DIY Bird Bath

I've wanted a bird bath for my yard for as long as I can remember, but could never bring myself to spend the kind of money that retailers want for them. Have you seen how expensive a nice birth bath can be? So, I set out to make one of my own. On a Budget. My frugal side and creative side compliment each other well.

After seeing all of the cute tea cup feeders out there, the light bulb went on and I devised my plan.  And, I couldn't very well keep this idea to myself, so I took some photos and put together a tutorial so you can pamper your little birdie friends as well.

Materials:
Serving bowl/platter (round bowls with flat bottoms works best)
1/2 inch threaded cast iron pipe 4ft long
1/2 inch cast iron flange
gorilla glue
scrap wood
rubber mallot (not pictured)
water
Spray paint (optional)

Gather up your materials and prep your work space. I didn't put anything down to protect my cutting mat, but I recommend laying some news paper down just in case.

Following the directions on the Gorilla glue, lightly wet the bottom of your bowl and apply a thin layer of glue to the back of the flange. I used a bit too much glue and it oozed up through all of the holes because it expands. A lot. Making sure to center your flange, press it onto the bottom of your bowl.

Place a heavy object (or a few) on top of the flange to "clamp" it for 1-2 hours.

While you're waiting for your glue to cure, spray paint your pipe taking care not to paint the threads. Of course, you can choose to leave your pipe as is, but mine was a bit chewed up so I used some brown spray paint that I already had to pretty it up a bit.

 Once everything has dried/cured for the directed amount of time, it's time to put everything together. After finding a suitable spot for your bird bath, place your scrap wood on top of your pipe (to protect the threads) and pound it into the ground about one foot, making sure it's plum.

Thread your bowl with attached flange onto the pipe, tighten down, fill with water and sit back to enjoy your handy work.

 

If your bowl is particularly deep, make sure to only put a small amount of water in the bottom so the birds can stand up in it. They won't bathe if they can't touch the bottom. Alternatively you could place a flat rock in the bottom for them to stand on.

The total cost of this project? Approximately $22. You can make it even more budget friendly by finding your bowl at the thrift store, but I fell in love with this one from Target for $12.99. Let me know if you decide to try this or come up with any variations. I'd love to see what you come up with!