While landscaping features can be costly and time-consuming, creating a birdbath is an easy project that can be done in an afternoon. Birds flock to areas with shallow, fresh water where they can drink and preen. In addition to hydrating, it helps them stay cool. With these DIY birdbaths, you can enjoy the sight of happy backyard visitors all season long.
Create a simple birdbath that blends perfectly with your other planters using large terracotta pots. Tip one large pot upside down and place a shallow terracotta saucer on top. Decorate it to your liking, or leave it plain. Coat with a polyurethane sealant (do not seal the base). Place in the garden surrounded by flowers and wait for the birds to come.
This one is an elevated take on the simple terracotta birdbath. Achieve a bespoke look by creating a mosaic on the inner basin of the bath. Use mirrored mosaic tiles, pieces of scrap china, or smooth rocks for your pattern. Allow your grout and sealant to set for 24 to 48 hours before adding water. If you want a taller bath, to be visible from the deck or over your plants, use two plant pots bolted together for the base.
For a very minimal look, repurpose a tomato cage into a simple birdbath. Push the cage legs firmly into the ground in the desired location in your yard. Purchase a terracotta plant saucer to rest in the top of the cage. Use an animal-safe paint and sealant to transform the piece into a rustic bath.
Spruce up that old iron chair hanging around in your yard. If you have a chair that's too rickety or uncomfortable for anyone to sit in, leave it for the birds. Give it a coat of fresh spray paint and fix a saucer or shallow basin to the seat. Your bird guests can splash in the pool and the chair back serves as a perch.
Instead of re-gifting those teacups and saucers you never use, turn them into quaint garden decorations. Epoxy the cup and saucer together. Hammer a sanded, one-inch wooden dowel into the ground and fix the teacup to it. Sit back and enjoy the tiny sparrows and songbirds who come to have their morning bath while you sip your morning tea.
Reuse a seasonal bargain chip platter as a birdbath — who cares if it's covered with Easter bunnies or candy canes? Clean it up and fashion it to a PVC pipe. Hammer the PVC pipe into the ground as is, or insert a wire so it's extra secure. Fill both the chip and dip sections with water, so the bids have two options for bathing.
Make this sweet hanging birdbath out of a spare glass casserole lid. Be sure to choose one with a knob in the center instead of a handle. Loop two long chains or ropes around the handle and the sides of the lid and let it hang upside down from a tree branch or hook. The former gives your bird friends a cooler, shady place to play.
Enjoy the delight of birdwatching without any money and minimal effort. This birdbath is so easy to make it barely qualifies as a DIY. Take an unused metal trash can lid and flip it upside down in the garden. Stick a heavy rock in the middle, and fill with water. While simple, this look is surprisingly chic. Adding large leafy greenery or replacing the rock with a heavy statue makes this bath even more elegant.
Place this eclectic birdbath in your outdoor living space to add a dose of whimsy. Scout your local thrift store or storage for pretty plates, vases, and candlesticks. Use E6000 glue to attach each one to its own pedestal dowel, cutting them to various heights for an eye-catching arrangement reminiscent of Alice in Wonderland.
A butterfly bath makes a sweet addition or alternative to your birdbath display. Use any of the methods above, but choose a very shallow tray. Fill with sand and top with water — just ensure to wet the sand. Planting sweet flowers like verbena or red valerian will further encourage butterflies to play in your garden.