Individually designed bird baths create a special flair in the garden. The easiest way to create your own creations at home is to use concrete. This does not require any great technical skill or any equipment. Just an idea, suitable material and some time.
How can you make a concrete bird bath yourself?
To make a concrete bird bath yourself, you need two plastic bowls, concrete, water, cooking oil, pebbles and abrasive material. Prepare the bowls with oil, mix concrete, fill it into a large bowl, press the small bowl in, weigh it down, let it dry and sand it smooth.
What should a bird bath be like?
A bird bath is basically a wide bowl into which water is filled for birds. It should be rather flat at the edge and become deeper towards the middle. However, it should not be deeper than 10 cm. It is also important that the surface is not sharp-edged but also not too smooth. Otherwise the birds will slip while standing or bathing. Apart from that, you can design the bird bath according to your own ideas.
Note:The good thing about concrete is that the bird bath is winterproof and its owner can provide the birds with water even in winter when other bodies of water are frozen over.
Concrete as a material
Concrete is a material that can be shaped into almost any shape. Provided that there is a mold and a counter mold available between which the concrete can take the desired shape. These do not have to be made separately for a potion. You can make do with two art bowls. These materials and helpful utensils are required:
- 2 plastic bowls of different sizes
- Concrete, water, bucket and trowel
- Cooking oil and brush
- Pebbles or sand
- Sanding sponge
- Hand brush
Tip
When mixing concrete and later when grinding the birdbath, fine dust can be inhaled. Use a respiratory mask for these two steps (€19.00 on Amazon). You can get these in any hardware store.
Instructions for a bowl mold
- Brush the inside of the large bowl generously with any cooking oil so that the concrete doesn't stick to it later.
- The small bowl, however, must be coated with oil from the outside.
- Mix the concrete as described on the packaging.
- Pour the concrete into the large bowl.
- Place the small bowl in the concrete and press it down if necessary.
- Fill the small bowl with sand or pebbles to weigh it down.
- Leave the whole thing dry in a place protected from the rain for 2-3 days.
- Then carefully remove the concrete form from the two bowls.
Sand potions smooth
Work on the concrete trough with the sanding sponge. The goal should be to eliminate all sharp spots. The shell should remain roughened on the inside, while a smooth surface looks nicer on the outside. You can brush the fine dust from the drinker with a hand brush.
Before you set up the bird bath, you can paint it with suitable colors as you wish.
