Mother Daughter Projects

  • Blog
  • About
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
  • Tools
    • Tool Tuesday
  • Maintenance
  • Improvement
  • Decor
  • Tech
  • Blog
  • About
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
  • Tools
    • Tool Tuesday
  • Maintenance
  • Improvement
  • Decor
  • Tech

DIY for Homeowners

DIY Rustic Stump End Tables

6/7/2017

5 Comments

 
text by Vicki     Sign up to get Mother Daughter Projects updates in your email!

This post is sponsored by The Home Depot as a part of The Home Depot’s ProSpective Campaign.
There's nothing like natural elements to make your home decor feel warm and welcoming! You can add those elements with flowers, greenery, a water feature, or natural wood furniture and accessories like these end tables made from tree stumps. 
We would not consider this project to be quick and easy as it requires a lot of time from start to finish. It's doable for even a beginner though. It really depends on the tools that you have at your disposal. For example, if you hand chisel the bark off the stump, this will require way more effort and time than if you use a mechanical technique. Use what you have and make it your own! If it takes a couple of weeks to finish, then enjoy the process of really creating with your own hands and then enjoying the fruits of your labor. No matter how you get there, these natural wood end tables are well worth the time and effort. ​
Learn how to DIY a tree log and upcycle it into a rustic stump side table or stool.

Materials:


  • Stump (found at neighbors house)

  • Epoxy

  • Minwax Polycrylic

  • Wire cup brush (Home Depot)

  • 60-220 grit sandpaper

  • Aluminum tape

  • Safety gear

Tools:


  • Bosch Rotary Hammer (Home Depot)

  • Tile Chisel (Home Depot)

  • Makita 3pc Brushless Kit (Home Depot)

  • Milwaukee 9in Carbide Teeth Sawzall Blade (Home Depot)

  • Belt Sander (Home Depot)

  • Dremel 4200 (Home Depot)

  • Random Orbit Sander

Learn how to DIY a tree log and upcycle it into a rustic stump side table or stool.
We sourced our logs from my neighbor who lost a tree during a hurricane. Look for logs that are cut into manageable size pieces and ones that are flat on the top and bottom.
Learn how to DIY a tree log and upcycle it into a rustic stump side table or stool.
The rotary hammer tile chisel makes quick work of bark removal!
Learn how to DIY a tree log and upcycle it into a rustic stump side table or stool.
After allowing the logs to air dry for 10 months we were ready to start removing the bark. This can be done manually with a chisel or mechanically with a rotary hammer and tile chisel.
Learn how to DIY a tree log and upcycle it into a rustic stump side table or stool.
We needed to cut our log more evenly. We measured and marked our cut line.
Learn how to DIY a tree log and upcycle it into a rustic stump side table or stool.
A chain saw would have been the first tool of choice, but ours wimped out! We used a Makita reciprocating saw with a Milwaukee 9" cutting blade to cut the end straight.
Learn how to DIY a tree log and upcycle it into a rustic stump side table or stool.
Once the bark is removed, you're left with a lot of woody fibers that take a lot of effort to remove. We tried using a wire cup attached to a Makita drill/driver to help remove some of the fibers prior to sanding.
Learn how to DIY a tree log and upcycle it into a rustic stump side table or stool.
The long tedious sanding process moves from 60 grit (or smaller if you can find it) up to 220 grit. All is needed to remove the remaining fibers and to smooth the grain. We also sanded with 320 grit paper between coats of poly and epoxy.
Learn how to DIY a tree log and upcycle it into a rustic stump side table or stool.
We made two tables. One we filled and covered with epoxy to finish.
Learn how to DIY a tree log and upcycle it into a rustic stump side table or stool.
Self-adhesive felt pads were added to the bottom to make them easier to move and to protect the floor.
Learn how to DIY a tree log and upcycle it into a rustic stump side table or stool.
We used an old belt sander with 40 grit sandpaper to help sand the top and a random obit sander for the rest. We also used a Dremel with a sanding attachment for some of the curvier parts where the sander would not work.
Learn how to DIY a tree log and upcycle it into a rustic stump side table or stool.
The second we finished with a brush on clear poly.
Learn how to DIY a tree log and upcycle it into a rustic stump side table or stool.
One of the logs had some metal in it, which looks neat in the final table.
Learn how to DIY a tree log and upcycle it into a rustic stump side table or stool.
What a treat it was for us to be able to use the Bosch rotary hammer on this project--it's an awesome tool! If you're a newsletter subscriber, you know that we've become fast friends with our UPS driver as he's the one that has been delivering all these tools from The Home Depot. When we showed him the rotary hammer, he kind of gave us a look and indicated that it might be a little much for us to handle! We actually were a little apprehensive about using it after that comment, but found it to be a very manageable tool.

We also throughly enjoyed the Makita tools used in this project. The reciprocating saw is especially noteworthy in that its power and performance exceeded our existing corded one. That surprised us. Makita also has a super fast battery charging system.

​What do you think of these stump end tables? Would you DIY this or buy? Let us know in the comments below!
Learn how to DIY a tree log and upcycle it into a rustic stump side table or stool.
Picture
We acknowledge that The Home Depot is partnering with us to participate in the The Home Depot ProSpective Campaign. As a part of the Program, we are receiving compensation in the form of products and services, for the purpose of promoting The Home Depot. All expressed opinions and experiences are our own word. Our post complies with the Word Of Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA) Ethics Code and applicable Federal Trade Commission guidelines. 

FYI: We are not professionals, and we don’t claim to be. This is what we found worked for our project. Yours may need a little different approach. Safety first!

FYI: Affiliate links are being used on this page. Purchasing via these links help support MDP!

Related Projects

Picture
West Elm Tillary Sofa Hack
Picture
Live Edge Wood GLOW Table
Picture
Faux Vintage Mirror Tray
5 Comments
Jessica link
6/9/2017 12:44:21 am

I love this DIY, but I'm not sure how I would ever be able to do it without access to stumps and a good saw! Your finish product is beautiful.

Reply
Steph
6/9/2017 09:31:01 pm

Thanks Jessica!

Reply
CC Tree Service link
7/4/2017 10:37:58 am

We always have excess stumps and/or other tree parts that we'd be willing to just give away (we're not local to you) - but honestly, you could just ask a nearby arborist or tree service guy to give you a hand, and maybe even borrow a couple tools for a day!

Reply
Steph
7/4/2017 11:21:12 am

That's great to know, thanks!

Reply
Keizer Oregon link
7/31/2019 01:56:31 pm

I love the rustic look! I'm making these.

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    MotherDaughterProjects.com

    Mother Daughter Projects
    ​
    Steph & Vicki

    We're homeowners sharing our DIY adventures as we learn to maintain, improve, decorate, and ​use tech in our homes.
    Share your projects with us here:  
    ​#trylearnshare
    MotherDaughterProjects.com
Mother Daughter Projects, LLC ∙ est. 2015 ∙ Tallahassee, FL by Vicki & Steph ∙ Privacy Policy