We've been wanting to create a stand for our 2 parrots for a long time and were finally able to create this project! This is an easy DIY bird stand that you can create as shown in this instructable or customize for your birds!

We went with PVC for this project so it is very simple to assemble and easy to clean! (very important!) The perch arms snap on and off so you can re-arrange the set-up and keep it interesting for your birds! : )

Hope you enjoy!

Step 1: BUILDING THE BASE

Supplies Needed:

Tools:

Hammer
PVC Cutter (you can find one here they come in different sizes depending on which size PVC you use)
Measuring Tape / Ruler
Pen

Materials:

2 - 5ft x 1" PVC Pipe
4 - 1" PVC Slip-On Plugs
3 - 1" PVC Slip-On Tee's
4 - 1" PVC Slip-On 90 Degree Elbows
PVC Pipe Cement (this isn't necessary to complete the project, see additional notes below)
4 - 1 1/2" Rubber Grippers (we used these to cover the base legs, you can find the same kind here)

This project was started by creating the base for the bird stand.

We began by marking and cutting down the 1" PVC pipe to create the legs, using the following cut sizes:

2 - 1ft pieces

4 - 6" pieces

Next we added the plugs to the 90 degree elbows. These elbows were used to create the legs and we added the plugs to seal off the bottom opening. We used PVC pipe cement here to make sure the plugs stayed in place. The pipe cement had a really strong smell, dried quickly and was overall hard to use. So after we created the base we tested out some pieces without glue and just used a hammer to tap them together which actually created a very strong bond so we decided to ditch the pipe cement altogether. I would definitely recommend using a hammer instead of the PVC pipe cement to connect the PVC pipe pieces together.

After the plugs were in place, we inserted the 4-6" PVC pieces into the open ends of the 90 degree elbows, and secured them together using a hammer.

The next step was to create the center of the base by connecting the 2-1ft PVC pieces using a 1" PVC Tee and hammering them in place.

The 2 remaining 1" PVC Tee's were added to both ends on the center of the base and hammered in place.

Next we inserted the 4 legs into the open ends of the 2 PVC Tee's on the center of the base, and secured them together using a hammer.

This will complete the base so you just want to make sure all of the legs are straight and that the opening on the center Tee is facing upwards.

Now you can add the remaining 5ft PVC pipe to the center of the base, and hammer it in place. This will create the main pole on the bird stand. We left ours at 5ft but you can cut it down to any size.

To complete the base we added rubber grippers to the legs to keep the stand from scratching up the floor. Ours came with a sticky back so we simply stuck these on the bottom of the legs.

Step 2: CREATE THE PERCH ARMS

Supplies Needed:

Tools:

Hammer
PVC Cutter
Measuring Tape / Ruler
Marker

Materials:

1 - 5ft x 3/4" PVC Pipe
4 - 1" Threaded PVC Adapters
4 - 1" Tee Snaps

The first step to create the perch arms is to mark and cut the 5ft x 3/4" PVC pipe into 4-1ft pieces.

The next step is to add the 1" threaded PVC adapters. The 1ft PVC pieces were inserted into the non-threaded end of the adapters and hammered in place.

The last step is the screw on the 4-1" tee snaps to the threaded end of the PVC adapters.

Now you can snap on the 4 perches to the main pole on the bird stand. The snap on tee's have a very sturdy grip so they won't slip and are great to incorporate so that the perches can be re-arranged any way you want.

Step 3: CREATE THE FOOD BOWLS

Supplies Needed:

Tools:

Grinder

Materials:

2 - 1" PVC Threaded Plugs
2 - 1" PVC Slip-On 90 Degree Elbows
2 - 2" PVC End Caps
Super Glue

To create the food bowls, we started out by grinding down the bottoms of the 2" PVC end caps. The end caps that we bought had a rounded bottom so we needed to grind them down in order to have a flat surface to create a secure bond to the perch arms.

Once the bottoms of the end caps were flat we used super glue to secure them to 1" PVC threaded plugs. We applied super glue to the bottom of the plugs (the flat end) and pressed on the PVC end caps. To be safe we made sure not to apply too much super glue in order to keep it from leaking out of the edges. Since this is a bird stand you want to make sure there are no toxic surfaces that your birds can get to. When creating the food bowls we tried out a few types of adhesives including hot glue and pvc cement but the super glue created the best bond and was the most secure.

