Article Surfing Archive

Here is another fun project for the home that you can spend time on that makes use of old coat hangers. You will need some wire, three coat hangers, a grapevine wreath, fresh grapevine, a ceramic bowl or pottery bowl (about 12 inches in diameter), some rocks, pliers, and wire snips.

When selecting your bowl, make sure it is large enough so that it will fit in the hole of the grapevine wreath, and that the wreath will be able to support the bowl once water and rocks are added.

Using the wire snips, cut off the top (hook section) of your coat hangers. Then use your hands to straighten them out, or set them on the driveway or a sidewalk and use a hammer to straighten them. Once you have straightened the clothes hangers, bend one end of each of them to form a small hook about the size of a cup hook. You will probably need to use pliers to do this.

Now take the wire and wire the straight (or long ends) of the hooked coat hangers together. You will eventually use another wire through the three hooks or loops to affix to a tree or other object from which you will be hanging your bird bath.

Now take the other ends of the coat hangers, and create large hooks which are fitted to the underside of the wreath. Hook the wreath to the three coat hangers so that the wreath is on the bottom, with the three coat hangers forming a conical or tripod shape, which comes to an apex above the center of the wreathe (where you have previously wired the three coat hangers together and made the small cup hook shapes). Then, wire each of the larger hooks which support the wreath to the wreath itself, so as to safeguard against them coming off.

Cut the leaves off of the fresh grapevine, and wrap the coat hangers with the fresh grapevine. This will disguise or cover the coat hangers and give the bird bath a look of aesthetic continuity. Other options would include covering the coat hangers with leafy silk vines, silk flowers, or holiday lights.

Place the rocks in the pottery bowl. It is a good idea to use river rocks which can be purchased from craft stores and come in various colors. Fill the bowl to about two inches from the top with the rocks. Place the bowl inside the center of the wreath.

Add water to about one inch or one half inch from the top. Place your new bird bath in an ideal spot for watching its new customers. Sit back, relax, and enjoy!