You can take creative liberties with how you arrange your design, but the two must haves are a stable base (I opted for a bowl) and a large platter for the top.  I chose several items at Goodwill, placed them in my cart, then moved over to a table to experiment and see what would work.  Once I had an idea, I still purchased a few extra items (at 49 cents each, why not?) just in case my design changed.
Here’s how I made my Mad Hatter inspired tea pot bird bath:
Work on a flat surface (I sat on the floor!). Turn the bowl upside down.  Put glue on the lip of a cup, and place it upset down on the bowl.  Make sure it is level.

Continue building up, gluing saucers, cups, tea pots, etc. one at a time.  If you are unsure of yourself, use a level to make sure your structure isn’t leaning.

Once the glue has dried, it’s time to paint.  I didn’t want spray paint the surface the birds would touch.  For one, it’s probably not safe for them, and secondly, they paint would probably flake off.  So I left the top unpainted.

To do so, I set the structure upside down on a box.  I primed it and then spray painted it.  I used Krylon’s Celery paint.  I usually like brighter colors, but this pretty hue seemed appropriate for this project.

I love the end result!  Having it all one color makes the piece more cohesive, don’t you think?

It looks great with my tea cup bird feeder.

Make a tea pot bird bath by using thrifted items from Goodwill. This whimsical piece of garden art is surprisingly easy to make.

Looking for more home decor crafts you can make from Goodwill?  Click here.

Thanks to Goodwill San Antonio for sponsoring this post.  I love being affiliated with an organization that does so much for the community! 

55 responses to “Tea Pot Bird Bath Garden Art Made from Thrifted Items”

  1. Wow, This is so wicked coolio!!! I have been waiting and wanting a project for my front rock garden and your share has got to be just the one! I love everything you chose to do with it from the shapes down to the celery color! I had no idea you could spray paint dishes! Whoo hoo! Thank you so much for taking the time to share with story and pictures! I love our Goodwill store too and showed them my love at their half off all donated items on July 4th!! Christine

  2. making this now…but filling my pieces with cement, hoping for a more sturdy piece!

  3. awesome! What a great idea!!

  4. I LOVE this, I have to make it! Thank you for sharing and I love that you shared the photo’s too! I was thinking it could, also, be a tall plant stand…and…….. 8)

  5. Jeannie Clemens Avatar

    Until I scrolled through the article, I thought you used a matching set of dishes! Very clever in deed. for what it’s worth

  6. Adorable! And Fabucrafter…. thats an awesome word! Love it! Thank you for sharing on CSI Project “Thrift Store Turnaround”!

    Shelly@MinettesMaze

  7. […] thinking of ways to recreate the look in a form that was more useful.  I came up with a fun bird bath, instead, using items I purchased at Goodwill San Antonio.  Someone suggested that I adapt the […]

  8. […] DIY Instructions and Project Credit – Morena’sCorner […]

  9. […] ‘Morena’s Corner’, this DIY tea pot bird bath is really a piece of vintage art. I love how she reminds us not to paint the top, inside portion of […]

  10. That is a perfect solution for your mother’s garden and looks wonderful, too. Another thing I’ve seen used is those big old-fashioned standing ash trays, since smoking isn’t as common as it used to be. I’ve been on the lookout for one myself.

    1. Gilmer Gal Avatar

      I have passed up so many of those ash stands, wonder what I would do with them! Now I know! Thanks for the tip!

  11. […] post is a variation on my tea pot themed decorative items.  I used E-6000 to adhere Goodwill blue colored items together, then glued a gold […]

  12. […] 6. Stack incompatible plates, glue them together, and paint them — you’ve got a beautiful birdbath! […]

  13. […] 6. Stack mismatched plates, glue them together, and paint them — you’ve got a beautiful birdbath! […]

  14. Love this idea! Thank you so much for sharing it. I am going to paint mine white to match the garden bunnies through the yard. What kind of primer will work here?

    Thank you.

