Woman's Smart Upcycle Turns Thrift Store Find Into Beautiful Bird-Attracting Feature
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In the 18th century, people used coal scuttles for what you'd expect — to carry coal and ash and other related items. They're not in wide use anymore, so finding an exceptionally cool one in a thrift store, as TikTokker @redeux_style did, means trying to find a new use for the coal bucket. In this case, she helped the birdies in her yard stay a little cooler and a little cleaner by upcycling it to create a unique bird bath for her yard.
If you're doing this DIY, you can't use the coal scuttle as you found it in the store. It'll need some additions to make it functional and safe for the birds in your yard. First, there are some qualities to look for in one of these. If you find one that's made of copper, that's a keeper. It'll help to keep algae out of the bird bath's water. Also, if you can find a shallow one, choose that. If not, don't worry. You can make it shallow, which it needs to be, by putting some GreatBuddy 5-Pound Pea Gravel for Vases in the bottom of it.
You'll also need a solar-powered bird bath fountain mechanism. Ideally, the fountain piece comes with arms. This allows you to fit the water feature securely into a non-fountain item, like the scuttle. There are a couple of different kinds of fountains. One type, like AISITIN Fountain Pump for DIY Solar Bird Bath, has twisted octopus-like arms. The other, such as the SEIRMEP Store Solar Fountain Pump, comes with four straight arms that press against the sides of the fountain. Either works.
Set up your repurposed coal bucket bird bath in the yard
Bird baths that are deep are dangerous for birds. They need to be able to get in and out quickly to avoid predators. The bath also needs to be shallow enough that they don't drown. Therefore, ideally, they're 1 inch at the edge of the bath, which allows the birds to wade into the water, and then they get progressively deeper. However, they should be no more than 2.5 inches at their deepest. Many coal scuttles are much deeper than that. In light of this, fill yours with the gravel until the depth of water is more than an inch deep on the outside edges of this charming DIY bird bath and no more than a few inches deep in the middle.
@redeux_style It's time for this pretty upcycled bird bath to get filled again! What would I Do with That! Vintage coal scuttle bucket gets a new job:) Check out this! #coalbucket #scuttle #sustainabledesign #ecofriendly #upcycle #rework #diy #thriftflip #homedecor #upcycling #upcycle #diy #thriftflip #homedecor #upcycles #rework #upcycling #thriftflip #organize #reuse #recycle #secondhandstyle #transform #oldtonew #upcycleddesign #makers #upcyclersoftiktok #makersoftiktok #upcycling #sustainableliving #sustainsblestyle #diystyle #ecostyle #ecodesign #birdbath #diybirdbath #repurpose
There's another way to make the bath more bird-friendly and easier for them to access. Lean one end of a stick on the lip of the bath. Insert the opposite end of the stick into the middle of the gravel. This gives the birds a perch to land on and to gradually move into the water. They can stand on it to drink the water, too.
Finally, once the bucket is filled with gravel, add fresh cold water to the coal scuttle. Next, fit the adjustable solar fountain inside the bucket, fitting it snugly with the help of the arms. Turn it on. It may sputter at first until your DIY'd modern bird bath grows accustomed to the influx of water. Eventually, the water will spout like a fountain, giving your favorite warblers a place to cool down as the heat turns up.