In this video, Toni Scott, the host of Your House a Home TV, is crafting a birdbath for some of the wildlife around her home. Toni previously had an on-ground birdbath that her cat and much of the wildlife in her area drank from, but she decided to craft a new one for a summer project that was larger. Here’s how she did it:
Step 1
First, you can grab a plastic plant saucer that can be purchased from a hardware store for about five dollars.
Step 2
Next, purchase several multicolored plates from your local dollar store. The colors that you select will greatly influence the design of your mosaic.
Step 3
Using some plastic large zip-lock bags, place the plates inside and drop them to the ground to shatter them. The shattered plates should now be broken into more manageable shards. To further this process, use a hammer to break them up into even smaller sizes.
Step 4
Spritz the pan with some saucer so that she can more easily glue the pieces to the surface of the saucer. This is because Toni uses glue that works best with water.
Step 5
Next, picks up the pieces of plate and arrange them into the mosaic design that you desire. Toni also uses some glass beads for accents in this part of the process.
Step 6
Once a preferred design has been established, you can begin the gluing process. For this part of the process, use small dabs that will hold the mosaic shards in place. You don’t want to overdo it since you’ll be using grout to hold the mosaic design in place later. You can also spritz a bit of water in order to help the glue adhere. If it’s the kind that binds with water, it’ll expand, which is why you should go with small dabs.
Step 7
If you’d like to ring the edge of the saucer with the glass beads for design, then you can glue them there as well. If the beads start to fall off because the glue hasn’t adhered them in place, use some painter’s tape to hold them in place until they dry.
Step 8
Once the pieces are set in place, mix your grout based on the instructions on its packaging. Coat the saucer completely in the grout so that there is a thin layer over everything.
Step 9
Once the grout has coated onto the saucer, use a wet sponge to wipe off the layers of excess grout. Once it’s wiped off, you should easily be able to see your mosaic pieces and beads.
Step 10
Let the grouted saucer sit for two hours or so. Once done, really wipe the saucer clean of any excess grout or detritus.
Step 11
Wait an additional three days for the grout to fully dry.
Step 12
Apply a few coats of a tile and grout sealer to your mosaic saucer.
Step 13
Wait another 24 hours or so for the sealer to set.
Step 14
Spray a clear protective coating onto the sealed saucer; this will ensure that the entire birdbath is fully waterproof and will be able to withstand the elements.
Step 15
You can use any excess pieces to actually make another birdbath. For a different accent, feel free to use different colored grouts and plate shards for this mosaic.
Bonus Step – Add a Solar Water Fountain Pump (Get One Here!)
This easy to use solar water fountain pump is a great addition to your bird bath! Buy one here
For the bird’s use, Toni placed her first birdbath onto a plant stand. She used the same water-activated glue to secure the birdbath to the stand so that the birds couldn’t knock it off of its perch as they bathed. She used the other birdbath that she created as a basin for the other ground-based wildlife like squirrels and chipmunks.
