How to Make a Sand-Cast Bird Bath
Sand-casting a bird bath for your garden or lawn can be a fun and relatively easy weekend project that will last for years to come. You will need to gather up some supplies and decide on a design before you dive in, but that might be the hardest part of the job. All of the supplies you will need are available from your local building supply store or hardware store, in most cases. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Flat work surface
- Sand
- Cement-mix powder
- Cement sealer
- Rubber gloves
- Paintbrush
- Large plastic drop cloth
- Plastic wrap
- Water
- Large mixing container
Instructions
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1
Select the pattern you would like for your bird bath. Many people will sand cast a large leaf, such as an elephant ear, fig or rhubarb.
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2
Spread a large plastic drop cloth over your flat work surface.
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3
Moisten the sand and use it to form a mound on top of the plastic drop cloth. The sand mound should be slightly larger than the object you are casting. For a flatter bath, flatten the sand well. For a bowl-shaped bath, the sand should be more rounded. Place plastic wrap over the sand.
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4
Place the leaf or other casting object on top of the plastic wrap. Be sure to place it so that it is well-supported by the sand mound, and adjust the mound of the sand around to form a slight lip at the edges.
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5
Prepare the concrete mixture according to the package directions, using a pair of rubber gloves and a large mixing container. The final mixture should be a spreadable consistency but should be thick.
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Place the cement over your leaf. Spread the cement out to the edges, leaving it thicker in the center and tapering out as you work it toward the edges.
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Cover your cement mold with plastic wrap while it dries for at least 48 hours. Review the recommended drying time printed on your cement mix.
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8
After allowing the concrete to dry, remove the plastic wrap and the leaf from the mold.
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9
Allow the cement to rest for one week to fully harden.
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Use a paintbrush to coat the mold in cement sealer to weatherproof it before filling. Allow the sealant to dry.
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11
Place your bird bath in the yard, fill it and watch it draw the birds.
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