DIY Stump Foot Rest with Hidden Compartment

text by Vicki     Sign up here to join our weekly email newsletter! ​

This post is sponsored by The Home Depot.

We sourced the stump for this project well over a year ago and, it's been hanging out in the garage drying all that time. Steph loves to bring natural elements into her home decor and she thought the stump would make a unique footstool for her living room. 

We have the BEST UPS driver! When he sees a really good curbside wood pile, while out making his deliveries, he tells us about it!

Tools/ Materials:

• DEWALT ATOMIC 20-Volt MAX Brushless Compact Reciprocating Saw (Home Depot)
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• Bernzomatic TS8000KC Premium Torch Kit (Home Depot)
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• Firm Grip General Purpose Large Gray Synthetic Leather Glove (Home Depot)
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• DEWALT Carbon Fiber Tacker (Home Depot)
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• Surebonder Trigger Activated and Normal Mode Manual Staple Gun (Home Depot)
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• Casting Epoxy (Online)
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• Minwax 15210 Clear Aerosol Lacquer Spray, 12.25-Ounce, Satin
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• Wood Underlayment
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• Casters
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• Fabric
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This stump had a random branch on it which we removed with the DeWalt Atomic One-Handed Recip saw. It's compact in size, lightweight and very easy to use.

Since we didn't know if anything was still living inside this stump, we wanted to seal all the sides as best we could. We are using a clear coat on the bottom and top.

To make the seat cover for the top of the stump, we laid it top side down on a piece of underlayment and traced around it.

This could easily be cut out using a jig saw, but the scroll saw is just as handy for me!

We upcycled some soft insulation from the meal delivery service, HelloFresh, to use as our seat cushion.

We found a cute dog print fabric to cover the seat. Steph is using the DeWalt carbon fiber upholstery stapler and I'm using the Surebonder trigger fire one.

Now for the FUN part--torching the stump! I'm using the Bernzomatic Premium Torch Kit to give the stump a good char. This is super easy to use and not scary at all! The instructions about how to use it confused me for a minute as it says to pull the ignition button when I think it should say push. Not a big deal, but if you read the instructions like we do, just be aware.

I torched it twice and after each time, I used a brush to remove the white flakes. It was helpful when working with the stump to wear gloves to protect my hands. I'm wearing the BTP Firm Grip Pro-Fit Flex Impact Glove with Touchscreen Compatibility.

We are using a spray clear coat to seal the bark in an attempt to keep it from flaking. In time, if this doesn't work, Steph will go back and seal it with epoxy.

In the year that the stump was drying, this area started to decay. We decided to make this into a secret compartment. We used epoxy with a little bit of blue pigment to create a flat bottom to the area.

Casters were added to make the footstool easy to move around.

All finished and in place.

The lid comes off to expose the secret compartment--I think Mac they greyhound has discovered the dog treats inside!

We've added something new to the end of this video--an epilogue! It's a short conversation sharing a little bit about the behind the scenes of the making of this project. Let us know what you think. 

We acknowledge that The Home Depot is partnering with us to participate in the ProSpective 2019 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 words. 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!

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