Do birds try to peck your fruit or veggies but then leave most of the left overs? Studies show that they just want the water content from your produce. Solution? Create a watering hole close by. Then they will eat those pesky bugs you don’t want around but not the fruits of your labor.
Do you want a bird bath but you don’t want to pay $30 or more? Look no further. I am planning to show you how to pay $15 for repurposed items from your local thrift store and create a bird bath. First, you need a base. Then you need a flat-bottomed bowl of some kind and some glue. Birds don’t want the bird bath to be deep or steep.
I purchased an old desk lamp and a glass bowl for under $15. I already have some E-6000 glue from another project. I am not sure if I will paint it yet or not. I might paint it white because we have some leftover white paint. Or I’m considering painting it Robin’s egg blue chalk paint I had left over from my kitchen cabinets.
Prepping the Base for The Paint
First I’ll wash it with soap and water and allow it to fully dry.
I just used plain old water and Dawn liquid dish soap.
How To Paint the Lamp Base
I read some other posts on the web and they stated that you should use a little water to water it down. I have never done it this way but there is always a first for everything. I just want to make sure this paint won’t chip off since it will be outside.
Start by adding a few drops of water at a time and stir. The reason for adding the water is so that it doesn’t cause drips, which are harder to sand out.
Today it is rainy hard so it is a great day to get some indoor projects done! I added the second coat on the birdbath base. I am less than optimistic about this paint adhering since I did some more research and I was told that chalk paint is not a good product to use on outdoor items. So, with that said, I may be changing the paint.
Nope, I think I will be keeping this color. It is called Dusk from Waverly Inspirations Chalk Paint. I discovered something while researching how to seal chalk paint for outdoor projects. More below.
PIN FOR LATER!
SANDING THE BIRD BATH BASE
The next step is to sand or not. It’s really up to you to decide. I chose to sand a little on the edges of the piece. Since I started with a metal lamp, it really is a pretty look to paint chalk paint over it and then sand some of the places. It makes it look really old-worldy. If that is a word.
I used some 100-grit sandpaper. Feel free to use whatever you have or want to try out. Then I used some paper towel to brush away the extra dust that was formed.
Ok, so I spent a little more than I thought I would spend, I went to Wally world and got some varnish for chalk paint projects that you would place outside. I was reading and I found out that you can’t use chalk paint for outdoor projects unless you get this specific varnish to paint over the chalk-painted surface.
Protecting Your Bird Bath Base
This is what I used. It is the cheaper brand of the varnish that you can use over chalk-painted outdoor items. It’s called Waverly Inspirations Varnish. It’s a matte sealer. I bought mine at Walmart. I imagine you can also buy it through Amazon or eBay.
The instructions say to roll it on the table and not to shake it. I am not sure why, but that’s what I did. Next, apply thin coats and let dry between coats waiting 1-2 hours.
Gluing the Bird Bath Bowl to Base
Lastly, we need to glue the bird bath bowl to the base somehow. I chose to glue the bowl (crystal bowl) to the top piece of the lamp. It is not attached to the base so I can take it off for easy cleaning. I used some E6000 on both pieces and let it sit overnight.
The DIY Frugal Birdbath is Done!
I am still fooling around with leveling it as we have almost no space in the front yard that is flat. My son got me the solar fountain for Mother’s Day. It is hard to keep the water in the bowl when the water is shooting so high. And the bowl size I chose isn’t very wide. It came with different tips, so I will try them out as the day goes on. Here is the fountain he bought me.
I added some rocks because the bottom of the birdbath is slippery and birds need a foothold. You want them to be able to take a bath, not just drink from it.
Do you have a birdbath in your landscape? If so, tell us your experiences. Do birds eat less of your fruit and veggies? Is it worth the hassle of cleaning it every 3 weeks? Leave your experiences in the comments below.
Blessings!
Kimberlee
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