For the next step, I went to the plumbing department at Ace Hardware, told them what I was making, and they
helped me find a faucet to attach a hose, rubber washers, and fittings for the overflow.
I drilled 2 holes, one 4" from the bottom, and one about 4" from the top. Using clear silicone caulk, I screwed the fittings into each hole with the thick rubber washers inside the barrel to insure a good seal.
That's about it, I had an old hose with only one end, (luckily the correct end), that I attached to the overflow, pointed downhill towards one of the flower beds. Attach a hose to the faucet that you installed on the bottom, and attach the hose to your soaker hose.
To install the rainbarrel, I cut the downspout off 6-8" above the barrel and put the barrel on an old bench to raise it up off the ground.
I need to raise it even more this year to get better pressure.
It sounds like alot of work, but it is well worth it!
You only have to make them once, and get an unbelievable amount of water for dry spells.