If you've ever thought about making a tree stump table, fall is a good time to actually do it. That's right. It's tree stump season! Fall sees a lot of firewood deliveries and trees coming down in storms which gives you, the intrepid reclaimer, easy access to tree trunks. Let's get started.
10 years ago I made a tree stump table. It got shared, copied and posted about so much it's one of 3 posts that I consider to have kickstarted my blogging career (thanks in part to Design*Sponge loving it too.) That table still sits in my living room looking as good as the day I made it.
Stump tables, made out of tree trunks, are one part architectural piece, one part table, one part bugs. Don't worry. We'll get rid of the bugs.
The point is they aren't just a place to put your coffee, a stump table brings the outside in giving your room a cozy organic feel.
They can feel modern or completely hygge and organic. It depends on how you finish them.
FYI! You can also use these as bases for a stump table with a glass top.
These two tree stump ideas are for using them indoors and no chain saws are involved.
I'll show you how to make an unfinished table that's similar to the famous Crate and Barrel tree stump table and a finished one that sits on tall legs.
First the finished stump table that's on legs.
Table of Contents
Materials
- Tree stump
- Sandpaper (medium and fine grit)
- Polyurethane (high gloss, semi-gloss, satin … whichever you want) I used satin which has just a nice sheen
- Paint brush
- 1 package of 4, 6" Capita legs from Ikea (these legs aren't available at Ikea anymore but they ARE available on Amazon.)
- Drill and appropriate bits
First things first. You have to get yourself a tree stump.
Where to find a tree stump?
Keep your eye out for city workers or private tree companies taking down trees. Pull over, ask them if you an have a section of a branch if they're big or the stump. Simple as that.
Call up places near you that sell firewood. They advertise a lot during this time of year so they'll be easy to find. That's what makes fall tree stump season!
I got my stump delivered with my yearly wood order.
How big should it be?
It depends if you want your table to be on legs or sit directly on the floor. I like the look of legs.
Your legs will be 6 inches high, so figure out how tall your stump needs to be for where you want to put it.
Generally you're going to want a tall tree stump for this.
If your sofa has arms at 25" and you want it to be around level with the arms, then you need a stump that's 18" tall.
My stump is 15" across by 18" high, with the 6" legs it's a total of 24" high. This brings it to just below the arm of my sofa.
Steps
Step 1 DRY IT
Allow your stump to dry out for at least a month. It’ll lose several pounds and the bark will loosen, making step 2 easier.
Coincidentally if you allow yourself to dry out for a month you’ll lose several pounds too.
You can dry the stump outside for a couple of months, then bring it inside for a couple of weeks.
If your stump was already cut and dried from wherever you got it, you can just bring it inside for a couple of weeks.
Step 2 REMOVE THE BARK
Now the work begins. You have to remove the bark. Sometimes this is easy, sometimes it isn't.
The first stump table I made was from Oak. The bark just pulled off with my hands.
The second stump table I made was from Walnut. The bark was a nightmare to remove. I needed an array of tools and a 14' length of prayer beads.
To remove the stump's bark, you'll need these tools to do it:
A Hammer
A Prybar
After your stump has dried inside for a couple of weeks insert the prybar between the bark and the stump. Hammer it enough to loosen the wood then either keep hammering or pull the bark loose with your fingers. Keep doing this all the way around the stump until all the bark is off.
And yes, you do need to remove the bark. If you don't, over time it'll loosen and fall off on its own leaving you with a cruddy looking piece of crud as a table.
If the bark is particularly stubborn, like this stupid thing was ... do the same thing but with wood chisels. They're sharper and will cut through the fibres between the bark and the stump better than a prybar. Be careful not to hack into the wood with the chisel though.
Do not hack into yourself either. Wood chisels are sharp on all sides, not just the tips, so be careful.
Now your stump is cleaned of its bark.
When it's dried out the stump might split a bit like this. That's O.K. It adds character.
Step 3 - SAND IT
The stump now needs to be sanded to get all the little hairs and slivers off it.
You need a smooth stump. Use a variety of sandpaper grits to sand it smooth.
Start with the coarsest grit, gradually working your way to sanding the stump with the smoothest grit.
Get rid of all the hairs.
Sand until you can run your hand over the stump and it feels smooth.
Once your stump is smooth wipe over it with a damp, lint free cloth or a tack cloth.
