If you enjoy watching a robin splash about in a birdbath and want to help our feathered friends to a cool drink during these hot summer and fall days, you don't have to spend a fortune on fancy, high-priced garden store models.
Keep and eye open for the bases at garage and estate sales, even thrift stores, then get creative with the bowl portion of your birdbath.
Keep in mind, it's good to offer differing depths of water in the bowls for various sizes of birds. At my house, the robins like something deep and they can empty it in a day with all their vigorous splashing. While the timid chickadees and goldfinches prefer something shallow.
The kitchen is one of my favorite places to find birdbath bowls. Some good choices are pie plates, casserole dishes, and serving bowls. The saucers for underneath terra-cotta pots is another great idea. I've even used a up-turned light fixture.
You can get creative with the base, too. I've used an old stand for a vintage ash tray (garage sale), a large table leg (salvaged), and tree stumps.
Hope this kick starts your creative juices, the birds will thank you. And you'll receive hours of enjoyment watching them.
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This is my "Hippy Birdbath". I made it out of a PVC pipe and a hub cap. I used a glue, "Glue All", to put them together. It took a day to dry. Then I placed it in my rocks. The birds love it.
Money being so tight I decided to make my daughter a birdbath for Mother's Day. Birdbaths can be expensive this one only cost me $5.00 to make and I'm pretty sure she will love it!
Don't throw out that leaking bird bath! Make it into your own work of art. And that old chipped plate, you didn't know what to do with, can adorn your masterpiece.
I like to put a trash bag, folded in half or to whatever size I want it and held down by rocks out in the garden and then when it rains, the water puddles and makes a great bird bath.
This is a cute way to make a bird bath or bird feeder using a grapevine wreath. Get a grapevine wreath and a shallow planter bottom that you put under the planter to hold water in.
You can make a bird bath with a trash can lid by turning it upside down and attaching it to the top of a pedestal. A short fence post works well for the pedestal and metal trash can lids seem to work the best for the bath.
I wanted a bird bath, but did not want something that my son would try to tip over. So I went to a discount store and found a large shallow glazed serving dish, the one I found happened to be in the shape of a yellow chick, but there were more traditional round or square ones.
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
I would like to know how to make a hanging drip bird bath without a tree? I don't have any trees near my window and would like to make a bird bath that hangs from a tall t-pole, using a 2 liter bottle and some kind of tray.
Does anyone know how to do this?First thing to remember is your bird bath cannot be in the direct hot sun as the water will get hot and cannot be used by the birds.
Are you talking about using a wood T-pole (2x4 or 4x4) or are you referring to the wrought iron poles?
I have one made with a 4x4 (2 feet in the ground) with a long metal shelf holder (or plant holder) attached near the top. My gallon jug of water hangs from this hook.
About 2-3 feet lower than drip end of jug is another attached shelf holder that has a square 'shelf' attached - this shelf holds my bird bath.
I have several large clay plant saucers that I alternate when one needs to be cleaned. I also place several smooth flat stones inside the saucers so small birds do not have to bathe in deep water.
I have my bird bath at a convenient height for me to reach the hook to change fresh water everyday (gallon jugs).
Something like this may work for you or you may have to place your bird bath on a pedestal under your dripping water jug.
Or you may be able to use a ready-made birdbath on a pedestal.
I recommend using a gallon jug as opposed to a 2-liter because you want your water to last all day.
Here are instructions for making your jug.
homeguides.sfgate.com/
living.thebump.com/
I am looking for molds to make my own birdbaths with cement. Any suggestions on where to find them? Thanks.
Jane from Edwardsburg, MI
You can use a regular ceramic mold. It is made of plaster. There are many mold companies to choose your mold from if you choose this type but they dont come cheap. You may want to ask your local ceramics studio if they have a used mold for sale which will be much much cheaper and will work just as well or even try the freecycle website in your area. Best of luck :)
A long time ago, I bought a children's book on how to make garden projects and it has a suggestion to use the top of a plastic trash can as a mold, and it says to dig a hole in the ground for the lid to fit, put the lid in the hole, fill with concrete a little, add a chicken wire (as a kind of "rebar" type stabilizer) and add more concrete on top of that, place the actual trash can in the middle, centering it, and let it cure there, and you can add decorative pieces such as marbles or broken tiles to suit your taste. My husband did this just this past summer with our kids and was successful. Good luck!
I just saw an article today about things you can use as a mold. A woman used serving trays from the Dollar store and once concrete was put in them, they looked like a flower bowl. She said there are many inexpensive items at a dollar store, Goodwill or other thrift store. I hope this helps
I have been making birdbaths using vases, glasses, bowls, plates, etc. I'm in the process of making one using purple glassware, which is somewhat difficult to find.
I did find a vase that matches perfectly, however, it is plastic. Will this work? Any experience with using plastic with the glass?Before using any plastic for food or water, for your own use, or for animals, be well informed of the classification of plastics, that is the official code number ranging from 1 to 7, printed in the middle of the chasing arrows symbol that should appear on all plastic object. This code warns you about the chemical toxins that can migrate to food or drinks. The less toxic to use are plastic labeled 1, 2 and 4. Apart from the toxicity of plastics and the recycling problems involved, the second consequence of using plastic containers is that they are more subject to being scratched when being cleaned than glass or metal or earthware. In these scratches, bacteria will develop and corrupt food or drinks . (for more information about the plastics codes see : eartheasy.com/
It will discolor with UV light,
Check out these photos.
This project consists of two items found at the thrift store. A pedestal of some sort and a dinner plate plus some other items to dress it up. The end result a very pretty bird bath.
Using a few inexpensive terra cotta flower pots you can make a beautiful bird bath for your garden. This is a page about making a flower pot bird bath.
