Upcycled Garden Decor

“A Beautiful Garden is a Work of Heart”

I have no idea who penned that quote but it is very accurate.  What they should have added to it is that it also takes time, patience, and a little whimsy to make it your own.

For me, this includes taking care of our local wildlife.  My interest in feeding and observing the many squirrels and identifying the local birds is something that has developed for me over time.  

If you had told me twenty years ago that I would have an interest in creating an outdoor space filled with natural elements that support wild birds and other native animals, I would have thought you were a bit crazy.  But here I am, not only dreaming about it but writing a blog post about making a DIY bird bath.

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I love natural garden trails, flower beds filled with luscious and colorful flowers year round, and little whimsical accents scattered throughout.  This interest has grown since I moved to the Smoky Mountains over twenty years ago now.  

What I don’t like is the actual gardening part. 

Especially in my yard because it is filled with trees, which is a blessing for the shade, but a challenge to keep it cleared of branches and leaves. 

This reality has yet to stop me from dreaming of a beautiful landscape with color and interesting details. The little whimsical details I find more entertaining and fun to make over the actual backbreaking work of creating my dream garden if I am completely honest about it.

My dream garden must also be a bird-friendly landscape for our feathered friends – and the squirrels of course.  

This upcycled bird bath is just an example of a charming little accent I love to find tucked away in random spaces in a garden.  

 

 

 

Every outdoor space can be made even better with a DIY Birdbath.  Which is also a good idea for a whimsical focal point in the garden.

I have wanted a birdbath for my garden for years but just couldn’t find one I like well enough to purchase and the “maker” in me wanted a unique one I could DIY myself. I also wanted it to be whimsical and fun.

 

 

When my husband and I updated our living room I had to move out a trio of large plants and plant stands.  One of them was this adorable little plant stand shaped like a small chair.

 

 

It’s a charming little plant stand all on its own and I have no idea where I bought it years ago.  Probably at a thrift store or yard sale.   

Since the plants I had to move are thriving so much better in their new location, this charming plant stand needed a new purpose.  That purpose was for it to become a modern bird bath. 

By adding a ten-inch terra cotta saucer that fits perfectly in the seat of the chair of the plant stand it became a unique DIY bird bath idea. 

By now you know that my motto is often to upcycle and repurpose but never throw it out!

 

 

Never one to work on a single project at a time, you will see in these photos that I also created a terra cotta pot bird feeder made with a 9-inch terra cotta saucer and a small terra cotta pot. Wish I could say that the clay pot feeder worked out well in my flower garden, but the truth is that the squirrels destroyed it within a few weeks. 

 

 

 

I started the project by spraying down the clay pot and saucers with a multi-surface waterproofer spray from Thompson’s Waterseal.

In my dreamy whimsical garden plans, it would have lots of bright colors.

Yellow is such a friendly color and a good color option for this metal bird bath.  As always, it was an easy task to spray paint the two clay saucers and the clay pot all in a bright yellow color from Rust-Oleum called Sun Yellow.

Next came the creative details that up the whimsical factor. 

Sunflowers and daisies are my favorite flowers to paint but you get to make this part of your DIY bird bath decision on your own. 

 

 

It is always a good idea to give outdoor items a waterproof barrier against the weather, so the last step was to seal each piece by applying two coats of Rust-Oleum Triple Thick Glaze in high gloss.

So it is the end of summer but the many small birds – and squirrels in my garden – will get to enjoy the fresh water in the new bird bath and treats in the bird feeder until it turns cold this fall.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Looking for more bird bath ideas?  Below are some links to some amazing products that will add a water source that is also a focal point in your garden area that backyard birds can enjoy. 

 

 

I have to admit that I like my DIY bird bath the best even now.  My entire landscaping is in a new process of change now that we built two new decks earlier this summer, but this little metal bird bath will be moved to a new location for our colorful feathered visitors to enjoy. 

“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.  See, I am doing a new thing!”

Isaiah 43:18

 

Update:  I have continued to work on small projects for my garden beds over the last few years and these clay pot solar light holders mix wonderfully with the style of the bird bath.  Unfortunately, the squirrels liked the small pink painted feeder a bit too much and it has been broken. 

What are our future plans?

Other outdoor projects in the dream phase or actually in the works are a new fairy garden for my grandkids and a magical little play area underneath the large new two-story deck in the front yard.  Thankfully our grandkids are still very young so we have some time to get the last project done.