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Remember that odd bowl from ceramics class? If you were fortunate enough to leave such a class with something you can't get yourself to put out on a table, but spent too much time on it to throw it out, behold a possible use! If you weren't among the privileged, fear not, there are plenty of "paint your own pottery" places out there which can give you a "made it yourself" feel anyway.

Before you start, consider how nicely the weather and the material for the bird bath will work together. If the winter freeze will cause cracking or if there are frequent hail storms, perhaps try a less fragile place for birds to gather. For the rest of us, let's venture on.

They should be called bird wading pools, not baths. The "bowl" being used should only get up to 3-4 inches deep (at the center) with water when it is full. The bowl must also hold the water- meaning it must be sealed really well. If it hasn't been glazed, throw over a few coats of clear lacquer.

Let's think simple here. Once you have the right bowl, the next challenge is securing it somehow. Sure, you can glue it to something, but sensibly, since it is outdoors and clay, you may likely have to replace it someday, and that is harder to do when it leaves behind more than a few shards.

Here are a couple of often overlooked ideas.

TREE STUMP- give it new life and purpose! If the bowl is large enough you can weight it down with an a rock. Sounds silly, but it will definitely help. You may only have those infamous "little brown birds" visiting however. More complicated, (but if you have the means very helpful) you could sand down a concave portion in the stump where the bath can settle. Personally, I was blessed with a prefect nook in an oak tree where it went from one into two trees about 3 feet up the trunk from the ground.

HANG IT- not a traditional bird bath, but if you have too many cats, but lofty strong branches available it may be your only hope. Buy a hefty piece of Plexiglas about 2 inches larger than your birdbath. Have 3-4 holes drilled at the corners, or evenly around if it is a circle. Get enough chain to go around the branch of the tree so you won't have to drill anything into it. Attach the chain with sturdy "S" hooks through the holes in the Plexiglas. Allow it to hang down lower from the branch than you would a feeder, but not so low that your spry felines can join in the folly. Those little birds will enjoy climbing up and down heavier chains for amusement to boot.
To secure the dish to the Plexiglas use putty around the bottom to keep it from slipping out of place.

The trick is to make the most of what you have rather than trying to create what you think you need. Be open to what is in your yard as well as in your attic, and run with it!

Learn more about this author, Karey Grant.
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