Making Bird Baths

A bird bath gives you a place to watch your feathered friends up close.

Bird baths give local wildlife a place to cool off and get a drink. Bird baths also give bird lovers a place to watch their feathered friends. While you can make a bird bath using a complex process of forming, modeling and installing concrete components, you may not have the tools, funds or knowledge to build such a structure. An easier solution is to build a simple bird bath out of common materials using an uncomplicated process.

Things You'll Need

• Post hole digger
• Treated post (4 inches by 4 inches by 4 feet)
• Aluminum pie pan
• Hammer
• Awl
• 2 roofing nails
• Enamel spray paint
• Drop cloth
• Dust mask
• Work gloves
• Safety glasses

Instructions

1. Dig a hole with your post hole digger. Make the hole 2 feet deep and 8 inches wide. Save the dirt from your excavation close to the hole for easy replacement later.

2. Slide one end of the 4-inch by 4-inch post into the hole. Push the dirt back into the hole around the post with your gloved hands. Tamp the dirt firmly into the hole by stepping on the loose soil and applying your entire body weight to lock the post in place.

3. Lay the pie pan onto the post. Center the pan on the wood. Hold the tip of the awl against the metal above the post. Strike the handle of the awl with the hammer to drive the tip of the tool through the metal and into the wood. Remove the awl and drive a roofing nail through the hole to lock the pan in place. Punch a second hole and drive another nail to prevent the pan from twisting on the post.

4. Wrap the drop cloth around the bottom of the post. Spray a light coat of enamel spray paint onto the outside of the pan and the post. Let the paint dry completely and apply a second coat. Remove the drop cloth and stay near your birdbath until the paint is completely dry to prevent birds from touching the wet paint.

Tips & Warnings

• Use a dust mask while painting.

• Work gloves are necessary anytime you use hand tools or spray paint.

References

• Laspilitas: How to Build a Simple Bird Bath to Enhance Your Garden