Friday, January 31, 2014

Bleached Tree-Stump Tables


 One day last summer while out and about, my husband and I came across a few tree stumps on the side of the road.  We chose stumps with the least damage and loaded them into our vehicle and made our way home.

What I loved most about the stumps was that the bark was already removed; also a good sign that they were dry.  But just to be safe we kept them outside for many months on our covered porch to dry completely.

At this point the stumps were pretty gross- covered in slime and Georgia-red clay.  They needed a good cleaning!  My first thought was to wipe off as much as I could with a damp rag and sand the rest, but considering their condition I didn't think that would get them clean enough.

I decided to have  my husband carry them upstairs so I could give them a bleach bath.  Bleach cleans everything right?!

I was really nervous I would damage the wood, but decided to try anyway.  And guess what, it worked!  I poured concentrated bleach over each stump and scrubbed the debris off with a scrub brush and soapy water.  I allowed the stumps to dry outside for few days, while I decided what to do next.  I thought about staining them like I did in the past, or giving them a fresh coat of paint.  I loved them in their natural state best and decided to leave them as they were.

I couldn't be more pleased with the results!

The knots give the stump so much character.

My guess is that the holes in the stumps are from woodpecker damage.


I see them a lot in our backyard pecking at our trees too.




As a final step, I did sand the tops smooth using my Dremel.  I thought about sealing them with a clear coat of Polycrylic, but I'm nervous about them yellowing over time.  Also I don't want them to appear glossy or shiny.  I may decide later to just coat the tops.  I'm certain bleach took care of any lingering critters!



Even without sanding, the body of the stumps are still very soft and smooth.

The annual rings of the tree are clearly visible.



The pieces weren't cut straight, but I don't mind one bit.  That's another characteristic that I love.

I skipped adding legs or wheels, but I do plan to add furniture glides so that air can circulate underneath them.  

I hope you're inspired to turn a tree stump into a beautiful piece of furniture.




I am linking this post to:
Persia Lou
By Stephanie Lynn
Work it Wednesday

71 comments:

  1. Ahhh you did it again! What a great piece for any home. I love the organic feel and look. A nice element to incorporate into almost any decor. Great job Brandi!
    Sharon

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  2. Oh my word, Brandi, you just never cease to amaze me! They came out beautiful! I'm trying to imagine you bleaching and scrubbing, I hope you had a lot of windows open:)

    They look incredible just the way they are. You have such a keen eye for what can be, I just love it!

    Thank you so much for sharing, Brandi...

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  3. Wow is all that I can say, these look like they should be in West Elm....great job

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  4. This is beautiful :) Thank you for inspiring me.

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  5. I like how the bleach solution bleached them out. Another creative idea you have there. If you ever wanted to seal the top, you can use linseed oil, its a good sealer unless you want to use a water base sealer then you can use a satin finish so you do not have a shine.

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  6. Such a transformation! And now they're so pretty. I've had really good results with matte Varethane from Lowes over naked wood. It's hard to see it's even there.
    Great job,
    Marian

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  7. Amazing! Look like they came from a high end retail store!

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  8. It looks amazing I love that they are so unique and different adds something to your home.

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  9. I love tree's. What a beautiful thing you have created from your tree stumps. You may have seen where we used an old corral post made from cut down tree's to make our fireplace mantel. My husband who passed away was wonderful doing things like you have done. Yes, just beautiful!
    Mona

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  10. These are so beautiful! I love the way the bleached wood looks!

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  11. Lovin' these, Brandi. A very cool idea! Jane

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  12. Love how your tree stumps turned out.

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  13. I love your bleached stumps!! They are so beautiful and.. organic:). I also have 2 stumps in my house, but I chosebto stai. them, I am def going to bleach some next summer!! Way to go!!
    Have a nice weekend!!
    Xo
    OZANA
    http://houseatheart.blogspot.ro/2014/01/fur-in-fashion.html?m=1

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  14. Have two stumps that are almost identical in size. Was going to do a bleach treatment and this confirms it works! Love the simplicity and that you kept them natural!

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  15. Another great project! Love them!

    Audrey

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  16. These really are beautiful, Brandi! I love that you can see the annual rings too. They look like they came from an expensive catalog!

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  17. These are just lovely! They look like something from a designer's showroom. And now I have tree stump envy...so I must get some for my own. Tx for the inspiration!

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  18. Brandi,
    These are wonderful! I saw something similar in a furniture showroom for $400. Wow!