A lot of wood dust will come off. Keep wiping until your cloth comes away clean.
Now flip your stump over and get ready for the fun part.
Step 4 - ATTACH THE LEGS
Get your pre-purchased legs. Like I said, mine are the Capita legs from Ikea which are soon to be discontinued. You can buy the exact Ikea Capita legs on Amazon though.
To make the end table more like the $900 Crate and Barrel one, ditch the long legs and use little bun feet like these instead. You'll also need a wider, more squat stump.
Each leg comes with a bracket that you screw into the base of your table.
Whatever kind of legs you get make sure the height is adjustable like these are. Adjustable legs on the table means you can make sure it's level without having to squish up a folded up piece of paper. Or if you're a certain age and type - a book of matches.
Don't forget. Adjustable legs are the way to make sure your stump table is level.
Place your legs on the underside of your stump. You can use all 4 legs or just 3. I'm partial to 3, but 4 is definitely more stable.
Use a measuring tape to make sure they're an equal distance apart.
Once you have the legs positioned, mark the holes in the plates with either a pencil or a marker.
Remove the legs and fit your drill with the appropriate sized drill bit.
Pre-drill holes at the spots you marked for the screws.
Once all your holes are predrilled, place your legs and brackets back on and screw them into place.
To make my life easier, I put all my screws into a little dish. Don't question it. Just do it.
Now all your legs are on!
Step 5 - STAIN & SEAL IT (OPTIONAL)
If there are any sections where you accidentally took too much of the wood off (it's lighter underneath) you can skim over it with some stain. I have a whack of different cans of stain so I picked the one I thought would match the best.
Appropriately, it was "Walnut" stain for this walnut stump.
Just wipe it onto the light portion of your wood with some paper towel. It just darkens it up enough to make it blend in a little better. There will still be a colour variation, just not quite as distinct. Again, the look and colour and grain will be different depending on what type of wood stump you're working with.
The staining is a matter of choice. On my first stump table I didn't do it ... on this one I did.
Let your stain soak in and dry.
SEAL IT
Now you have to seal all that hard work in.
To stop your stump from drying out even more and to keep it from getting marked on top when you put things down on it you should seal your tree stump.
You can use any wood sealer. If you want a completely natural look I'd recommend sealing it with Thompsons Water Seal which will give the look of having no finish on it at all. Just remember that Thompsons Water Seal is water based which means it can only go on natural wood or wood that has been stained with a water based stain.
I used an oil based Polyurethane to make my stump top as durable as possible. I tend to be a bit spilly and bangy.
If you're using an oil based finish use a natural bristle brush.
Seal the whole stump.
Seal the top, sides and bottom of the stump with 2-3 coats.
The top of the stump will get really dark, but it'll lighten up once the finish sinks in and dries.
After your first coat dries, gently sand off any burrs and bumps.
The sanding will leave the finish with a white haze. Don't worry about it. It'll go away once you apply another coat of finish. Seal the sides and underside again 1-2 more times according to the manufacturer's directions.
Your stump may need up to 6 coats on the top. Because of the open grain, the finish soaks into the top a lot more and requires more coats. Always let your finish dry the recommended amount of time in between coats.
Once you've completed all coats of finish you're done.
Want to paint it?
If you're rather have a painted stump table, after sanding and wiping it apply a coat of primer. Once the primer has dried you can paint it with either water based or oil based paint.
Tree Trunk Table
How to make a tree stump table.
Materials
- Tree stump (your choice for size)
- Sandpaper (medium and fine grit)
- Polyurethane (high gloss, semi-gloss, satin … whichever you want) I used satin which has just a nice sheen
- Paint brush
- 1 package of 4, 6" Capita legs from Ikea (or similar)
Tools
- Drill
Instructions
Get your stump and allow it to dry out for at least a month. It will lose weight over this period and the bark will shrink away from the wood.
If you let your stump dry outside, as opposed to inside you'll still need to let it dry out inside for another couple of weeks to acclimatize it.
Once the stump has dried out remove the bark from it using a prybar and a hammer to chisel it away. Be careful not to gouge the wood stump.
If the bark is difficult to get off let it dry longer or carefully use a chisel with a hammer to remove it.
Sand your stump to get it smooth and then run over it with a tack cloth or damp cloth to remove any sawdust.
