14 Used Items To Upcycle Into A Charming DIY Birdbath

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For the thrifty bird-lover, few things are more satisfying than saving up to $100 (or more) on a generic birdbath — and whipping up your own, unique version. DIY birdbaths are fun and easy to make with used items, many of which we bet you already have somewhere in your house.

The teacups and saucers you inherited from grandma but never use? Those can be birdbaths for small birds. What about the extra Bundt pan you got for Christmas last year? Use the hole in the middle to secure it to a stand and watch as the birds come flocking. You could even repurpose an old bathroom sink as a birdbath for your local songbird population. And trash can lids (no, we're not joking) can be the perfect depth for birds to bathe in. Here are 14 different items that can be upcycled into a DIY birdbath that will bring a ton of charm to your yard.

A standard pie plate is between 1 and 1.25 inches deep, which is sufficient for a birdbath, and compact enough to fit on a porch or apartment balcony. Aim for one with a defined ridge so that the birds can easily perch. You can use a pie plate as a ground birdbath, or place it on a stump, plant pot, or other ad hoc pedestal. If the pie plate looks a little plain, you can create something more whimsical, whether by adding a small garden figurine or using tiles to create a one-of-a-kind mosaic.

Any old flower pot and saucer you have around can easily become a birdbath, whether they're made of plastic, terracotta, or ceramic. Terracotta may be the best for this because it has some weight to it, and the non-slippery surface offers birds extra grip. Use the pot as the pedestal, and then adhere the saucer on top using silicone. If you don't have a plant saucer, the aforementioned pie pan or some other large, flat dish can work. 

With a standard depth of around 3 inches, a Bundt pan on its own is too deep for birds. But if you fill it about three-quarters of the way with decorative rocks or pebbles you can easily create the 1-inch depth most birds prefer. Bundt pans can be fitted to a garden stand, or you can hang one as you would if you were making a Bundt pan bird feeder.

Though not as uniquely shaped as a Bundt pan, a shallow glass bowl can still make for a very pretty birdbath. Pair up your bowl with a plant stand, place it on a stump, or team it with one of the pedestal ideas below (such as glass vases). Larger, deeper glass bowls will need to be filled with pebbles so the birds have a place to stand while they bathe. 

While not wide or shallow enough to constitute a complete birdbath, flower vases can make for a stylish stand on which you can attach a more appropriate dish, like pie plates or glass bowls. A flower vase base will add height to your birdbath, and raising baths off the ground can make the birds less vulnerable to ground-dwelling predators. You can invert and glue two vases together to make a taller stand, and then add a basin of your choosing to the top. 

An old lamp stand makes for an elegant pedestal on which to attach a birdbath dish. You can cheaply score a lamp from a thrift store, or upcycle one that you already own. The trickiest part of this DIY is going to be removing the socket and cord from the body of the lamp, but that's nothing an hour with a Leatherman won't solve. You can choose to leave the lampstand its original color, or spruce it up with some spray paint. Attach a basin to the top using a strong epoxy.

The teacup and saucer combo can be used in a few ways to make a charming birdbath. You can just glue the cup and saucer together like above, fill the saucer with water, and set it out on the porch railing for birds to come and drink from. Or, you can glue a tower of cups and saucers together to make a sort of "Alice in Wonderland" birdbath stand. Before constructing, test the teacups and saucers for lead (you can use something like these Voltrish Lead Test Swabs). Old ceramics that contain lead can be a cause of lead poisoning in birds. 

Whether you nab a snack plate for cheap at a thrift store or are using an old one from your pantry, a chips and dip platter can be a handy water basin for a birdbath. This is especially true if you have the type with ridges that create sections for different snacks. These could provide extra spots for the birds to stand on, but additional stones would also be helpful. The central bowl where the dip usually goes could be a perfect spot to add a water fountain feature, transforming your chip plate into a DIY recirculating birdbath.

If you've ever wondered what to do with those old tomato cages you have stacked in a forgotten corner of your garden shed, why not turn them into a stand for your birdbath? The process couldn't be easier. Stick the old tomato cage into the ground or a flower pot, sit a shallow dish in the top ring, fill with water, and wait for the birds to arrive. You can spray paint the cage, or depending on the spacing between the wire rings, fill it with rocks to make the base sturdier and create a rustic effect.

If you find an old fire pit with a shallow ring or bowl, it could become a large birdbath. Clean the basin thoroughly with a hose and a sturdy brush to remove any caked-on grime. If there's rust, you'll want to remove it and apply a bird-safe sealant to preserve the metal. Pond Shield from Home Depot is a non-toxic epoxy that's listed as suitable for birdbaths. Adding an inner dish as pictured above can reduce the depth, but you can also do this with stones.

This option may be quirky, but there is no denying that upcycling your old bathroom sink is a clever way to create a birdbath in your yard. The sink basin would be a natural place for birds to congregate, and you can even re-plumb the taps to give it a running water feature that sounds lovely, both to humans and birds. Get as creative as you want with this by adding statues or adding mosaic tile to make it look more like a garden ornament. Just be sure to place some rocks into the basin so the birds can stand.

An old frying pan may just be the simplest thing to upcycle into a birdbath. It has the exact kind of wide shape and shallow depth as a traditional birdbath, only it's something you can pull out of your own attic instead of lugging home from the garden center. You can keep the handle, or remove it, and set the pan on top of some rocks or an elevated stand to keep the birds away from the ground. A stainless steel or ceramic-coated pan will be less susceptible to rust than cast iron.

As unlikely as it sounds, a trash can can be used to make a very practical birdbath. While the can itself is too deep, you can easily invert the lid to create a shallow basin for the birds. The can could act as a stand, and even conceal wiring for a recirculating feature. Alternatively, if the can isn't very attractive, you can omit it and just use the lid — either placed on a thinner pedestal, propped up with rocks, etc. If you still want some water movement, a small Amazon solar-powered fountain should do the trick. 

Old metal milk cans make an excellent pedestal for a birdbath. Place a shallow dish atop the milk can, fill it with rocks and water, then watch as the birds come to bathe. Similar to the aforementioned trash can, the milk cans can be used to hide the cables needed for a hardwired recirculating fountain birdbath. They can also become canvases for any kind of whimsical color scheme you choose, such as flowers, or provide a more rustic look with an aged patina.