some of that dislike for me. They show you how to create an effective burn barrel that doesn’t create a ton of smoke when burning.

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13. The Funky Burn Barrel

Let’s say you wanted a burn barrel to host a small bon fire? Truthfully, where I live, when they say the words ‘bonfire’ it means a mountain of tree branches being burned in the middle of the field.

But if you have a bonfire in mind that isn’t quite that extravagant, then you could use a cool burn barrel like this one.

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14. The Burn Cage

I really like this idea. It is a great way to have a safe way of burning excess yard waste without a big barrel hanging around your property.

Instead, this stainless steel looks really clean, and most people probably would never think it was a place that you burned yard waste.

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15. The Wishing Well Burn Barrel

I love this idea! I think it adds a lot of character to something as simple as a burn barrel. Obviously, you’d want to use this one for something like a small bonfire.

But it definitely has a way of adding a unique touch. Plus, this burn barrel is accompanied with a tutorial on how you can create it yourself.

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16. Good Construction for a Burn Barrel

If you are really not sure what makes a good burn barrel and what doesn’t, here is a diagram to help you along the way.

Plus, the visual of the diagram will help those (like myself) that are more visual learners. That way you can know if an idea that strikes your fancy will work effectively or not.

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17. Burn Barrel Specs

This is a great site if you are interested in learning how to build different types of burn barrels. You can build an effective barrel that you just toss the trash in it and burn it.

Then there is a barrel that has a nice screen to keep everything safely inside the barrel. Finally, there is a fancy little incinerator that has a pipe that actually catches sparks. It is pretty fancy.

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18. The Artistic Burn Barrel

Obviously, this burn barrel would be used for a fire pit. But you can purchase or create your own custom designs in a burn barrel.

However, I am not artistic enough to DIY this myself. But if you have major artistic ability then put it to good use on an inexpensive fire pit.

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19. The Viking Ship Fire Pit

So this isn’t exactly a burn barrel. Instead, it is a barrel that some really artistic person turned into a Viking ship.

Now, you can actually purchase this, but if you have the artistic ability to create such a cool burn barrel, then go for it.

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20.  Art Burn Barrels

People get really artistic when it comes to creating a burn barrel. I doubt many people use them to burn their lawn scraps.

But if you wanted to create an artistic burn barrel as an inexpensive fire pit that would be a really neat way to incorporate it into your home décor.

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21. The Mini-Incinerator

This is another store bought option for a burn barrel. However, it looks really clean as it is made out of stainless steel.

Also, it has a cover that is meant to stop any sparks from flying out at you. So if you are looking for a safe way to burn this could be it.

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22. The Impressive Burn Barrels

Someone turned two basic burn barrels into a really impressive outdoor fire pit. It has a door where you can actually place the wood inside.

Then it has a pipe where the smoke can escape. It reminds me of an outdoor homemade woodstove. It is a really neat idea.

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Well, now you have over 20 options of different burn barrels you could use for many purposes. So whether you were looking for a simple design to burn your own yard scraps, or if you were looking for something a little fancier to entertain around, I think you could easily find them both here.

However, remember when using a burn barrel that safety is always the number one priority. Practice fire safety and when building, don’t be afraid to ask for help if needed.

When you are done, consider all these amazing uses for ash.