Step 4: CREATE a PLATFROM

Supplies Needed:

Tools:

PVC Cutter
Measuring Tape / Ruler
Marker
Hammer
Scissors
Drill

Materials:

Rope ( we used Blue Hawk Diamond Braid Poly Rope which we bought in a 75ft spool from lowes and there is a LOT left over, you can find the same kind sold by the foot here )
1 - 5ft x 3/4" PVC Pipe
4 - 3/4" PVC Slip-On 90 Degree Elbows
2 - 3/4" PVC Slip-On Tee's

The first step to create the platform is to mark and cut the 5ft x 3/4" PVC pipe, using the following cut sizes:

2 - 5 1/2" pieces

3 - 1ft pieces

Once the pieces are cut you can assemble the platform. The platform is created in a square shape, using the 3 - 1ft pieces to create 3 sides, the 90 degree elbows are used for the corners, and the 2 - 5 1/2" pieces are inserted into the 1" tee to create the remaining side. The opening of the tee should be pointed outwards so that it can be attached a perch arm on the bird stand. The 2 tees are attached together using 3/4" PVC pipe, about 2" long, and for ours we used some scrap pieces we already had. To secure the platform we hammered all of the pieces in place. See the pictures for a clear visual of the layout.

When you have your platform base ready you can create the holes to weave through the rope. We created a 4 X 4 grid and marked the holes out every 3".

Once marked we used a a drill to create the holes.

To finish off the platform you just want to weave the rope through the holes to create a net center. We used one continuous piece of rope to create the net but you can weave this in any design you like.

Step 5: Create a Hanging Net Swing

Supplies Needed:
Tools:

PVC Cutter
Measuring Tape / Ruler
Marker
Hammer
Scissors
Drill

Materials:

Rope
1 - 5ft x 1/2" PVC Pipe
4 - 1/2" PVC Slip-On 90 Degree Elbows
Rope

The first step to create the platform is to mark and cut the 5ft x 1/2" PVC pipe, using the following cut sizes:
2 - 18" pieces

2 - 1ft pieces

Once the pieces are cut you can assemble the frame. The frame is created in a rectangle shape using the 2-1ft pieces to create the top and bottom and the 2-18" pieces for the sides, then connecting them together using the 4-1/2" 90 degree elbows. Once all the pieces are pressed together you can secure them using a hammer.

Once the frame is assembled you can mark out the placement for the holes which will be used to weave the rope through to create the net center. We created a 4 x 5 grid and marked the holes out every 3".

Once marked we used a a drill to create the holes.

Step 6: Attach the Food Bowls

Supplies Needed:
Tools:

PVC Cutter
Measuring Tape / Ruler
Marker
Hammer

Materials:

2 - 4" x 3/4" PVC Pipe
1 Completed PVC Perch Arm W/ Tee Snap Attached
2 Completed Food Bowls
1 - 3/4" PVC Slip-On Tee
2 - 3/4" Threaded 90 Degree Elbows

During the build, we re-figured our food bowl set up and began this step by taking 1 completed PVC perch arm and cutting down the PVC pipe to 3".

Next we cut 2 - 4" pieces of 3/4" PVC, at this point you should have some extra scrap pieces and that is what we used here.

The 2 pieces of 4" x 3/4" PVC were inserted into the 1" slip-on tee to create a perch for the food bowls. Then hammered securely in place.

The 2 - 3/4" threaded 90 degree elbows were attached to both ends of the food bowl perch.

And to complete this step the food bowls were screwed into the 2 - 3/4" threaded 90 degree elbows.

Step 7: Add the Grip Tape and Perch Stairs

Supplies Needed:
Tools:

Hand Saw
Scissors
Ruler
Drill

Materials:

1 - 3/8" Dowel
1 Pack Of Skid Guard Safety Tape ( you can find the same kind here ) ( vet tape is another option and you can find that here )

We wanted to create a gripped surface for the perches on the stand so we added some skid guard safety tape. This is used to line stairs to prevent slipping. It has an adhesive backing and can be applied directly to the PVC pipe. When it comes to our birds we definitely make sure to examine the things they play on and with, if you have birds that like to chew on everything and are concerned about using an adhesive material, vet tape is another option. I have seen a lot of bird stand DIY's using this to create the same effect as grip tape and you can find it online or your local vet. We have had our birds for 10 years and since I know their habits I am not worried about them chewing on the grip tape.

To apply the grip tape we measured out centers of the perch arms and cut out the pieces of grip tape. Since the grip tape had a sticky back be just peeled off the backing and stuck the grip tape in place.

To finish off the bird stand we cut the 3/8" dowel into 9 - 5" pieces using a hand saw. You can adjust this length to any size depending on the size of your bird.

Next we drilled out 9 holes on the center main pole where we could insert the dowels. We kept turning the position of the holes to create a spiral, then inserted the dowels.

Step 8: Done!

Now you have an awesome stand for your birds! There are so many different ways you can customize this project to create a fun place for your birds to hang out!

The stand is super light so it is very portable to move around into any room in your house, and easy to take outside and hose it off when it needs to be cleaned.

Our birds are super excited to be able to hang out with us all around the house!