No More Expensive Bird Baths: The Beautiful Dollar Tree DIY Anyone Can Do

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Dollar Tree continues to be a budget-friendly haven for DIY projects, as YouTuber KellyNo Shopping demonstrated with three unique bird bath designs using items purchased from the extreme-discount retailer. While standard mosaic bird baths can cost up to $100, she proved you can achieve a similar design for under $20 using Dollar Tree products. And that's only if you don't already have some of these items in your home. If you already have craft materials or spare home décor, this DIY project can be even more affordable.

For the project, you'll need about three bags of gems, a hot glue gun and glue sticks, a glass vase or hurricane candle holder, and a large bowl. Ideally, you want to find a clear bowl so that the gem colors will show through on all sides. Plastic might be the best material since glass could be too heavy for the base, especially once you add the gems and water. If you can't find one on the website, go to a local Dollar Tree, since the store might have a different selection compared to online.

When choosing a vase for the bird bath's base, keep in mind that the size will impact the overall height of the bird bath. A short vase may provide more stability and be less likely to topple over. Plus, if it's shorter, this DIY can double as a fun centerpiece for an outdoor table. YouTuber Kelly finished off her version of a DIY Dollar Tree bird bath by gluing figurines to the center for a bit of whimsy. Look for similar options in the garden section of Dollar Tree or in the seasonal décor aisle.

When hot-gluing the gems to the underside of the bowl, make sure to leave the center clear to attach the vase. The video shows one color being used for the gems, but you can get as creative as you want by building a multicolor mosaic pattern. For the vase pedestal, fill it with marbles or rocks to help weigh it down before you secure it to the bowl — this should keep the bath from being too top-heavy when filled with water.

Kelly used E6000 adhesive, plus hot glue, to attach the rim of the vase to the bottom center of the bowl. While the hot glue holds the pieces together quickly, the E6000 ultimately cures it. You can get a tube of this craft adhesive for under $10 on Amazon. Alternatively, you can also save on money and materials by forgoing the base and creating a tabletop bird bath dish instead. Further, if you're concerned about the potential for hot-glue residue leaching into the bath over time through water and sun exposure, skip the figurine inside and only decorate the outer sides of the bowl.

This is where choosing a clear bowl is so key, since the colors and pattern(s) will still show through from the underside. For the inside, add some loose pebbles to the bottom to give birds a place to grip onto. Slippery or smooth surfaces aren't ideal for bird baths, and the water shouldn't be more than 2 inches deep. Adding rocks to your bird bath will help reduce the water's depth (as well as give insects and other small wildlife something to climb out of the water with and rest on).