How to Make Birdbaths

Encourage kids to make a birdhouse

A trip around the Internet tells us birdbath recipes abound, but three formulas dominate. The first and easiest is using clay pots. The next is a little more complicated and makes use of an old lamp. The third, a version with some additional labor and materials, is a cement birdbath.

Things You'll Need

• 12-inch, 14-inch and 16-inch terra cotta plant pots; 20-inch saucer
• Liquid Nails adhesive
• Weather-durable paint and sealer
• Paintbrushes
• Stones
• Water
• * * *
• Old lamp base (brass is a good choice)
• Ceiling fixture bowl
• Adhesive
• Garbage can lid
• Square tall delivery box, triangle box, mailing tube or flag box
• Black garbage bags
• Mixture of 50 percent peat, 25 percent sand and 25 percent Portland cement
• Large bucket or wheelbarrow or wood pallet for mixing
• Heavy-duty gloves
• Wet sponge (optional)
• Seashells
• Decorative stones
• Cement adhesive for attaching base to top
• Rags for cleanup

Instructions

The Potter's Version

1. 

   Assemble pots by stacking them on top of each other rim-side down--largest first, then medium size and smallest.

2. 

   Decorate with paints or, if leaving plain, seal with two or three coats of an oil-based polyurethane. Visit patriciaspots.com for examples of beautifully painted varieties.

3. Attach the saucer to the top pot--the "smallest" pot bottom--using adhesive to prevent tipping or breakage. Let dry overnight.

4. Assemble on site. Including rough stones in the water saucer will help birds gain footing.

5. 

   Pots should be taken in before winter as they will most likely crack from the cold.

Delicate Lamp-based Birdbath

1. Strip off the harp, bulb cradle and electric contacts from an old lamp. All you need is the base and a piece of attached rod at the top.

2. A curved ceiling fixture light made of heavy-duty glass makes a good birdbath. It will have a hole in the middle. Place it over the lamp rod. An O-ring or washer can be fitted between the hole and the stem to prevent leaks.

3. Seal the two pieces together with bathroom adhesive. Caulk around the hole.

4. When adhesive is completely dry, set the birdbath in the yard. Add water and some stones into the glass saucer. This delicate style of bath will probably draw smaller birds.

5. 

   Avoid tip-overs by attaching the lamp base to a square block of wood for more stability.

Cement Birdbath

1. 

   Line a garbage can lid and your triangle box with the black garbage bags. They will prevent the cement mix from sticking.

2. 

   Mix a composite of 50 percent peat, 25 percent sand and 25 percent of Portland cement. Add water and mix until you have a workable thick paste. Wear protective gloves because cement is caustic.

3. Start molding the cement mix into the lid to at least a 2-inch thickness. Fill the lined triangle post box.

4. Smooth the surface of the bowl with a wet sponge or leave it rough.You can press seashells into the mixture for decoration. Let the bowl dry completely.

5. 

   Lift the cement bowl from the lid and break the birdbath base from triangle box. Place them together using Liquid Nails or another cement adhesive. Set up and fill with water.

Tips & Warnings

• Place birdbaths near low-growing plants, protected from the sun and with a bush nearby for birds' safety. • Water in birdbaths should be 1 to 2 inches deep. Rocks in the water may make smaller birds feel safer. • Moving water is always preferable. Attach a valve to a water source connected to quarter-inch hose with a low-volume drip emitter at the end. Hang it in the bowl.

References

• Beautifully Decorated Terra Cotta Pot Birdbaths by Patricia
• Turn a Lamp Into a Birdbath: video by Salvage Studio
• Birdbath Out of a Trash Ca Lid video

Resources

• eHow Home and Garden Topic Guide