How to Make A Tree Stump Coffee Table

It doesn’t matter if you live in the city or the country, the tree stump coffee table is here to stay and they are a very popular decor item these days. Did you know that you can make your very own for practically nothing?  Keep reading to see how!

Tree stump coffee tables are where its at.  They are the most forgiving and flexible coffee table I have had in my house.  You can rearrange them to your liking, separate them out or keep all the logs together.  There are just a few thing to keep in mind when attempting to create your own tree stump coffee table.

I happen to live in the country, where we still cut our own firewood for our fireplace.  Since this is the case, I easily came across as many tree stumps as I needed.  I was able to cut them to size, and find exactly what I wanted.  Now, I am not dummy and I am fully aware that there are many places where you cant just walk outside and get your own tree stumps.  But, you can definitely still find them and get to work.

If you live in an area where you cannot readily get access to tree stumps or firewood, try some lumber yards, possibly furniture manufacturers, upcycle and salvage yards.  You may just hit the jackpot.  

You may even be able to find them on Craigs List or other yardsale sites.

Once you have acquired your tree stumps you want to do a few things to them before you bring them inside.

1. Make sure they are fully dry.  Let them sit out on a porch or in the garage for a few weeks.  You can also put a heater near the stump to help dry them quicker.  You may get some splits in the wood, but I love that.  I have some in mine. 
2. Use a palm sander to soften the edges to the desired finish.  This is completely up to you. 
3. If you want to paint them, this is the time to do it.  You can also paint a clear coat to make them shine.  I’ve seen many like this and they are gorgeous.
4. Tree stumps can be heavy.  Especially if you choose large ones. My largest stump is so heavy I have to roll it on its side to move it, and getting it on its side is a chore.  Make sure you have someone to help you.  They will be a bit lighter once they have dried out all the way.

Now if you are reading this and wondering…how do I know how to pick out a tree stump.  Well, I have a few helpful tips below…..

Here are a few helpful guidelines when creating a tree stump coffee table. 

1. Think about the space and how much room you will have.  I happen to have a large family room, so I was able to create a large tree stump coffee table.  The secret is to keep them proportional.  You could go with one large stump or go bigger with 2 or three. 
2. I would recommend working with 2 or 3 tree stumps of varying sizes.
3. When working with more than one tree stump, it is important to use differing heights and diameters to create more interest. They will be more pleasant visually.  For mine, I chose 3 different sizes.  I picked a large on, that was the main piece of the coffee table.  It was also the tallest.  I then added two smaller stumps, roughly the same height, but still different in diameter. 
4. If you are working with more than 3 stumps I like to keep them all the same height, and try to replicate a rectangle or square shape with them.  Wouldn’t that be the coolest?  Its all separate pieces, but they are brought together to create  a showstopper.
5. Once you have your stumps picked, you can choose to add casters or legs to the bottom. I chose not to.  I like the look of them directly on the rug.  Plus, I have 4 kids that would think they were some kind of fantastic log car of sorts.  That’s never good. 
6. This is the point when you want to make sure they are completely dry, or you will have sap dripping onto your beautiful rug. I left mine out on my porch for a few weeks in the fun where they could dry out completely. 
7. Once they are dry, you might want to sand them down a bit, smoothing down any rough edges. Mine had been sitting out for a very long time and had been smoothed out by the weather, and I really liked the saw marks, so I did not do much sanding to mine.  So, maybe try to find this.  Find stumps that have been sitting out in the weather for a long period of time.  Still make sure to let them dry out.
8. There are so many things you can do to customize and change the look for your tree stumps.  You can seal it with a gloss poly-acrylic, paint the tops in the color of your choice, or you can do one of my favorites, paint 1/3 of the stump white.  Painting the bottom of the stump white looks really chic.
9. The last thing to do is to style your stumps. This is my favorite part.  I have used my tree stump coffee table in 3 different rooms, in various layouts and have styled them in many different ways.  My favorite way to style them is with a few books and a candle.  You could also drape a blanket across one, add a basket with some cute doo dads.  Really whatever you love.

Do you love tree stump coffee tables?

I think the point of having a tree stump coffee table is to highlight the gorgeous rustic grain of the wood.  To enhance the natural beauty.  To bring a bit of nature into your home. 

Your tree stump coffee table will be the star of the show.  It is a unique piece of furniture that nobody will ever have.  That is my most favorite thing about them.  

I have often disassembled my tree stump coffee table to use the stumps as side tables in my bathroom and in my living room.  Its a fun, unique way to add interest to the home.  

You can see them in these images from my home.

Last but not least:

If you thought I was done bragging about tree stump coffee tables, you’d be wrong.  Did you know you could also use them as extra seating?  Say you have a big crowd at your house.  You could easily move them around to create a conversation area.  This really is a very dynamic coffee table. 

So, are you ready to make your own tree stump coffee table?  

Make sure to save this for later so you can have it on hand when you start that project.  And make sure to PIN IT, share it, whatever you like to do!

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