How to Make a Birdbath with Household Items

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Birdbaths are a wonderful addition to your yard or patio. A birdbath will not only supply birds with a place to get a drink or take a bath, it will provide you with countless hours of bird watching. Water is one of the main requirements to attract birds and you do not have to spend a lot of money on buying a birdbath. You do not have to spend any money at all, if you have the right items around your house. There are several things that you can use to create your own birdbath and the following steps will teach you how to make a birdbath with items you have laying around.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

Shovel
Rake
Bowl (or similar)
Bucket (or similar)
Water

Step1

Find the right location. Select a spot that is quiet and not a traffic area. The birds will be more likely to use your birdbath if they feel secure. Try to limit access to the birdbath by people and pets.

Step2

Ready the foundation area for the birdbath. If you are placing the birdbath on a patio, back porch or other flat surface you will be OK. If you are setting it up on the ground, be sure the area is level. Use a shovel and rake to level out any bumps, hills, rocks or other obstacles in the way.

Step3

Create a base for your birdbath. You can make use of a tall bucket (or any other household item that will work) as a base for your birdbath. It is better to use something that is wide to prevent the birdbath from easily tipping over. An old cat litter bucket-like container will work. Use your imagination and try several different household items to find the best one. You do not want the base to be wobbly or the birds will not feel safe using it.

Step4

Install the top of your birdbath. Find an object that has a slight curve in it to collect water in. It does not have to be very deep (1 or 2 inches is fine), but should rest firmly on top of the base. Again, try a number of household items to see what works best. An old satellite dish, BBQ, various bowls or any other items can easily be adapted to work. Make sure the item will hold water and will stay in place on top of the birdbath base.

Step5

Invite all the birds. Fill your new birdbath with water or set up a hose to drip into it continuously. Check it often for water refills and enjoy all of the bird watching it will present you.

Tips & Warnings

Keep in mind if you will have other animals accessing the water in the birdbath. If this is the case, you may make your birdbath lower to the ground or you could create an overflow from a taller one. You could set a small bowl under the rim of the birdbath to catch the over flowing water.