When you need an outdoor side table, instead of buying one, use a nature made tree trunk table.
A tree trunk stump makes the best outdoor table for a deck in a wooded setting. I even made it easy to move.
How Do You Turn a Tree Trunk into a Table?
To make my tree trunk table, I asked the guy at my local nursery if I could buy one of the cut sections of logs that he was chopping up to make firewood to sell. He sold me this chunk of trunk for $ 10.
Look for stumps with a wide diameter and about 18″ – 22″ high.
I placed my stump on a wheeled plant caddy so that I could easily move it around.
The tree trunk stump table works perfectly to hold a plant or plate to place an afternoon snack on when I find myself needing a break and want to relax outside.
The tree trunk also looks great with a pot of flowers on the top.
My tree trunk table is going on 4 years. It has greyed with age, but still looks good.
How Do You Seal a Tree Trunk?
Since my tree trunk table is on my deck that is surrounded by trees, I wanted to keep it as natural as possible. I didn’t remove the bark or seal it with polyurethane.
If you do want to seal or stain a tree trunk stump:
- First remove the bark using a crowbar.
- Once the bark is off, clean the stump well with a hose and scrub brush and let dry.
To seal the tree trunk stump:
- Use a small to medium-sized paint brush, apply stain, let dry.
- Then apply two or three coats of polyurethane wood sealant over the surface of the stump. Be sure to get the top and all sides.
- When finished, allow at least 48 hours for the sealant to dry.
- This should keep the stump preserved for many years.
