Use An Old Teacup To DIY A Refreshing Yard Feature For Birds And Pollinators

There's something so special about enjoying your favorite drink in the garden, especially if your favorite drink happens to be tea and you find yourself an adorable teacup to drink from. Many teacups have floral designs or other nature-inspired motifs, and being surrounded by greenery can make any flowers on the cup look even better. If you love the look of a teacup sitting on a garden table, it might be time to incorporate a cute teacup into your garden in a way that birds and pollinators can enjoy, too. One way to do this is by securing a teacup and saucer to a post and inserting it in the ground near your flowers or bushes. Fill the teacup with water, and you have discovered one of many clever ways to repurpose old teacups that also benefits the wildlife in your yard.

For this project, you will need an old teacup and saucer, a 1-inch wooden dowel, epoxy glue, sandpaper, and a hammer or a drill with a spade bit. These items will get you a simple and functional yet charming birdbath, but if you want a result with a bit more intricacy, substituting the plain wooden dowel for a candleholder, a carved wooden dowel, or painted stake can enhance the look. Overall, the materials needed for this project should only cost a few dollars each, especially if you use an old teacup you already own or thrift one for a dollar or two.

Once you have your supplies, the process is very simple. Start by preparing your wooden dowel by sanding and painting it, if desired. Be sure to choose an outdoor paint so that the color lasts. Allow it to dry completely, and begin prepping the teacup.

The first and most important step when dealing with the teacup is to test for lead, especially if the teacup is old or you do not know its origins. Knowing the telltale signs that your favorite dishes may have lead in them can also help. You may already know to test items for lead before you use them, but lead poisoning can also affect birds, and it can be fatal. If your teacup contains lead, the bird may chew on it and ingest lead particles, or a break or chip in the cup could cause problems. Perform a lead test using a reliable DIY kit, and do not use any dishes that contain lead for this DIY. 

Once you have a lead-free teacup and saucer, give them a thorough cleaning. Then, gently sand the bottom of the saucer and the bottom of the teacup to help the glue adhere better. Apply epoxy glue to the bottom of the teacup to glue it to the saucer. Next, either hammer the dowel into the ground before gluing the bottom of the saucer to the top of the wooden dowel, or glue first and use a drill with a spade bit to insert the dowel later. Then, you can consider how to optimize the project.

There are many things you can do to adjust the aesthetic of this teacup birdbath. Prior to assembly, you can repaint the teacup, saucer, and dowel, or you can choose items with details you enjoy from the get-go. Once the dowel is in the ground, wrapping a vining plant around the wood can give it a more natural look, even if the greenery is fake. Placing a few teacups near each other also creates a nice effect, almost like a garden tea party for the birds, and experimenting with different heights, colors, and sets creates a playful, whimsical look.

Making the teacup functional for birds can be a bit of a challenge because many birds prefer shallow water with sides that are not too steep. However, people who have made this DIY report that birds do use it. To make it better for the birds, place the bath about 3 feet above the ground, and keep it in a shady spot. When filling the teacup, make sure the depth is only about 1 or 2 inches, and consider adding some pebbles to the bottom of the cup to raise the bottom.

To take care of the bath, bring it inside during poor weather. Also, be sure to refill the water daily and clean it with a quick scrub when you do so. Every once in a while, give the teacup a deeper clean with a solution of nine parts water and one part vinegar. Rinse thoroughly before refilling it after cleaning, and check out more smart tips to keep your birdbath beautiful.