Flip the stump over so you're working on the underside of it and screw in the legs. Pre-drill your screw holes and make sure to measure so your legs are equal distances apart.
Stain and seal the table if desired.
Notes
If you want a very natural look to your stump, use a water based stain followed by Thompson's Water seal.
For optimal protection and a bit of a sheen on your stump use an oil based stain and a Polyurethane finish in satin.
Recommended Products
I'm an Amazon affiliate some I get a few cents when you buy something I've linked to.
Unfinished stump table
This is pretty obvious, but if you'd rather make a more natural looking log side table, just skip adding stain and any finish to it.
For an even more organic look, leave the legs off of it.
To make one just find a log, let it dry out, then sand it smooth.
Wood from deciduous trees: Ash, black walnut, birch, cypress, cherry, elm, maple and oak are all good choices.
You should AVOID conifers. Those trees that have resin that are a sticky mess. Trees like cedar, fir, juniper, pine, redwood, spruce, yew, larch should not be used. (think of how sticky the bottom of a Christmas tree is after cutting it)
The only drawback to these tables? Everyone is going to want you to make them one. So you can either start a blog, get a following, contemplate quitting, keep at it, and then one day write a post about how to build a stump table that you can tell them about.
Or you can just skip all that and direct them to this post instead.
→Follow me on Instagram where I often make a fool of myself←
Arran
Hi, Karen. I found this article shortly after finding a stump. Your instructions were very helpful, but I do have one question. How did you get all the bugs out? The stump I found had tons of rolly pollies, centipedes, and possibly termites in it. I live in Seattle, so putting it outside to dry/debug it wouldn't be effective, as it would just get more damp. Should I just look for another stump, preferably one that is pre-dried, or is there any way to salvage the big stump I found?
Thanks so much!
Karen
Hi Arran - Termites I'm not familiar with. We don't seem to have a problem with them here in Southern Ontario. If the stump is old and rotting a bit, and that's why there are bugs in it, I'd get rid of it. If it's just got the odd bug on it just drop the stump straight down a few times to knock the bugs off. If you're still worried about it (and you may be opposed to this) you can put the stump in a garbage bag, spray bug killer in it and then tie it up. Leave it for a day. Untie the bag and leave the stump outside to air out for a day or two. Good luck. ~ karen!
Bill
Hello Karen and thx for this nice tutorial :) I just returned from a weekend vacation in the countryside having a big stump in the back of my car that my wife thought it would become a nice table. It is about 40cm tall and 50 cm diameter (yep..my back is still in pain) and comes from a fresh cut fir tree. How much time should I leave it to dry? Should I first remove the bark and leave it to dry after? Fir wood seems juicy has a strong smell and it is first time I try to do such a project. More details about "fir stump table" will be great help and much appreciated x-)
Greetings from Greece,
Bill
Karen
Hi Bill from Greece :) - I think if you re-read the tutorial you'll find most of the answers you're looking for. The bark won't easily come off the stump unless it has already dried out for a month or so. Each type of tree has a different type of bark. Some remove easily (oak) and some are difficult to remove (walnut). I've never done a fir tree so I'm not sure how the bark will react. If you try and chisel it off now and it isn't ready to come off, you risk marking the sides of the stump underneath. Just tuck the stump away for a month or so and revisit it then. : ) ~ karen
Chelsea
I have been wanting these stump tables since I saw them last year at LL Beans (a popular store here in Maine) but they were $200 a piece and it just wasn't going to fit the budget. Thank you so much for the step by step so I can finally make them for myself!
Karen
No problem Chelsea. Good luck! ~ karen
Emily
Let me first of all say thank you for being the one who lead me to obsess over DIY projects. I've been wanting to go out and buy myself one of these stump side tables for quite some time. However, I WILL NOT spend $400 on a piece of furniture that I can make myself, for $15. Two weeks ago I stopped by an orchard/far on my way home from a weekend away and low and behold, they had a pile of de-barked, already dried out stumps! So, by the time I got it home, All I had to do was plane one side so it was level. I didn't want to stain it either because the sun discolored it in a way that made it look awesome so I just applied several coats of clear finish and I'm done! Thanks Karen!
lak
Hi Karen
I loved your instructions on how to make the end table with a stump.My husband just got a huge stump that he found on the side of the road (hurt his back a little!!)..i am going to follow your instructions..
