Out With the Old (Rust) and In With the New
I purchased this cast iron birdbath years ago. I did use it inside, but I removed it to outdoors when I had one of those Murphy's Law incidents!* So, once outside the birdbath became rusted and I got tired of looking at it.
First, I wired brushed and cleaned.
You can see the rust was every where.
Once clean, I primed it with rust reformer.
Next I spray painted with a cream color; pretty much close to the original color.
See that little bird? I got the idea I wanted him to have some color. So I masked off the bowl and his beak.
I thought I had green in my stash, but it was aqua. I used Q-tips instead of a brush.
I decided to put a few streaks of plum and then I painted the beak black and dotted in two eyes. (I know these are not true hummingbird colors. When they fade I will try a brighter green and red.)
So now my little boy has some character!
I like that he stands out.
*While in the house I used it as a stand next to a chair. The piece weighs at least 15 pounds! I had placed my grandmother's antique framed picture behind it, leaning against a wall because I had not hung the picture. I was moving things around and knocked the birdbath over right down on grandmother's glass frame...the kind that bowed out...and it broke in pieces. 
So when I look at the birdbath . . . .https://www.hometalk.com/diy/craft/holiday-crafts/a-wreath-i-am-truly-thankful-for-38973764?r=2 This is a link to what I did with the frame
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2021 Update: This is what the birdbath looks like today in June. The bowl is starting to rust again even though I primed, but the little hummingbird is as bright as day one.
A bit of rust at the connection.
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Beautiful, just beautiful!
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Thank you!
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Looks gorgeous. The bird really stands out nicely.
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Thank you!
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Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this project?
do you now use it as a bird bath with water or just a decoration? It's beautiful.
If filled with water, is the paint safe for birds?
I repainted my bird baths and some figures that needed some color but I didn't seal them.... What can I use,?