    1. Morena Avatar

      I use $1 white spray paint from Walmart, or an adhesion promoter that is intended for painting vehicles. 🙂

  15. […] isn’t quite your style, try repurposing large tea set pieces outside of your home instead! Morena’s Corner guides you through the process of piecing together this awesome bird bath that will contrast with […]

  16. […] mentioned in another post that I am creating a Mad Hatter inspired garden area in my back yard.  Part of it will include an […]

  17. I have made a ton of these, they are so much fun to make. I pick my dishes up at yard sales, flea markets etc. so much cheaper then Goodwill (who are so overpriced). From experience I have learn that you need to use a very heavy dish on the bottom for stability. I find heavy pie plates, or even better the glass plate that goes in the bottom of a microwave ( every charity shop has them)
    works best. I use a lot of decorative wine glasses (ever yard sale has them) , candy dishes anything with color or clear engraving gives that extra sparkle. I did one in all crystal and it turned out beautifully and the sun reflecting off it was lovely. However being the klutz I am I tripped over it while in storage in my garage and destroyed…………………:(

  18. I love this idea and I think it would also be useful for someone that smokes …( NOT ME ) but I do have friends that smoke and I think they would love to have this on their front porch where they go out to smoke ….really a sweet piece you made here …now I will be on the lookout for some old cups / saucers / and teapots …LOVE IT !!!!

  19. Carolyn Avatar

    Awesome. I love them! Always ready for a trip to my Goodwill store. Clever

  20. Gilmer Gal Avatar

    I need to make one for my birds! I like the idea someone said about putting concrete in the vessels to make it more sturdy. The animals in my area tipped over my last birdbath and shattered it! Argh!!

  21. Absolutely love the whimsy of this project and the color, so lovely. I also thought it was a matched set. This would go perfectly with the the terra-cotta Cheshire Cat I painted. Did you mention what glue you used?

    1. Morena Avatar

      Thanks so much! I used E-6000.

  22. […] Morena's Corner added a little Mad Hatter's tea party influence to her garden when she built this teapot birdbath with cups, saucers, plates, and, of course, a teapot she found at her local Goodwill (but dollar […]

  23. […] Corner added a little Mad Hatter’s tea party influence to her garden when she built this teapot birdbath with cups, saucers, plates, and, of course, a teapot she found at her local Goodwill (but dollar […]

  24. […] Corner added a little Mad Hatter’s tea party influence to her garden when she built this teapot birdbath with cups, saucers, plates, and, of course, a teapot she found at her local Goodwill (but dollar […]

  25. […] Corner added a little Mad Hatter’s tea party influence to her garden when she built this teapot birdbath with cups, saucers, plates, and, of course, a teapot she found at her local Goodwill (but dollar […]

  26. […] You can get all these materials with a few bucks in garage sell, or Goodwill, or in your own house. It doesn’t necessarily need tea pot, bowl, cups, plates or plant pots can also work well. (Source) […]

  27. Scriv Avatar

    You could easily add sand in the cups and the tea pot as you glue this together. It would make this very sturdy.

  28. […] Check out Morena’s Corner where she salvaged old teapots, saucers, and teacups to transform them into a whimsical art piece for your yard. You will be surprised by how simple this is! Make your own here. […]

  29. […] (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Image Source […]

  30. […] is a bird bath idea that creates a work of art for display in your garden. Stack an old teapot, saucers and cups in an […]

  31. Hi there. Delighted by the whimsy of this!
    I have a few questions about this….
    1. what did you use as a “primer”?
    2. what type of spray paint did you use?

    Looking forward to trying this when we can get out & about again.
    Hope you are all well & finding lovely ways to get through this “storm”…

    Thanks in advance!

    1. Morena Avatar

      Thanks for stopping by and I’m glad you enjoyed this project! On this one I used an Adhesion Promoter that is made for cars, but since then I have used the cheap $1 white spray paint from Walmart. It hasn’t let me down yet and it’s such a cheap alternative. The only downside is the nozzle/sprayer is cheap and my index finger is always sore after using it. 😂 I use a variety of spray paints but most of the time use Rustoleom’s Universal Spray Paint. That one is made for slick surfaces like glass and metal. I hope that helps!

  32. […] thinking of ways to recreate the look in a form that was more useful. I came up with a fun bird bath, instead, using items I purchased at Goodwill San Antonio. Someone suggested that I adapt the […]

  33. […] If you have a garden, it’s probably the most favorite area of your property for your beloved cat or puppy. In your garden, you can keep them safe from accidents
    […]

  34. Susan Avatar

    What is the diameter of the plate you used for the top of the birdbath?

    1. Morena Avatar

      It is 12 inches.

      1. Susan Avatar

        Thank you.

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