Reuse An Old Window For The Simplest DIY Birdbath

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Science now backs up what us bird lovers have always known: Bird song not only alleviates stress, it even reduces paranoia, per Nature.com. And for those of us who can't get enough of the melodies of those colorful little earth-bound angels, installing a simple DIY birdbath in the backyard ensures that there's always a chorus of song in the garden. As a bonus, you can make this DIY birdbath from an old window that's probably gathering cobwebs in your garden shed.

Let's start with the particulars of the old window. It needs to have a solid frame and at least a few of its glass panes. If you do actually happen to have one just lying around, you're golden. If not, you'll have to find one. Fortunately, eBay has hundreds of vendors who sell vintage windows just waiting to be repurposed. The ReStore, which is a second-hand store associated with Habitat for Humanity, is also a good spot to look. Your local auctions or second-hand stores offer additional resources of this sort.

Next, you'll need a way to give the DIY birdbath some legs to stand on -– literally. Your best bet is 16 -inch hairpin furniture legs from SMARTSTANDARD. Very often, these types of legs are used to give a couch or a chair a more mid-century modern vibe, but they'll work just fine here. Finally, you'll need a drill so that you can put everything together and some cleaning items to gussy the window up before you assemble the birdbath. Heavy gloves and a pair of pliers might also come in handy if you have broken panes to deal with.

Your old window may have taken quite a beating, so you'll want to get started by cleaning it up. A scrub-down with some soapy water made with dish-washing soap and some microfiber towels is the first step. If any of the window's panes are broken, you'll want to deal with those before you can renovate the old window. Allow the window to dry before moving on. You'll also want to repair any weak spots in the frame, especially those that may be in the corners, where the legs will go. So, if the window is coming apart at the seams, so to speak, add some wood glue, screws, or nails to the area to reinforce the strength of the corners.

The next step in upcycling the window is outfitting the birdbath with its legs. Essentially, each of the four corners of the window gets one leg. These you'll fasten with the help of the screws and the drill. The set of legs should come with its own screws, unless you've found them second-hand, in which case, you'll need to locate some that fit the thickness of the window's frame. 

The plates on the legs are formed into an L-shape, which you'll line up with the corners of the window. Take the drilling slow to ensure that you don't inadvertently shatter the window as you put the legs on. Finally, you'll stand the birdbath on its legs and fill each pane with water. Though shallow, the panes should be deep enough to hold an inch or so of water.

As colors attract birds, you may want to add a vibrant hue (or two) to the birdbath to entice the birds that fly around your yard to use your DIY window birdbath. You can paint the frame of the window red or blue or whatever strikes your fancy. This adds vibrancy to the look and is an attractor factor for the birds. However, there is something you should be mindful of. If the frame is white, you may accidentally be keeping birds away from your yard, as some will avoid the color. This aversion may actually stem from innate bird behavior. Some birds, when alarmed, show spots of white on their wings and tails to drive away other animals that may cause them harm.

If you like the beat-up look of the frame, you have other options for adding color besides painting it. Look for an old stained glass window instead of a standard one when you're out shopping. These beauties have many of the colors that attract birds, like reds, yellows, and oranges. Or you could purchase some colorful garden paver stones, like some NAT & Jules sunflower-shaped 12-inch decorative garden stepping stones, to slide under the birdbath's feet. This will prevent the legs from sinking into the ground when it's wet. More importantly, the brilliant color of the resin sunflowers should attract the attention of all the feathered angels in your yard, helping you to create an ever-changing soundtrack of song to sweeten your outdoor living space.