How to Make a Mosaic Bird Feeding Table
by
Tanya
$20
2-3 Days
Easy
I've been thinking about making a bird feeding station for some time now. There are loads of winged residents in my neighborhood and not only do they need a bit of extra help in the winter but I'd love to be able to see them closer up, maybe from a cozy chair in the sun room, coffee in hand.
The finished bird table complete with seeds
I've also been looking for a creative project that uses patterned crockery. I had a few chipped plates already and picking up more pieces at the local thrift shop was really easy and cheap. This project seemed to me like the perfect marriage of ideas since it's a bit amusing to create a giant plate-like bird table out of broken tableware.Maybe my sense of humor is a bit weird!
The project's required materials
This project requires just a few materials for you to make it yourself - concrete, a trash can lid, and broken plate shards are pretty much the essentials. There are a few more optional tools and materials that you can use and you can learn more about that in my full blog tutorial (see link). As far as cost, if you have a trash can lid already and some old plates this project will cost you virtually nothing.
Creating by first destroying!
Designing the pattern on top of the table is the most fun part of the project but a close second is actually breaking up the china. It's such at taboo to break a dish, especially on purpose, and maybe that's the reason that a bit of stress is relieved in this step. I had such a big smile on my face smashing up those plates and I hope you have fun too. Just make sure the pieces aren't pricey antiques first!
This piece of garden art is for the birds
The finished table has a slightly convex center so that bird food can collect there, reducing the chances of it being blown or kicked off. Designing the mosaic pattern on top took about forty-five minutes and was the most creative part of the process. It's funny but I feel that the plates I used actually look better broken and reassembled than they did in their original form!
The local Robins seem to like the table too
In the description I listed that the project takes a few days, this is really just because the concrete needs that much time to dry. You can make this bird table in an afternoon and then forget about it until its time to pop it out of the lid. Such an easy thing to make and it will bring much enjoyment to both you and your local wildlife.
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Need link. Need link
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I will do it one of these days but with hypertufa and Portland cement
Frequently asked questions
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Where is the link to the full tutorial..cant find it!
I love this project and can't wait to try it!
What did you use for the base?
Did you mean the top was concave? it looks like it goes down a bit in the center.
What is the base under it?