With summer right around the corner as a mother I am planning fun crafts, play-dates, and outdoor activities I can do with my children. In the mail last week my favorite store Lowes sent their quarterly magazine “Creative Ideas.” I love flipping through the pages to see the various home improvement ideas I could easily do and fun crafts I can build with my kids. One such project marketed towards kids used PVC pipes to make a kids DIY sprinkler. I loved the idea of building my PVC pipe sprinkler because the temperatures in the summer can get extremely hot. I went to the store with an idea in my head and my husband bought the pipes we needed. My husband measured out and cut all the pipes first, then he laid out the parts on the pavement and dry fit the sprinkler to make sure he had all the parts before gluing. Our son Tristan LOVES to play with pipes and helped his dad build this PVC pipe sprinkler too.
The DIY PVC pipe sprinkler I came up with is simple, it can be put over a slip n slide for more fun and can also be used in a garden for watering when your children are not using the sprinkler to cool off from the hot summer days. The sprinkler is light weight, moveable, and the perfect way to play outside with your kids this summer.
DIY PVC Pipe Sprinkler Tutorial:
Parts You Will Need:
- (14) 1/2″ – 5ft long PVC Pipes – two extra in case you mess-up a cut
- (3) 1/2″ PVC elbows (non-threaded)
- (5) 1/2″ – Side Outlet Elbow (non-threaded)
- (8) 1/2″ – PVC Tee Connectors (non-threaded)
- (1) Metal Hose Connector (female)
- (1) 1/2″ PVC Ball Valve
- (1) 1/2″ Threaded Coupling
- PVC Cement
- PVC Cleaner
- Handheld Drill with drill bit
- Hacksaw
- Tape Measure and pen to mark your cuts
- (2) 1/2″ Hose Extenders
- Landscape Fabric Pins
Cuts You Need To Make:
- (4) 30 1/8″ Cross Ties
- (4) 19 3/8″ Long Top Rails
- (4) 9 1/8″ Short Top Rails
- (4) 29 3/8 Bottom Base Rails
- (2) 2″ Hose Extenders
- (6) 5 ft long PVC Pipes (you can buy them in this exact size at Lowes to reduce cutting)
First lay out all your parts measure twice and use your hacksaw to cut once. When you have all your cuts done refer to my pictures on how to lay them out and do a dry fitting first. Once you have all the parts dry fitted take the sides apart from the top and use your pipe cleaner and then glue to adhere your pipes together. Once you put the glue on you need to quickly insert the other pipe before it dries. It will take two people at the end to hold up sides as you glue the top on.
This is how the sprinkler looks standing up and all glued together. You then take your hand held drill and make as many holes as you want. We have six going across the Cross Ties, four holes going around the Long Rails and some on the 5ft slides as well.
You connect your 2″ hose connector piece to one corner of your sprinkler frame. Then you connect your ball valve to that and add your other 2″ long hose connector piece. Next add in your threaded coupling and metal hose connector and this is where you connect your garden hose to the sprinkler to bring water to it.
What it looks like all connected to your garden hose.
My kids love their sprinkler and we use it daily to cool off with the hot temperatures.
XOXO,
Amee
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Shared on these wonderful linking parties:
This is the coolest thing ever!! My kids would love this!!
How much did it cost in supplies?
Thanks for sharing at The DIY Dreamer.. From Dream To Reality!
Hi Christine,
It cost no more than $30-$35 with tax so not that expensive and people can change the size if they need it smaller or larger too. My kids love this and it was pretty easy to do too. Thanks for having a party.
🙂 Amee
How fun for your children! I have none left that small but will keep in mind for the future grandkids. Thanks for posting it.
Your welcome it was very easy to make and only cost about $35 and I use it to water my garden beds too.
What size drill bit did you use? Hubby and i are making one for the garden and aren’t sure what size holes to drill.
Hi Candice,
We used drill bits from the size of 1/8th – 1/16th, you really cannot go wrong unless the holes are way big. Hope your kids enjoy this or you too.
Amee
How do you drain the water from the side not connected to the hose so the the water doesn’t just sit in it?
Hi Laura,
We just put it up on its side and the water would flow right out. We never had any issues with it when storing it.
I just built this!! I love it. I was stumped for a while with the directions but then it clicked! My kids thank you 🙂
Sorry you got confused, but glad your kiddos love it. I had to give it away when we moved to an apartment where we had no where to store or use it. My kids had fun times with it though!
Can you take this apart and store and rebuild each summer? Do you have to use the glue?
You must glue it or it will leak and we just blew out the water and stored it under our deck.