I do wish there was a more glamorous or sophisticated name to call these, other than stump.
But, let's face it, that's what they are. And I finished them
I had always planned to use one of them by our tub, and in our extremely white and cream master bathroom, it is a nice contrast. Don't you think?
The second one I had no real plans for, but decided to put it by the bench in our dining room for now.
In turning these stumps into actual tables, let me point out what I learned. Feel free to take these tips into consideration if you plan to make your own.
*Linseed oil stinks. When I rubbed these down with the linseed oil, it didn't smell, not really. Later, however, I could smell an unpleasant smell, perhaps the linseed oil and raw wood together, not sure. I was worried that it would linger, but it didn't thankfully.
*The wood really drank up the polyurethane. I put on 5 coats and could have probably done, more but the madness had to end. Its worth putting on several coats, because these really start to feel like furniture when they get that glossy, smooth surface.
*Sand, sand, and sand again. I wish I had done more between-coate sandings to create a smoother surface, I highly recommend it. Next time....
I adore this project! I am proud of myself for seeing the whole idea through from initial idea, to running down introducing myself to a stranger who was cutting down a tree to acquire these stumps, to actually creating the tables.
I think I have won the family over... maybe they understand why I like them now.
But they still think I'm nuts.
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Just a reminder that I am continuing to post over at habit all month. I really enjoy looking at my days this way, and am sad the month is coming to an end this week.
