Yes, I own a rain barrel. Bought a blue barrel (someone was using it to float their dock). My DH cut a hole for the downspout and put a faucet in the bottom with an overflow. We have lots of high peaks on the house, so the barrel fills quickly during a storm. I water my tomatoes, perennials, and inside plants. We even empty the barrel when the weather changes, and in the winter I bring in the frozen buckets and allow them to thaw--then water my plants. I love the idea of using all resources available to me.
I have seen handpainted homemade barrels for sale on e-bay--they were lovely.