Also in your video there is a round white orb next to the lamp..where did you find that? is it a lamp shade too??
thanks a lot
Lak
Karen
Hi lak,
I'm not sure which round white orb you're talking about. It's either the glass lampshades I use for a variety of things (https://www.theartofdoingstuff.com/glowing-orbs/ or https://www.theartofdoingstuff.com/outdoor-orbs-part-ii-how-to-make-a-birdfeeder-from-glass-shades/ ) or, if it's sitting beside my gold Crate and Barrel 3 legged lamp, it's just a round vase from Ikea (which they don't carry anymore). Glad to hear you got a stump! ~ karen
Manav
Hey!
Love what you did with the stump. My wife and I have wanted to make one for so long but never came across any stumps. We almost gave up until the other day when we're walking on our block and a tree removal service was at a house, so we picked up a stump and brought it home.
I'm curious though, how closely do we have to stick to the drying timeline. It's mostly because we're impatient and want to get our end table finally ready, but also we don't want to make any mistakes. We've had the stump in our apt. for a week or so now, and we're wondering how much longer we have to wait.
Hope you can help.
Thanks,
Manav
Karen
Manav - Glad you like the stump! I know what the impatience of waiting for it to dry out feels like, but if you plan on sealing it with the bark off, you really need to let it dry out. If the bark doesn't come off fairly easily, it isn't dry enough yet. You can carefully try to remove the bark with a little chisel and hammer. If it pulls away fairly easily you're good to go. Even AFTER removing the bark you should leave the stump for another week to let the bit under the bark dry out. I know it's hard, but try to leave it as long as possible for the best result. You don't want to be putting any kind of Polyurethane or other treatment onto wet wood because it won't cure properly. Good luck! ~ karen
Mel
I looked for ages for dried wood on farms to make these tables or they can be seats...it is very hard to find..best to find a farmer who has trees down then take your saw out and chop it up or pay him to chop it up. Takes a while to dry out properly. They do look awesome and thanks for sharing your tutorial. Im one step further along my path to making them now.:-)
My Duong
I just got a pine log thats full of the gooey stuff, it has been outside for 2 months, but doesnt seem to dry at all, please help, Im dying to make this table ... Thank you for your time!
Karen
My Duong - Your pine stump may take a year to dry out. Sap/resin/gooey stuff from things like pine or spruce is super sticky and tends to stay that way. It'd probably be quicker to go find yourself an Oak stump. :( Sorry. ~ karen
Trudi Johnson
I added your project to pinterest (a project searchable site). Hope that's all right! :)
Karen
Trudi - Of course that's fine. I love Pinterest. It's a great resource, and I get all kinds of hits from it. Thx. ~ karen
Michael
Hi Karen-
This is a great post! I've been looking for clear directions on how to do this for some time. I have a stump that's been drying outside for over a month, and all the bark has come off naturally. My only concern now is whether any small insects have gotten inside. Do you know a good method for sealing the stump, or does the stain cover that issue as well?
Thanks,
Michael
Jac
Karen -
I love your table - but I LUUUUUV what you have going on with your furry chair. Any chance you could share what you did there?
Thanks!
jac
Karen
Jac - Here you go ... https://www.theartofdoingstuff.com/before-after-how-to-recover-a-chair-in-5-minutes Easy as pie. ~ karen
Melissa
Hey Karen,
Thanks for the stump table instructions. I have three pine stumps that were cut fresh last September just for this purpose. They've been drying in a garage and then a basement (with a brief stint in the covered bed of a pickup truck) for 8 months. Thought for sure that'd be long enough...but I just took the bark off one of them (easy work with a chisel), and it's totally wet inside! Does that seem right?? And either way, will it still dry out nicely (maybe faster?) now that I've de-barked it while it was still wet? What do you think?
Thanks!
Melissa
Andrea
Wood take a reeeeeally reeeaally long time to dry out naturally. Years my farmer step-father tells me. Just an inch or two a year! I’m still waiting for mine to dry out too:(. My weekend project just extended by a few years:/
Joselyn@The DIY Spot
Found you by Row House Nest link to Design*Sponge. I always admired stump tables in magazines and wanted to make one but was unsure how to treat the wood.Thanks so much for the great tutorial.
Karen
You're very welcome Joselyn! I'm glad you found my site. Good luck with the stump table. If you have any questions about it just shoot me an email. ~ karen!
