Homemade Tomato Cage Bird Bath
Every year during the hot days of the summer I will almost certainly see some birdies hopping around the edge of my pool wishing they could find a way to cool themselves off in the water. Of course deep pool water is certainly not the right place for the poor little birds and this always leaves me feeling like I need a bird bath to attract them instead.
So this year I’m trying a super simple and frugal idea for a DIY bird bath that uses just two supplies – a tomato cage and a flower pot saucer!
There are probably various size combinations you could use for this project. I decided on using a 33″ tomato cage, and a 12″ poly saucer to fit the top ring of the cage. I was able to purchase both of these at a local home improvement store (Lowe’s) for a total of just under $6.
And now here are the super complicated instructions: Put the tomato cage in the ground and put the saucer on top. Oh yeah, and put some water in there next. 🙂
Yes, this is a pretty low stress way to make your own bird bath that doesn’t require a high level of craftiness. Although I do have to admit that I can’t always stop my crafty urges and this led me to spray my saucer with a light layer of Krylon stone texture spray paint, hoping to make it look a little more like a stone tray than a plastic tray. I then gave it a spray with some sealer too, although I don’t know if this really did much because of the stone texture. This is kind of a fun touch if you want a little different look than just the plastic tray.
A few other little helpful hints would be to stick the tomato cage in the ground all the way to first ring if possible to keep your DIY bird bath base a little steadier. Once I put my saucer on the top ring, I set a level on it too, and then made final adjustments, getting things as straight as possible.
And finally, when it comes time to add the water, you only need about an inch or so. Make sure it’s not too deep, and be sure to keep it clean and replace with fresh water regularly.
So now we’ll see if the birds like this new little addition to our yard. Just like with a new feeder, it can take a little bit of time for the birds to discover it, but once they do, I’m hoping they’ll appreciate having a little “pool” that’s just their size!
DIY Tomato Cage Bird Bath
Materials:
- 33" Tomato Cage
- 12" Poly Saucer
Instructions:
- Insert the tomato cage into the ground, pushing it in all the way to the first ring of the tomato cage if possible.
- Put the poly saucer on the top ring of the tomato cage.
- It's also helpful to use a level to make sure your DIY bird bath is sitting as straight in the ground as possible. Set the level on top of the saucer, and make any necessary adjustments to how it is setting in the ground.
- Optional: If you would like to give your bird bath a stone look, give the saucer a light coat of Krylon Stone Fine Texture spray paint (and let dry) before setting it on top of the tomato cage.
- Add about an inch of water to the saucer.
- Be sure to clean and replace with fresh water regularly so the birds can enjoy.
How did it work out? Did the birds like it? Did it hold up?
I didn’t get as many birds as I hoped, but it may have been the location.
The tomato cage top is way larger than 12 inches . I bought a 12 inch tray. Are they here smaller tomato cages?
The tomato cage I bought was labeled as a 33″ size. Tomato cages do come in different sizes and the 33″ is one of the smaller ones. Many tomato cages are 42″ or 54″ and those will indeed have too big an opening for a 12″ tray.
Greetings Bev. What a clever idea. I like that it is simple, inexpensive and allow me to enjoy nature all that more. Thank you for all your great ideas and sharing them.
PS: We are almost neighbors . . . I live just east of GR.
I always enjoy hearing from nearby folks Donna! I hope you enjoy the bird bath if you give it a try. 🙂
I know this is old, but wanted to let you know that this is inspiring me to install one as well! I’ve been trying to find a simple bird bath that makes it easy to clean every day, and this seems perfect!