DIY Bird Bath


I got this idea from homestoriesatoz.com. I made mine almost identical to hers except the top flat piece for the actual bath part. In fact I even used the same color paint!

She had used a glass bowl from an old light fixture for the top. I didn't have one so I used a 16" saucer like the clay pots. I did have a problem getting the top flower pot to stay straight. I put a brace under it to hold it up straight.



You will need:
  • One 8" terracotta pot
  • Four 6" terracotta pots
  • One 4-5" terracotta pot
  • One 16" terracotta saucer
  • Primer (I used Valspar)
  • Spray Paint (I used Valspar Exotic Sea)
  • 5 ft rebar
  • I added a little frog statue that I had, but that's up to you.

You can use other sized pots and rebar. Whatever works for you.

Clean off your pots and spray inside and out with 2 coats primer. For me this took a whole can. Let each coat dry well.

Now do the same with the paint. Again let each coat dry well. For me this took less than a can.

Put the rebar into the ground. Measure first so you will know how much to leave above ground. For me this was 36", the height of all the pots. You want to have at least 2 ft. rebar in the ground for stability.

Put your 8" pot onto the rebar for the base and fill with potting soil.

Now begin to put on the 6" pots tilting them as you go. You can fill with potting soil before or after assembly.

The top pot will be the 4" pot. (No soil in this one) That one must be level as the saucer will go on top of that. I chose a 4" pot that was wider on the top than a normal 4" pot would be.

Now add the saucer and anything decorative you want to add. If you want to glue it down you can use DAP Household/Aquatic Adhesive. I chose not to as I think it will make for easier cleaning.


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22 comments:

  1. This is really adorable!!! I love the frogs and the saucer so you don't have to worry about filling a hole at the top. I also love the addition of the bed of flowers at the bottom. Beautifully done. I hope I can make one for the birds in our yard, they would really enjoy it. Do you have any problem with the birds trying to go through your pots trying to tear it up to get worms? I can't wait to try this.You took a really neat idea and made it even better. Thanks for sharing

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    1. No problems with birds trying to get worms. I do have to be careful watering the flowers in the pots that I don't wash the potting soil out. I have a bird feeder close by so it gets a lot of activity. Thanks for your comment, enjoy!

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    2. Jody I absolutely love this! I hope I can do this this spring/summer. Do you know roughly how much this cost?

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  2. It wasn't much Jessica. The pots were about $1.00 each but the clay saucer cost more. You may be able to find something else that would work instead of the terracotta saucer for the bath part. The paint and primer wasn't too expensive either. You can find those at Lowes Home Improvement. Be sure to share pics if you make one!

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  3. How did you get the clay saucer to stay on top?

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    1. The top pot is short and wide, I have that one sitting level and the saucer just sits on top. You have to make sure the rebar isn't sticking up over the top of this pot or the saucer won't fit on top of it. Hope this helps! Oh, BTW, if you have trouble getting the top pot to sit level you can wedge something in the pot between the edge of the pot and rebar to keep it straight.

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  4. I made the same one and I wrote to the person asking her how she got the top to balance, she replied "it just did." What sort of brace did you use for the top pot? :)

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    1. Jen, if you look at the top flower pot, the one right under the flat bird bath part, you will see that it is level and not tilted like the others. The larger bird bath piece will rest right on top of that pot and should be level. Hope this helps.

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  5. I made the same one and I wrote to the person asking her how she got the top to balance, she replied "it just did." What sort of brace did you use for the top pot? :)

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  6. love this idea, do the flower pots have holes in them and what size rebar do you use, is it fat or skinny?
    do you insert the pots thru the holes over the rebar and how do they stay tilted? thanks

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    1. Yes Kristine, the pots have holes in them. Just make sure your rebar is not so thick it won't go through the holes. Once the rebar is in the ground you put the pots on it one by one. The first one lays flat and then you tilt the next ones. The top pot is also flat so the large saucer / bath part will lay flat on top of that. Make sure your rebar does not stick up past the top of the last pot so the saucer will just lay on top of the last pot. It just all comes together as you build it up. Hope this helps!

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  7. What did you use to brace the top pot?

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  8. What did you use to brace the top pot?

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  9. This is so cute! Is there any way I can make it into a little table for indoor use? What adjustments do you recommend? Also, how do the pots tilt like that? Doesn't the rebar get in the way?

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    1. I'm not sure how it would work indoors Theresa as the rebar would need to be anchored into something. As for how to tilt the pots...you just thread them onto the rebar at a slant, don't know how else to explain it but you will understand once you you start putting it together. Hope it turns out great for you and thanks for your questions.

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  10. Do you have any problem with the terra cotta breaking in the winter? Does this come apart to store for winter months?

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    1. It will come apart but the rebar might be hard to pull up. It rarely freezes where I live but they have never been affected by it.

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  11. How do you bend the rebar

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  12. How do you clean out and change the water in the top saucer? And how often do you do so? Thank you!

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    1. I just wipe it out without removing it. Hope this helps.

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  13. Hi I am going to attempt to make this. I was wondering you say to use spray paint , but can you paint them instead?

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    1. Yes! Just make sure the paint in the saucer is okay for birds.

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