Samantha Adams
LOVE this tutorial. Found it by way of Design Sponge. I've been thinking of doing something like this for a long time but I didn't want it to be too heavy or impossible to move. The legs are a perfect way to keep the height but not the lbs. Also, on a side note it's worth mentioning that three legs on anything makes it more stable on uneven surfaces. also it'll compensate for any level differences on your stump. (Other than it just looking cool)
Karen
Thanks for comin' on over from Design*Sponge Samantha! Good luck with the stool! ~ karen
Marti
DEFINITELY worth the begging! I love the look of the table and the thought that I can (and will!) do it myself.
I may attempt this as soon as I'm done butchering the repurposed fur coats in the living room. (Don't ever do that yourself. It's a huge, HUGE mess and is doomed to drive one to despair.)
Um, re: asking you who did your site. JudithShakes Designs, I'm guessing?
Karen
Yup. Courtney at JudithShakes did my site. I designed it in terms of exactly how I wanted it to look but she executed it. And the only reason I designed it is because I'm a control freak. I'm sure she'd do a great job if left to her own devices with just a little guidance from you. Give her a shout. ~ karen
Abbe
What should I do if I do not want to take the bark off and I will be using it as an outside poolside table?
Karen
Abbe - Hi! If you're keeping the stump outside, treat it the exact same way I've shown you in the post. The problem with not removing the bark is it will eventually come off by itself as the wood dries and shrinks. So you'll spend all that time finishing the stump (I'd use spray if you're leaving the bark on because it will be MUCH easier to apply on bark) and there's a good chance the bark will separate from the stump and fall apart. You can take a shot and try it if you want. If you're worried about the work try and find an Oak stump. The bark comes off really easily. If you insist on leaving the bark on to use the stump outside, find a Walnut stump because (in my experience) the bark has more of a tendency to want to stay on the tree. Good luck! ~ karen
melissa Waine
OMG Karen this is just UNBELIEVABLE!!!!!!!!!
You are my HERO! I have a million ideas but not the knowledge or skill with tools to do anything. My husband can't change a lightbulb and is no help either. He laughs at me for constantly pulling things off the side of the road, repainting the kids slippery slide etc. We live across the road from a golf course in Sydney, Australia and there are constant big thing chunks of wood like this on the side of our street as they cut down the huge trees lining the course... and I've always wanted to make one into a coffee table! Does it need legs or could you just seal both ends?
Thanks and I will be following this blog like crazy!!
Karen
Hi Melissa - Thanks for visiting. Feel free to tell the rest of Australia about my site. ;) Funny ... Australia is the 3rd largest reader of The Art of Doing Stuff. I have NO idea why! So you have access to stumps! That's great. NO, you absolutely do not have to put legs on it. If you have access to all kinds of stumps, they'd also be great outdoor seating! If you end up making one send me a picture! I'd love to see it. I'm thinking of doing one in gold leaf next. Good luck! ~ karen
Diana
Hi Karen, of course I will send you a picture.
I thought that I should let the Stump without legs.
Sorry for my bad english.
;o)
Diana
Diana
Hi Karen
my oak stump is READY!!! yeah, it looks very good and really fits into my livingroom. I wanted to send you a photo, but i´m not good in using the computer - upload, download... and i can`t find another email where i could send one easily.
i will make a 2nd stump and let it in his own colour. just with clear polish- and lower with longer legs. two of my friends asked me to make one for them.
Thank you for this idea!
Love from germany
Diana
Diana
Hi Karen,
I´m from germany. I found your great website and I` m so happy about it. Today I`ve startet with removing the bark of my oak stump;o)
But I have got a great tool. A bark remover. It took only about 40 minutes to get ready with it. Now I`m looking forwart to do the next steps.
Thank you for this great idea.
Love from germany
Diana
Karen
HI Diana! Thanks for the comment. It's so much fun to hear from people around the world. :) The bark remover is a GREAT tool. Oak should be pretty easy for you to remove the bark. It's only certain types of woods that have a very stubborn bark. Walnut is one of them! Send me a picture when you're done! ~ karen
sisi
I love your table, but I love your chair even more!!
How on earth do you make that chair? I so hope that you DIY it and not bought it!!
Karen
Hi Sisi - Here you go ... https://www.theartofdoingstuff.com/before-after-how-to-recover-a-chair-in-5-minutes ~ karen!