Don't Toss An Old Metal Chair — Reuse It For An Easy DIY Bird Bath
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Metal patio chairs can look charming and help to elevate your outdoor living space, but sometimes you're ready for an upgrade. That doesn't mean you have to toss your old seating, though. Instead, give that forgotten piece of patio furniture a useful second life: with a shallow pan or basin on the seat, an old metal chair can become a simple DIY bird bath.
Bird baths are a great way to encourage your local avians to visit your yard, and these features don't have to be anything fancy. A shallow container of fresh water is often all they need for a quick drink or a chance to cool off on a hot day. For this project, you'll just need your chair and some sort of pan or basin to rest on top of it. An unused drain pan for oil changes, like the WirthCo Funnel King Oil Drain Pan, could be perfect. You could even opt to place a DIY bundt pan bird bath on the chair. Whatever you choose, make sure the container sits flat, is shallow enough for small birds, and won't wobble or slide off the seat.
If you don't have the perfect chair for this project, be sure to visit your local thrift store to see if they offer a good piece of preloved outdoor furniture. You could even check Facebook Marketplace, which is an unexpectedly useful place for budget-friendly garden decor.
How to make your simple DIY bird bath with an old chair and a pan
Before starting the project, you'll need to choose a good location for your bird bath. Find a spot in your yard with a bit of shade, ideally near some nearby low branches where the birds can hide from predators. Make sure it's not too out of sight, though — you want your feathered friends to be able to find it. To begin the assembly, confirm that the chair is nice and level and put on your pan. Add a few inches of water to the bottom and put in some pebbles or small rocks so birds won't slip on the surface. You can also add a few larger rocks so they can easily grab a quick drink while staying dry.
@birdsbegformore Young Cooper's Hawk on my make-shift birdbath. My DIY birdbath I had for 5 years broke, so I made a temporary birdbath with a chair and a pan. The young Cooper's Hawk landed on it. Water attracts birds to your yard. #bird #coopershawk #hawk #birdsofprey #birdsofiktok #fyp #birdbath #water
One of the best features of using a chair as the base for your bird bath is that birds can enjoy using the back of it as a spot to perch and preen. Not having a nearby preening spot is one of the main reasons feathered friends avoid bird baths, after all. To make your DIY bath even more attractive to colorful flying visitors, consider adding an element of moving water. Something like the Yeomi Solar Fountain could be ideal. This will make the bath easier for birds to spot, while also adding a pleasant fountain effect to your yard. Just remember to refresh the water regularly and give the basin a good cleaning to keep it safe and inviting.