• Decorate a birdbath with mosaic designs for a colorful addition to your garden.ba?¡Ào de palomas image by Pablo Armelles from Fotolia.com
  
  A mosaic birdbath can add whimsical and decorative color to your yard or garden. Create your own mosaic birdbath with materials destined for the recycling center or with supplies from local discount or home improvement stores. Select the right adhesive and the mosaic will decorate the birdbath for years to come.
  
  

Broken Ceramic Mosaic

• Cover a birdbath with bits of broken ceramics to create a birdbath mosaic. The varying sizes and thicknesses of the broken plates, bowls, cups and knick-knacks create an interesting design on the curves of the birdbath. Attach the pieces to a concrete or terracotta birdbath with thinset mortar, leaving at least 1/8 inch of space between individual pieces for grouting, if you'd like. Layering the ceramic pieces to avoid grouting is another way to create a mosaic. This type of mosaic is easier with broken ceramics than with flat mosaic tiles.
  
  

Mosaic Tile Birdbath

• Create a design image on your birdbath using mosaic ceramic tiles, which hold up better in the elements than glass mosaic tiles; they're also less expensive. Draw the outline of an image, such as a flower or hummingbird, onto the concrete or terracotta birdbath. Write specific colors inside each section to designate the colors of the tiles. For example, to create a mosaic design with multiple five-petal flowers, write the desired colors inside each outlined section around the flower and on the flower so that your design plan will be clear when placing the tiles. Select background tiles to make the colors of the design pop. Leave grouting space between each tile and nip the tiles to fit the outlines as needed.
  
  

Glass Bead Mosaic

• Mosaic tiles and broken ceramics are not the only materials you can use to create a birdbath mosaic. Colorful flat-backed glass beads are also suitable for the job. Flat-backed glass beads are available in an array of colors and a variety of sizes; they're also thick enough to eliminate any worry about them cracking in cold weather. You can grout the glass bead mosaic or choose not to, but grouting is preferred, since the beads won't fit flush together all the way around the design. Create an image with the colors or place them randomly over the birdbath. Attach the beads with thinset mortar or clear, waterproof construction adhesive.