No Bird Bath, No Problem: The Easy Way To Provide Water Using An Old Jug

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There are many factors you have to consider when planting out a backyard or patio, from figuring out the best layouts for your garden to amending your soil to correct nutrient and pH imbalances. However, one often overlooked aspect of landscaping you should hone in on is wildlife friendliness. Beneficial insects, small mammals, and birds make our world go 'round — plus, they can help your plants thrive. Feathered visitors, for example, pollinate plants, transport seeds, cycle nutrients, and hunt pests. Providing a safe water source is one way to attract birds (and other wildlife) to your garden. If you don't have the money or space for a bird bath, you can convert a plastic jug into a hanging water dispenser.

Bird baths aid hydration and grooming, especially if there are no streams, ponds, or lakes nearby. Having a variety of bathing (and foraging and hiding) options is ideal since no one solution will satisfy every avian species. However, you don't need anything complex, pretty, or pricey to get the job done. Gallon-sized jugs of Amazon Grocery Distilled Water cost well under $2. Once you've used the water, you can convert the bottle into a highly functional hanging bird bath. Use a box cutter, some weatherproof glue, and some Ilikeec Heavy-Duty Jute Twine or Pamazy Black Electroplated Steel Chain — and, of course, some fresh drinking water.

Ready to make this bird bath you can DIY from an old plastic water bottle? It's easy! First, cut up to four flaps or doors into the sides of the jug. Roll the flaps downwards and secure them to the sides of the bottle with Gorilla Max Strength Clear Construction Adhesive or a similar outdoor glue. These will provide a place for birds to land so they can access the water contained inside. Carefully consider the positioning of these perches. When you're building out your plastic jug bird bath, it's important to make the water reservoir no more than two inches deep. If you plan to hang the bath, punch two holes in the neck of the bottle using a heated screwdriver or a pyrography tool.

The nice thing about using an old water jug as a DIY bird bath is that the project is highly customizable, providing you with the opportunity to create a unique garden feature. Some birds (and many pollinators) are attracted to bright-colored flowers — for example, red and pink attract hummingbirds, blue attracts blue jays, and yellow attracts goldfinches. Use this preference to decorate your bird bath for particular species. Permanent markers or glass paint make clear plastic shine like a sun catcher. You could also glue on pieces cut from thin plastic sheet to give your bird bath, say, a spaceship theme or match existing outdoor décor. Just make sure anything you add won't trap birds or damage their feathers or beaks.

Crafting completed, it's time to decide where to put a bird bath to invite beautiful wildlife to your garden. A pedestal bird bath attracts different bird species than an in-ground feature. For example, the black-capped chickadee, house finch, and tufted titmouse, which frequent hanging bird feeders, are more likely to use above-ground baths; ground feeders like doves, blue jays, robins, and woodpeckers prefer ground-level baths. You can position your water jug bird bath either way depending on which birds visit your yard or which you hope to attract. Bonus: If you choose to place the bath on the ground, you don't need any twine or chain, nor do you need a suitable tree branch or pole.

Bird baths should have at least 10 feet of open space around them to give thirsty visitors a view of nearby predators, so keep this in mind when choosing a location. Once the bath is in place, fill it with fresh water daily, then sit back to enjoy the show. Wash the interior thoroughly every three to four days, though disinfection — something you need to do once or twice a year with permanent baths — is rarely required. Beverage containers, like one-gallon milk jugs, are more often made from a single type of plastic, which makes recycling easier. When your bird bath starts to wear out, simply make a new one to replace it and throw the old one in your recycling bin.