Turn An Old Birdbath Into A Clever Plant Stand

It's common for birdbaths to break over time until they're not attractive to your feathered friends. But if you don't want to learn how to fix a broken concrete bird bath, you can easily transform it into a plant stand instead. With their tall bases and wide, rounded basins, birdbaths have the perfect structure and shape to double as an ornate plant stand for your garden or yard. Even if the bowl of the bath is broken or missing, you can still use an old birdbath to display your potted plants. This eye-catching alternative is way more unique than the traditional plant stand, and depending on the style of birdbath and what plants you set in it, this functional decor can complement any outdoor space.

While birdbaths make for simple stands for potted plants, you can also use this garden feature as a planter if you don't have any containers to relocate. As long as the bath still has a basin, it can be filled with soil and grow plants that tolerate shallow ground, such as succulents or shallow rooted flowers or plants. Whether you want an interesting way to display some potted plants or you need a large, outdoor planter, the old or broken birdbath rotting away in the back of your yard can be upcycled for this project. How the bath is damaged will determine how you can use your plant stand or planter. Different size, shape, and color birdbaths can help to personalize your garden.

Before thinking about what plants to use or how to decorate your birdbath plant stand, clean the bath to get rid of any unsightly dirt or rust. For a birdbath that has very broken basins or none at all, use it as a pedestal-type plant stand, setting a decorative potted plant on top. Alternatively, birdbaths that have basins can also hold potted plants. With larger planters, you might only be able to set one in the center of the birdbath. Smaller potted plants can be arranged inside the basin to create a unique container garden. Try adding a medium size plant to the middle of the birdbath basin and setting little plants around it. Tiered birdbaths allow you to have a gorgeous DIY plant stand with levels, adding dimension to your outdoor decor.

Rocks, pebbles, and small garden accents can also be added to your stand to fill in areas between plant pots. If your birdbath has a mostly intact basin, you can use it as a planter rather than just a stand. While you can create drainage holes in the birdbath, this could damage it. Instead, set a plastic container with holes inside the basin. Add soil and place flowers, succulents, and other plants in your birdbath, filling up the bowl and creating a beautiful arrangement of plants. While you're limited to shallow rooted plants with this method, any potted plants can sit on a birdbath-turned-plant-stand.