10 Easy DIY Bird Bath Projects (2024)

Gardening

Wild Birds

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Melissa Mayntz

10 Easy DIY Bird Bath Projects (1)

Melissa Mayntz

Melissa Mayntz is a writer and a birder, with years of experience birding at the state, national, and international level. Melissa has been writing about birding and wild birds for The Spruce and other print and online publications for more than a decade and has been birding for more than 30 years.

Learn more about The Spruce'sEditorial Process

Updated on 11/02/21

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10 Easy DIY Bird Bath Projects (2)

Birdbaths are essential for every bird-friendly landscape. While there are many different types of birdbaths you can buy, there are even more ways to create your own bath with upcycled, recycled, or repurposed materials, no matter what your level of crafting skill. These 10 creative projects offer plenty of opportunities for creativity and personalization while still providing water to your favorite backyard birds in fun and imaginative ways.

  • Tippy Pots Planter and Bath

    10 Easy DIY Bird Bath Projects (3)

    There are many ways to use clay pots to make DIY bird baths, from simple towers to creative stacking, but this topsy turvy design is one of the most fun and whimsical options. Bold colors make the project pop, and the tipped pots make perfect planters for flowers, herbs, ferns, or other greenery. Add flowers for hummingbirds or seed-bearing flowers to attract even more birds.

    DIY Garden Planter & Bird Bath from Home Stories A to Z

  • 02 of 10

    Recycled Glassware Birdbath

    10 Easy DIY Bird Bath Projects (4)

    Pedestal birdbaths are popular designs, but your pedestal doesn’t have to be boring or plain. Recycling glassware is a great option for a birdbath with extra sparkle and flair, and who doesn’t have old vases, platters, and plates gathering dust in a cupboard or piling up at a thrift store? Put them to good use by creating a birdbath that will add vintage style to the yard.

    Recycled Glassware Bird Bath fromFlea Market Gardening

  • 03 of 10

    Teapot Birdbath

    10 Easy DIY Bird Bath Projects (5)

    Add storybook whimsy to the garden and invite birds to a tea party with this teapot bird bath stack. Mismatched cups, saucers, and teapots can blend together with a coat of paint, creating a memorable and fun design that is a great companion to a teapot birdhouse. Use your own miscellaneous crockery or visit thrift stores or yard sales for a wide variety of choices to turn into a DIY birdbath.

    Teapot Bird Bath Garden Art from Morena’s Corner

  • 04 of 10

    One-of-a-Kind Birdbath

    10 Easy DIY Bird Bath Projects (6)

    This stacked birdbath allows you to express your creativity with different colors and by filling the stacked vases with a variety of items. Try pebbles, marbles, colored gravel, seashells, colored sand, yarn scraps, tumbled rocks, or any other fun fillers for unique colors and textures. The wood slice separators give the project consistency as well as good stability.

    Homemade Bird Bath from DecoArt

    Continue to 5 of 10 below

  • Stacked Stone Birdbath

    10 Easy DIY Bird Bath Projects (7)

    The rustic look of this simple stone stack will add structure and an easy water feature in more natural gardens. Galvanized trash can lids are perfect for bird bath basins, and if the lids are a bit bumped and dented, so much the better for a weathered look. Stones added inside the basin give birds more perching space and keep the lids sturdily in place.

    Stacked Stone Bird Bath from Our Fairfield Home & Garden

  • 06 of 10

    Glass Lid Hanging Birdbath

    10 Easy DIY Bird Bath Projects (8)

    Hanging birdbaths are a great choice for hanging below balconies, from awnings, or from large tree branches, and this easy glass lid bath is a simple but perfect project to attract birds with water. The chain adds durability and stability to hang the bath, but the lid can easily be removed to wash (even in the dishwasher) when it is time to clean the birdbath.

    Thrifted Glass Lid Hanging Bird Bath from Sadie Seasongoods

  • 07 of 10

    Cute Serving Dish Birdbath

    10 Easy DIY Bird Bath Projects (9)

    Dollar stores and thrift stores have a wide variety of colorful serving bowls and platters that can make stunning birdbaths. This project adds even more custom flair with a carved table leg (recycled, of course) as the pedestal, complete with a stable platform to be sure the birdbath can support all its feathered visitors without tilting or tipping.

    Cute Serving Bowl Bird Bath from HomeJelly

  • 08 of 10

    Repurposed Lamp Birdbath

    10 Easy DIY Bird Bath Projects (10)

    Turning an old lamp into a DIY birdbath is one bright idea, and you don’t need an electrician’s license to do it. What you do need is an old, ornate lamp you’d find at a thrift store, resale shop, or yard sale, and your favorite paint color to give it some pop. Add a crystal basin or other bowl for the water, and your birds will love the opportunity for an elegant bath.

