DIY Small Fountain

  

I made a small fountain this weekend!  This is a really easy afternoon project, and you can follow my directions, or watch this video on the bettershelter blog.

I wanted a water feature to both add sound and encourage more birds in the yard.  Birds are drawn to water, especially in dry L.A.  I've been seeing a few scrub jays and bush tits around, and would love to see more.  I'll be sure to report back on who comes to visit.  Meanwhile, here are my directions on how to make a little fountain/bubbling bird bath:

Get a flower pot that is the size and shape you like.  I found this one on Craigslist for $10.  It's about 18 inches across and 7 inches deep -- just the right size for a bird or two.

Go to Home Depot, or your neighborhood hardware store, and get a small fountain pump and some epoxy putty.  I got the 60 GPH submersible fountain pump for about $20.  It's tiny and cheap.

Glue a few small tiles to the bottom of the pot to lift it up and make room for the pump cord.  I just used gorilla glue for this.  Put the cord through the hole at the bottom of the pot, and plug the hole with the epoxy.  This is where I had problems.  This stuff feels pretty toxic, and I have no idea how it works.  You break off a chunk of the putty and knead it until it turns a solid color.  Then you shape it where you want it, leave it, and in 10 minutes or so it's hard as steel.  I used gloves for this, and highly recommend it, although it does make it harder to work with.  It might take a few tries to get a water tight seal too, so be sure to test it and see if you need more putty.  Ideally, you use just enough to plug the hole and keep the cord in place.  Since I kept getting leaks, I ended up with a large wad of gray stuff on the bottom of my fountain, which makes it slightly tilted.  Oh well.

Once you have a water tight seal and the pump is in place, hide it with rocks or pebbles.  I harvested these perfectly smooth rocks from my grandmother's beach on Lake Erie ages ago.  They are special to me, and I love the way they look under water.  It reminds me of watching the soft waves lap against the rocky beach. 

 

Add water, plug in the fountain, and pour yourself a drink!  It's now time to enjoy the subtle sound of water and wait for the birds to come.   

If you want to see another super simple DIY, I also made a Patio Pendant Lamp to hang above the fountain.