Goodbye Traditional Bird Baths: There's A Fun Alternative In Your Kitchen

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Traditional bird baths are an easy way to welcome some feathered friends into your yard. However, there are plenty of ways to DIY a charming bird bath that don't require a lot of investment or space. Even if you just want to have a small place for birds to get some fresh water on your porch or balcony, there are any number of easy projects that you can do to make that happen. One interesting project that was shared on Instagram by the user @kleinebaummanufaktur takes what you already have in the kitchen as well as some materials from right outside your home and turns them into a spot for your feathered friends to hydrate, by creating a small hanging cooking pot bird bath.

Only a few things are needed to make this simple bird bath starting with a small enamel pot, similar to the Olytaru enamel cooking pot from Amazon. From there, you'll also want to have twine, some small pruning shears, fresh water, and a twig. Another thing the creator added to her bird bath was small floating plants. If you are planning to include the plants, it's best to go with local options, as this will attract small bugs, while also helping to welcome some of the bigger pollinators in your area, like bees and butterflies. However, this is not a necessary addition to your bird bath, especially since you'll still need to clean and refresh the water regularly, so you may want to plant the perfect flowers near your bird bath to attract the neighborhood birds instead.

If you're looking to recreate this surprisingly easy bird bath design, make sure that the pot is fully cleaned out and that there is no rust or residue left behind from any cooking or cleaning products. You'll also want to take the twig that will go inside of the pot and cut it down to size so that it can wedge into the top of the pot, without being too loose that it will fall to the bottom. This is an important step, as the twig needs to provide a secure perch for birds.

To put this bird bath together, add the water to the pot and then place some of the small floating plants on top. Next wedge in the cut down twig. Finally, you need to tie the twine to make it a hanging bath. In the video, the creator starts by wrapping the twine around the top of the pot underneath the rim, knotting it and leaving a small bow behind. The wrapped twine should be snug against the pot, as this is going to help to hold the section that will be used to hang this bird bath up. Once the wrapping is done, take another length of twine and weave it through the wrapped section in order to create a section that can be used to hang the pot from, doing this four times and then tying those four pieces together in a knot at the top, creating a tripod shape. Once your knot is securely tied, you can hang it from a tree branch in your yard or hang it from a plant hanger off the porch or on a balcony. Over time, you will want to change out the water and even the small plants.

While this bird bath DIY is extremely simple, there are a few things you can do if you don't feel confident that this exact process will work for you, or your feathered friends. One suggestion that was made in the comments of the original video was that instead of using a twig as a place for birds to perch on, try using a few rocks instead. Depending on the size of the pot and how much water you add to it, you might be able to add two or three medium size rocks that'll be partially submerged. Just remember that too much water can be dangerous, so no more than 1 to 2 inches of water is recommended.

You might also consider switching the twine out for a stronger jute rope for added durability when hanging a pot like this from a tree. Also, if you find that you can't get the twine/rope to tie snuggly around the pot in order to securely hang this bird bath, try gluing it to the pot at the knot. This will help attach the cording around the top of the pot, while also keeping the knot from coming undone. You can also skip hanging this bath altogether and placing it in the center of an outdoor table instead. Another thing to consider is that birds seemingly prefer to be closer to the ground when enjoying a bird bath, so if you don't mind the pot sitting on the ground, this is also an option.