How to Make Leaf Shaped Concrete Bird Feeders
Making a leaf-shaped concrete bird feeder is a fun garden project. This one-of-a-kind piece of garden art is sure to earn you many compliments. Not only will your finished piece attract a variety of birds, it will also create a stunning focal point in your yard. This sculptural element can either be used as a platform feeder or as a shallow birdbath when finished. A perfect weekend project, making a concrete bird feeder requires materials that are readily available at any hardware or home-improvement store. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Large leaf
- 1 bag of sand
- 2 bags of concrete (QUIKRETE® Concrete Resurfacer works well)
- Water
- Plastic wrap
- Concrete sealer
- Bucket or mixing tray for concrete
- Hoe for mixing
- Scrub brush
- Paintbrush
- Foam brush
- 2 containers for paint and sealer
- Tubular concrete form (optional)
- Paint or concrete dye (optional)
Instructions
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Make a pile of sand. The sand pile should be big enough to come into contact with the entire surface of the leaf, plus a couple of inches extra on all sides for good measure. Shape it into a low dome shape. If your sand is dry, you may want to add a little bit of water to make it easier to shape - just like making a sand castle.
Build your sand pile in a shaded area so that the concrete won't dry too quickly when you apply it to the leaf. You may also want to build your sand pile on top of a tarp to make clean up easier.
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Cover your dome with plastic wrap. This keeps the sand from sticking to any concrete that might overlap the edge of your leaf.
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Place the leaf face down on the plastic wrap. Pat it gently down to make sure that the sand is supporting it. If bugs have chewed any holes in your leaf, you can easily tear off a small piece from another leaf to make a patch.
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Mix up your concrete slowly and gently to avoid incorporating air into the mix. Use the same folding-over technique that you would use to add ingredients into a baking recipe. Tapping or plunking the bucket full of concrete on the ground a few times will also help any trapped air bubbles rise to the surface.
You want to achieve a consistency that is similar to that of brownie batter. The mixture should be thick enough that it won't slide off the leaf but thin enough that you will be able to pat it on to the leaf and move it around for good coverage.
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Scoop out some concrete and place in the middle of the leaf. Wearing gloves, begin to pat it out from the center towards the edges. The large, thick veins in the middle of your typical leaf need to have plenty of concrete covering them. The concrete in the middle should be at least an inch thick. You can taper the concrete off to be thinner at the edges.
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Cut off a 2-inch piece from your tubular concrete form and place it in the center of your leaf. Fill this with concrete as well. This will create a small "foot" to help stabilize your bird feeder.
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Cover the concrete with plastic wrap or moist burlap if the weather is hot and dry. This will keep the concrete from drying too fast and cracking. Most of the time your concrete bird feeder should be ready to handle in about 48 hours.
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Turn the leaf over after 48 hours have passed and it is sufficiently dry. You may want to enlist a helper if the leaf is particularly large.
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Pull off the plastic wrap and start peeling away the leaf. You may have to use the scrub brush to get pieces of the leaf off. If the stems don't come out right away, don't worry. Allow them to dry a couple more days and then try again.
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Allow the concrete to cure further for about a week before applying any paint or sealant. If you like the natural color of the concrete, just brush on a coat of sealer to protect your bird feeder from the weather.
If you plan to add a bit of color to your finished leaf, paint your leaf with concrete stain, dye, or acrylic paint. Experiment to get the look your desire. Once the paint is dry, brush on a coat of sealer. Let the sealer dry completely before using your bird feeder.
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Fill your finished leaf with sunflower seeds, millet and other grains to attract birds to your yard. Cardinals in particular especially enjoy feeding from platform-type bird feeders. You can also use the finished leaf as a bird bath if desired.
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Tips & Warnings
To achieve extra-sharp detail on your finished piece, you can use a two-step casting process. Mix up a batch of thinner, more watery concrete at first and spread a thin layer over the surface of the leaf. Make sure this thinner mixture settles into all of the little nooks and crannies. Then follow up with a layer of concrete mixed to a normal consistency.
Experiment and have fun! You can use multiple leaves, or even border the leaves with small tiles or marbles to create the look of a mosaic along the edge.
You may also use a layer of flat sand instead of domed sand to create a leaf-shaped stepping stone.
Always wear gloves when patting the concrete onto your leaf.
References
- Photo Credit Martin Poole/Digital Vision/Getty Images
