How to Make a Birdbath With Cement & Leaves
Making a birdbath on your own can be a fun endeavor. Not only can it enhance the look of your garden, and bring life to it, but it can also give you the pleasure of watching all kinds of birds bathe, and knowing you are providing them with a new spot for refreshment. The advantages of making it with cement and leaves is that you can design the natural look you want just by using a bit of creativity.
Things You'll Need
- Cement (concrete mix)
- Leaves (the type you prefer)
- Thick garbage bag
- Plastic gloves
- Sand and bricks (or big rocks)
- Water
- Cement sealer
- Bucket or trash can
- Wood post, about 4 feet tall (optional)
- Wood boards, about 3 inches' thick by 12 inches long (optional)
- Nails and hammer (optional)
Instructions
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1
Consider the location of your birdbath. Birds will be more willing to bathe in your birdbath if it is in an open area. This gives them the ability to watch out for any possible predator. A good place could be an area where a tall tree casts a shadow. This can help keep the water cool. If possible, avoid having your birdbath near an area full of shrubs, since cats tend to hide there to hunt the birds.
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2
Make the mold for your birdbath: Make a circular mound of sand on the ground. This should have the inverted shape of a wide bowl. Make it no more than 2 inches high. This will be the depth of your birdbath. Some small birds will be reluctant to bathing if your birdbath is too deep, so preferably make the inclination of the bowl gradual.
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3
Place a thick garbage bag over your mold. Cut it in half or as necessary so it covers the whole mold of sand.
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Prepare the cement mix. Put the cement mix in the bucket. Add water as necessary to get a thick consistency. Make sure the consistency of the cement is not too liquid, otherwise you will not have control as to how to shape it around your mold. Put your plastic gloves on and mix the cement in the bucket well until it has no more lumps.
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5
Place leaves on your birdbath mold. Choose the leaves you want printed on your birdbath floor. Place them carefully over the sheet of plastic covering your mold.
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Slowly, start pouring a small amount of cement mix over the middle of your mold. Spread it around carefully by hand so it covers and maintains the leaves in the place you want. Mold the cement around your inverted bowl as if it was clay. Place as many coats of cement as you wish. The thicker the bowl, the longer it takes to dry. Half an inch is an adequate thickness.
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7
Let the cement dry before using the birdbath. The time it takes to dry will sometimes depend on the type of cement you use. Check the label of the cement mix if necessary. Add a water sealer once it is dry.
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Dig a 1-foot-deep hole on the ground to place the wooden post. The post you use will be the base for your birdbath. Ideally a 3-inch by 3-inch-thick post so it can resist the weight of the dish. Secure the base of the post by placing the dirt you have dug out back, for a snug fit. Make sure the post stands firm.
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Nail a base to the top of the wood post: Nail one of the flat 3-inch by 12-inch wood boards to the top of the post. Nail a second wood board perpendicular to the first, making a cross shape. This will be the base for your birdbath.
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Place the birdbath on the base of the post (once it is ready to use). Pour water in the birdbath and wait for birds to appear.
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Tips & Warnings
For attracting birds to your birdbath, at first, you can place some bread crumbs nearby.
Keep the water in your birdbath clean. Polluted water can make the visiting birds sick.
