Alright folks, let me tell you about my weekend project – the bird bath! I’ve been wanting to add one to my garden for ages, mostly because I love watching the little birdies. So, I finally decided to just do it.
First things first, I needed a base. I had this old, kinda ugly, terracotta pot lying around. Perfect! Figured I could flip it upside down and use it as a pedestal. Gave it a good scrub to get all the dirt and grime off. That took longer than I thought!
Next up was the actual bath part. Now, I didn’t want to buy anything fancy, so I rummaged through the garage and found an old, large plant saucer – the kind that goes under big potted plants. It was plastic, but hey, it’ll hold water. I cleaned that up too. It was dusty, like REALLY dusty.
Here’s where things got a little tricky. I needed to attach the saucer to the pot. Initially, I thought about just using some strong glue, but then I remembered reading somewhere that silicone caulk is waterproof and bird-safe. Score! So, I grabbed my caulk gun and went to town. Put a generous bead of silicone around the rim of the pot and carefully placed the saucer on top. I used some heavy bricks to weigh it down while it dried. Waited a whole 24 hours, just to be sure it was solid.
While the silicone was drying, I started thinking about making it look a little nicer. The terracotta pot was plain, and the plastic saucer was… well, plastic. So, I decided to give the pot a quick coat of paint. I went with a light blue color, something that would blend in with the garden and not scare the birds away. Two coats of paint later, and the pot was looking much better.
The next day, the silicone was rock solid. I carefully lifted the bird bath and carried it out to the garden. I found a nice, shady spot near some bushes, so the birds would feel safe. Placed the bird bath down, and filled the saucer with water. Not too deep, just enough for the birds to splash around in.
And that was it! My DIY bird bath was complete. I sat back and waited… and waited… and waited. Finally, after about an hour, a little robin landed on the edge of the saucer and took a sip of water. Then another one came along. It was so cool to watch! Mission accomplished.
- Materials: Old terracotta pot, plastic plant saucer, silicone caulk, paint.
- Tools: Caulk gun, paint brush, cleaning supplies.
- Time: About 2 days (including drying time).
Honestly, it was a pretty easy project, and it didn’t cost me much since I already had most of the materials. Plus, it’s been a huge hit with the local bird population. Definitely worth the effort!
