DIY - Turn an Old Bird Bath into a Patio Table

A few weeks ago we went down to the local Flea Market and I picked up a 2-piece heavy cement bird bath (used) for $5.00. This bird bath had some wear & tear since it had sat out in the elements (unfinished) for the past 2 years. Regardless, I thought it was a "steal" for $5 bucks!

My original plan was to refinish it and put it out into the yard as your typical bird bath. However, my plans quickly changed and I decided to turn it into a small patio or porch table. The reason I decided to do this was two things: it's on the smaller side and second...it has a flat bottom (in the bowl portion) which makes it a great table!

DIY - Turn an Old Bird Bath into an Outdoor Patio Table

We hosed it down and took some scrub brushes & bleach to it to remove all of the debris and moss/mold that was growing on it. We left it sit out in the hot sun for 24 hours to thoroughly dry. While it was drying, we headed over to one of my favorite stores...Lowe's.

At Lowe's I picked up 2 cans of outdoor spray paint that has that textured rocky finish to it in a natural color. I forget the brand but it's really nice spray paint at $10.00 a can. I also picked up 1 can of clear acrylic sealer at $7.00 a can.

When spraying your projects don't stand too close to the item when spraying or you will get drip & run marks. Make sure you stand back a bit and spray lightly!!! We covered both pieces of the bird bath with one can and then waited to the following day to add the second coat with the final can. It did indeed take BOTH cans!

We left the pieces dry for 24 hours out in the sun and then sprayed them with the clear acrylic sealer. I only used one can of sealer because the new bird bath table will be sitting under large front porch where it is partially sheltered from the elements. If you are sticking it out into your yard, I would suggest adding 2-3 coats of the clear sealer to it.

Since it has a flat bottom (in the bowl portion) I can use it as-is as a small patio side table. However, I decided to order a piece of thick clear glass cut into a round shape and I will be placing that glass on top of the table once it arrives. I am also thinking about adding some beach sand, seashells, sand dollars, coral and a star fish underneath the glass top to give it that coastal and beachy feel.

I will update this blog post once my glass top arrives and let you know how I decided to finish off the look...in other words, I might just add the glass top or I might add the glass top & the beach accessories underneath it. Overall, this was a fun project to complete!