Got an Old Lamp? Make a Birdbath!

I made these a while back. I picked up a couple of old lamps at the thrift store (cheap!), and the diffusers, 5-minute epoxy and lamp finials at Home Depot. Each birdbath came to about $25 all in. You'll want to use a lamp base that is fairly heavy so it won't tip over easily. I picked the acorn finial as it was taller than the others and completely hollow inside which allowed me to be imprecise about how much of the rod to leave exposed. Plus, it was brass which will last much longer than plastic. Once the epoxy sets, you won't be able to remove it without a lot of elbow grease and chemicals.

Simply take the lamp apart and remove everything but the base and the threaded rod. Depending on how the lamp is assembled, grunting may be required. Place a washer and bolt to secure the rod placement (should be part of the lamp assembly). Finger tight. You want to leave enough of the rod exposed for the diffuser and finial.

Slide the diffuser onto the threaded rod and screw on the finial - finger tight. Mix the epoxy and put all around the finial making sure you leave no open areas. The epoxy will serve as your waterproof barrier.

That's it! Now let sit for 24 hours before putting outside and filling with water.

Never lift the filled birdbath by the diffuser. It will break the glass. My neighbor learned that lesson the hard way. Change the water often or use a wiggler to keep the water moving so it won't become stagnant and draw mosquitos. We have enough going on with C-19, we don't need to add West Nile to the mix!