This DIY bird bath cost me nothing–not one penny. We used up scrap wood and a plant saucer that I found in storage. But the birds don’t care very much about the cost–they really seem to enjoy splashing down and cooling off during the hottest parts of the day.
I recently turned to blog readers for advice on how to attract hummingbirds to my garden, and this easy DIY bird bath is the result of some of that advice. It’s built from scrap wood and a plastic plant saucer, this is as simple as it gets.
You can’t just put out a tube of nectar and expect the hummingbirds to magically appear. They also need water and certain flowers. I’m not much of a flower gardener, but I’m converting a partly shaded empty flower bed area into a hummingbird and butterfly garden. They like very similar flowers, and I think I will enjoy watching both of them. This particular area is right near my back porch where I drink coffee and write often. In fact, I am sitting here typing right now!
It’s really hot right now, too hot to plant too many flowers. I started my hummingbird garden with a birdbath. It was super-easy to make.
This is how it looks:
I started by finding a scrap 4″x4″ that I used for the center post. I cut several scrap pieces of oak down to 10″ each and secured them as “feet” all the way around. They are very heavy and should hold up well.
I attached the saucer with four screws and used rubber washers to make them leak proof. Then I drilled straight through to attach the saucer securely. Now, I checked a little while ago, and so far the water is holding! So far, so good!
Next, I painted it with two coats of paint. I chose a bright, cheerful yellow. This is because I learned that hummingbirds are attracted to brightly colored flowers. I’m not sure if the same logic holds true with the bird bath, but it is very cute either way.
When I put the birdbath into the garden, the ground was a bit uneven. So I took a small rock and placed in underneath one of the legs to prop it up just a bit. I didn’t need a level to do this… Then I filled it with water and noticed the water was tipped all the way over in the saucer. I eyeballed it until it was level-ish. All in all, I don’t think the birds will mind.
As I’m writing a little sparrow is checking out the new birdbath. This sparrow feeds at my songbird feeder every day. He looks a little bit suspicious. Hopefully, he will decide to take a dip and entertain me as I sit here and watch my birds. Eventually, I will build up my garden to attract those elusive hummingbirds.
Despite freelancing to make a living, her love is "all things home."
Deborah grew up in a family that grew a large vegetable garden and a fruit orchard, helping her parents pull weeds and can home-grown foods as part of her childhood. In fact, she had no idea that she could purchase veggies and fruits in pre-packed steel cans until she went to college and made a food run.
Today, she lives in Bertie County, North Carolina, an agricultural rural area with more chickens than people. She lives with her husband and two rescue pets a sweet toy fox terrier and a cat who showed up one day and moved into the house. Together, they enjoy DIY projects, furniture refinishing, gardening, and canning.
This blog celebrates all things home.
