Lately, we have been talking about how relaxing it is to hear the birds chirping in the garden. Who wouldn’t agree that hearing them seemingly gives you a positive vibe to start your day or send out a calming effect which helps you to immediately fall asleep?
We have already provided ideas on how to attract more birds with some functional garden decors such as a bird feeder. In addition to that, we also suggest having a bird bath. Here’s a DIY idea you could make use of to assemble a bird bath.
Easy DIY Garden Bird Bath
You will only be needing a few materials, such as:
- For the bowl: an old sink, basin, glass bowl, ceramic plate, or a plant saucer
- Stones
- Water
- A sturdy base such as wood, terracotta bricks, terracotta pot, or an old chair or table
- Waterproof paints (optional)
- Water wiggler (optional)
Before we proceed with the simple steps, let’s gear away from the usual height we see on commercial bird baths! We want it to be low as possible, mimicking the natural basin of water or sources of water that birds use.
Having said that, you can just actually place an old shallow sink or basin directly on the ground. But, we would also want to make your bird bath as an adorable ornament in your garden and, more importantly, avoid giving easy access to cats.
So, let’s proceed with the garden bird bath:
With the materials we mentioned earlier, you can match the different bowl options with the various choices of bases.
Don’t forget to clean them prior to assembly. Our suggestions: an old sink on top of a wooden stump, a basin on top of some terracotta bricks, a glass bowl on a wooden stump or old coffee table, a ceramic plate on terracotta bricks or an old chair, a plant saucer on a smaller terracotta pot.
You may opt to decorate your bird bath with wonderful designs using waterproof paints.
If you are painting the base and the exterior area of the basin, make sure that you let it completely dry before placing water and that you remove paints that might have accidentally dripped on the basin’s interior.
Place small stones in the basin to keep the water shallow and make sure the birds don’t lose their footing.
Fill it with clean water, and don’t forget to check it if the water needs replacement.
You may place a solar water wiggler to keep the water in motion. Ripples attract birds.
Bird baths do not only serve as added decor in your garden but also provide birds a safe place to preen and bath, away from predators. Keeping that in mind, place your bird baths somewhere your other pets are not allowed to go or ensure that it is located underneath some branches for the birds to easily escape, especially if they are wet.
Also, if your bird baths are well maintained, you will be offering these lovely creatures a good source of drinking water because it is clean and fresh. Ensure that there are no moss, algae, or any unwanted objects or chemicals on your customized bird bath.