A DIY Birdbath That'll Create Safe Drinking Water For Both Birds And Butterflies

Birds and butterflies bring both beauty and benefits to your garden. Birds help control pesky insects like mosquitoes and gnats, while butterflies are amazing pollinators, which are essential to the health of your garden. Because of this, attracting both birds and butterflies to your yard can be a helpful way to elevate your outdoor space, and with this DIY birdbath project, you can appeal to both creatures with a single addition. 

You'll need just three supplies to build your own DIY butterfly-friendly birdbath: a plastic hanging planter, a plastic dish or plate, and your choice of marbles or rocks. If you opt for rocks, make sure to choose small, light options that won't put too much strain on your plate or hanger. 

This simple design combines a traditional birdbath with shallow rocky areas, which allows birds to still get a quick drink, while the rocks or marbles provide perches for butterflies to stand on. The rocks do take up much of the space in this birdbath, making it difficult for birds to fully bathe. If that's your main goal, you may want a project that provides a more traditional birdbath basin, like this DIY birdbath with Dollar Tree supplies.

Constructing this birdbath is a quick and easy process that you can finish in just a few minutes, and you won't need any additional hardware, tools, or adhesive. All you need to do is place the plate into the hanger, add your rocks or marbles, and top off with water. The water should almost cover the rocks but leave the top dry, giving the butterflies ample places to land for a sip, and cool down. The hanging basket design gives you flexibility to place it anywhere — hang it on your porch near bird feeders, or use a shepherd's hook to position it in the garden near flowers that attract butterflies.

While this pollinator-friendly birdbath can be a beneficial addition to your yard, there is one important factor to keep in mind: cleaning. It's important to regularly clean birdbaths, and this DIY project is no exception to the rule. In fact, because it's so shallow, you may find that you need to replace the water even more often to prevent grime buildup or even mosquitoes from flourishing. If you live in a hot climate, the water may also evaporate faster, meaning more refills to keep your wildlife visitors happy. Aim to clean your DIY birdbath every few days and refill as needed.