    DIY Lamp Into Orange Bird Bath from Thrifty Rebel Vintage

    Continue to 9 of 10 below

  • 09 of 10

    Tomato Cage Birdbath

    10 Easy DIY Bird Bath Projects (11)

    Add a birdbath to your vegetable garden or anywhere you want birds to make a splash with a simple tomato cage birdbath. The sturdy wire of the cage provides an easy pedestal for the clay saucer basin. The cage could be trimmed to any height, or you can make multiple baths at different heights to add even more water and character to the garden.

    DIY Tomato Cage Bird Bath from My Life Abundant

  • 10 of 10

    Jeweled Concrete Bird Bath

    10 Easy DIY Bird Bath Projects (12)

    Perhaps you already have a heavy concrete birdbath that is showing its age with chips, nicks, or cracks. Give it new glamour with a simple coat of concrete and glittery jewels, with a smaller colorful basin in the middle for a fun focal point. You can even leave the smaller basin loose in the bath so it can be removed for easy cleaning whenever needed.

    DIY Bird Bath Restoration from Following the Master Gardener

10 Easy DIY Bird Bath Projects (2024)

FAQs

What is the best concrete mix for a bird bath? ›

In a plastic bowl, mix three parts contractor's sand to one part Portland cement. Mix 1/4 cup of water and 1/4 cup of concrete fortifier, and add slowly to the sand until it reaches the consistency of a thick brownie batter.

Do copper pennies prevent algae? ›

To keep algae growth from your bird bath drop some pre-1982 copper pennies in. I have what I would call a normal size bird bath & I use 7 pennies. The reason for the pennies being pre-1982 is that before that year, the pennies contained copper, a natural algicide.

How do you make a bird bath with a tomato cage? ›

Insert the tomato cage in the garden and just lay the pot bottom on top and fill it with water. What I also love about the bird bath is it's so easy to clean. Just take off the top, wash it off, and refill it with water. The paint has held up nicely with no chipping.

How do you make a successful bird bath? ›

Arrange stones (or branches) in the water so birds can stand on them to drink without getting wet (this is particularly important during freezing weather). The water should be no deeper than 0.5 to 1 inch at the edges, sloping to a maximum of 2 inches deep in the middle of the bath.

How do you stop a concrete bird bath from leaking? ›

The next time you scrub it clean, let it dry for at least 48 hours. Then, coat the bare concrete surface with DRYLOK® Waterproofer. The DRYLOK® will enter the pores and pinholes in the concrete, and bond to the surface to seal out water. Let it dry for one week, then add fresh water.

How do you waterproof a cement bird bath? ›

Concrete must be clean and free of previous sealers and paints. The birdbath and fountain must be completely dry before sealing. Fill in any cracks with a concrete crack filler where water may be leaking through. Use a penetrating concrete sealer or durable concrete coating to seal the birdbath and fountain.

What can I put in my bird bath to keep the water moving? ›

Running a small recirculating pump into the birdbath also works well. My favorite water-mover, however, is the mister. Misters release a fine spray of water into the air. They seem to work best in spots where the mist bathes nearby foliage.

How many pennies should I put in my birdbath? ›

To keep algae growth from your bird bath drop some pre-1982 copper pennies in. I have what I would call a normal size bird bath & I use 7 pennies. The reason for the pennies being pre-1982 is that before that year, the pennies contained copper, a natural algicide.

What can I put in my bird bath to prevent algae? ›

Adding 1 tsp of apple cider vinegar per gallon of water will help prevent algae from growing in your bird bath. It makes the water slightly acidic which kills the algae. It's important to dilute the apple cider vinegar so that it isn't too strong.

Is copper poisonous to birds? ›

Poisoning from the intake of lead, zinc and occasionally copper is called “heavy metal” poisoning in birds and is one of the most common avian toxicities that we see at our Melbourne Bird Hospital in pet and aviary birds. Birds are often inquisitive and examine new objects and place then in their mouths.

Can I use anything as a bird bath? ›

Another trip to the thrift store for glass vases and a shallow bowl put together with clear epoxy. You may already have all you need to create these birdbaths, trashcan lids and flat stones. Birch twigs and a wooden bowl were all that was used for this little garden birdbath.

What attracts birds to a bird bath? ›

Birds prefer to drink and bathe in cool, shaded areas, so providing a shady spot nearby can be a great way to attract more birds. Another way to enhance your bird bath fountain is by adding a mister or commercial dripper.

What do you put under a bird bath? ›

If necessary, use gravel or paving stones beneath the bath to help level the ground and provide a stable surface. Visibility: Birds won't use a bath they can't see, and birders won't enjoy the bath if they can't see birds using it.

Should I put rocks in my bird bath? ›

Give Your Birds Perching Spots

If you happen to have a deeper bird bath, you can make it more appealing by adding in a few rocks in the middle or along the edges. This will give birds a place to land so they can splash and preen themselves in the water.

What kind of bird baths do birds like best? ›

A good bird bath is one that is shallow enough for smaller birds to drink and bathe. Many of the ones I see advertised are much too deep for any bird to be brave enough to come to. They like just a small puddle.

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