diy galvanized birdbath

while songbirds love to come and splash in our backyard salvaged galvanized bucket fountain,

i noticed that the tiny wrens and hummingbirds who visit us don't go near it.

perhaps the bubbling water frightens them, or the buckets are too deep for their use...

it seemed to me that a birdbath was called for.

i went looking around the yard and garage to see what we had that i could use to build one,

and found two items that combined perfectly for this project.

continue reading to see how to make a simple and easy birdbath for your garden!

i've had this red heavy metal tomato cage for several years, 

and have used it before as a tree.

it's the perfect stand for a birdbath, easy to insert into the ground in our raised-bed herb garden.

i topped it with a galvanized metal serving tray, which fit exactly inside the upper rim of the tomato cage.

[ btw, i found this galvie tray a few years ago at Home Goods ] 

here you can see metal 'couplers' (?) on each side of the tray, that hold the rope handles - 

those sit on top of the top rim of the tomato cage, holding the tray in place.

[ a shallow bowl, baking pan, or even a plastic or clay saucer (from a plant pot)

would also work well for this project, as long as it fits in the top metal ring on the tomato cage.

it needs to be rather flat-bottomed, not a rounded bowl, so that the birds can gain footing. ]

i didn't fill this tray up with water - there's only about an inch in there.

yes, that means that i'll have to refill the water every morning...

but i want this to be shallow enough so that the little birds will be able to use it.

 some small rocks may need to be added to the middle of the pan as a place for them to rest.

the hummers and wrens tend to hang out in that huge rosemary plant in our herb garden...

so i snugged the birdfeeder into the plant, thinking they can't miss it there.

now i get to hide on the back porch and see if any of them venture into the birdbath!

shared online:

funky junk interiors | diy salvaged junk projects #536

thank you for featuring my project, Donna!