Satellite Dish to Bird Bath

Julie
by Julie
6 Materials
We switched satellite providers & got stuck with the old dish. I like to reuse things when possible. I found a few bird baths that I wanted but all so expensive so I got this idea to make my own.
Dish to Bird Bath
back of dish
I took the mounting bracket off & glued the 4 bolts that held it in place into the holes on top/front with E6000. The circle I have marked is for mounting a jar to hold it in the stand. More on that later.
Old satellite dish
Let the glue dry then painted with just some white craft paint.
design a pattern
I came up with my pattern & cut my stained glass, or you could use small glass scraps or mosaic tiles & glued them in place with E6000. (Many things can be used).
glue process
Once the dragon flies were cut & glued in place I added small pieces of glass around them, gluing down with E6000.
ready for grout
All glued. Now is the hard part-wait for it to dry. About 24 hours check to make sure that all pieces are secure. If not, pry up & glue it again. You can be generous with the glue. I let it dry for about a week.
All grouted.
I added black paint to some grout I had from another project & grouted the bird bath. I would like to seal it but not sure what would be safe for the birds??? It requires constant cleaning, but they all do. I add a capful of vinegar to the water when I remember.
adding a jar
I had to sand the area because I had painted it with a textured paint previously. To determine where to glue the jar, I set this on a hard level surface & with a level marked on the bottom the center by leveling it in several directions. Then measured the mouth of the jar & found my diameter & then placed the glass & marked all around the mouth. I used E6000 & glued a jelly jar to the bottom to hold the bird bath in my stand then sealed the jar edges with silicone caulking
This is my base for the bird bath. It was for a gazing ball that broke when wind or animal knocked it off. The size jar is determined by the size hole you have in your stand.
Finished bird bath
Dish to Packer Bird Bath
This was another I did with another satellite that I had gotten from the satellite guy.
Old Bird Bath made New again
This was a regular cement birdbath that had a crack in the bottom so figured I would make a design, glue & grout same as the one above. This one has stained glass & also floral marbles. I only grouted the stained glass area.
Suggested materials:
  • Round metal/glass/cement item for base   (reuse what I had)
  • Stained glass/marbles/tiles/old dishes/   (scraps or garage sale finds)
  • E6000 glue   (Discount store/craft store)
See all materials
Frequently asked questions
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3 of 9 questions
  • Deana Lara Deana Lara on May 31, 2020

    I found your post through a Google search, because I wanted to use my old satellite dish to make a birdbath too. I wouldn't have know what glue to use, so thank you for that. I want to seal mine too...did you ever come up with what to use?

  • Sandy Sandy on Jun 06, 2020

    DOESN'T THE SATELLITE GET A LITTLE HOT IN THE SUN, EVEN WITH THE STONES ON IT? 6-6-20

  • Lynn Lester Lynn Lester on Oct 30, 2020

    Thank you for the tips. So E6000 glue for stain glass, marbles, etc. Then grout...any kind in particular? What about sealing? Thank you


Comments
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  • Julie Julie on Aug 16, 2019

    Thank you! I hate to throw out anything, which isn’t always a good thing for our garage! I saw a birdbath I liked but needed something to use for a base. We had just changed dish providers & a light bulb went on when I saw the old satellite. My base. I love to repurpose anything I can.

  • Martha Martha on Sep 19, 2022

    Yes great idea but I would have to make mine taller or suspend it...I have cats.

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