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  19. I love them! They are so pretty. I especially love the woodpecker holes. What pretty accessories to have.

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  20. Hi Brandi,

    What a beautiful piece! Simple and perfect.

    Cheers

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  21. I am duly impressed that (A) You actually parked your car on the side of the road to risk life & limb to get tree stumps!; (B) That you had the patience to wait out the drying period; (C) That you were bold enough to try bleach on them not knowing what the outcome might be, and, finally; (D) That you were able to create something so cool out of them!!! :-) Congratulations on a job super well done!!!

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  22. Simple & stunning:) stopping by from sew many ways link party:) Vicky

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  23. You do the best diy projects. The tree stump tables look awesome. I just wish I had your creativity.

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  24. Brandi! HELLO! So nice to see you! And your photos are glorious! We have an old stump in our garage that my husband wanted to make a table with but it's been sitting and sitting for years now. Maybe this summer we need to start thinking about what to do with it; I need to show him your work here!

    Thank you so much for stopping by and leaving a comment! I hope your new year is off to a great start! XOXOXO Anita

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  25. Okay, now I have to be on the lookout for wood to bleach. These are absolutely stunning. I love the look and feel this can add to a room! I wonder if this would work on drift wood…

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  26. these look very chic. I can't believe bleach worked either...i would have never thought of that!

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  27. They look gorgeous Brandi, I love the way the bleach made the wood look.

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  28. I've wanted to try this for a long time. I love how yours came out!! The color of the wood is so pretty and I love how you topped one with a little plant. Super cute!

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  29. I can't believe I didn't know about bleaching wood! They looks beautiful, Brandi!

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  30. That was awesome... you have inspired me to bring one inside..I usually use them outside in the garden and pot holders. Thank you for the inspiration..!

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  31. Also,btw.. not sure if you've ever visited my blog.. but I'd like to share it with you... www.vivalavintageforyourhome.wordpress.com

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  32. Those are so cool! We have some land out in the country and trees have fallen in the last year or two from the drought. I tried to explain this process to my husband and he looked at me like I must be insane. :) He needs to see how neat they are.

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  33. Oh I love these! They were totally worth the hard work. I don't think I ever would have considered bleach!

    Angela @ Number Fifty-Three

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  34. This is absolutely gorgeous. I am visiting you via Wow Us Wednesdays and look forward to seeing you at My Dream Canvas.

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  35. Beautiful pieces! I've got two on my deck right now serving as end tables (or truthfully, right now they're serving as snow sculptures) and one of them will eventually make it's way into my bedroom. Great idea with the bleach! I've been pondering what to do to make sure all the fun little stowaways are dead. This helps!!
    Jeannine @ The Concrete Cottage

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  36. OOOh sis. I love them. They look great! I may have to give this a try one day:)

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  37. Truly Amazing Brandi!!!! Another winner project for you and another fantastic use for bleach! You should tell this to Chlorox! Love it dear!

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  38. Cute blog,Love the stump furniture ! You have "brave" creativity with the bleach.
    Would you mind sharing where you picked up the white water pitcher ?

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  39. Gorgeous - looks like it came out of a high end home store. Gotta love bleach!

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  40. Ooooooh--so pretty and serene! I may have to do this for our room at the..."beach house?" (aka our current house). Thank you for sharing!!! So excited to have found you and to follow you!

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  41. Beautiful! My favorite part is the growth rings! How interesting. I'm glad you left them in their natural beauty!

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  42. They turned out fantastic Brandi! WOW! I could see them as side tables.

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  43. Hey, cool and free!! I need a stump! I need a stump!

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  44. Wow! These look fantastic. Now only to find a tree stump lying around in Central London :-)

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  45. These look gorgeous...thank you so much for sharing them at The Inspiration Gallery...I will be featuring them on my FB ...xo

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  46. They look great! Very organic, I love that you decided to keep them natural.

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  47. Good Evening Brandi, Your tree stumps look like they have been washed up on the beach and bleached by the sun for many years.
    My word, you are a very creative lady.
    Best Wishes
    Daphne

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  48. I love these Awesome and definately got to try this , thank you! I am also pinning this for my other Georgia neighbors!

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  49. Cute idea! Love the natural wood look.

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  50. I agree with the comments; these are beautiful. We have stumpage in the yard and I've wanted something like this but been too unsure of how to clean them, too lazy to research or try something. Gonna drag them into the basement and start scrubbing once they warm up. I hope my annual rings turn out to be as attractive as yours.
    My problem is I'm a klutz married to a beautiful, warm, wonderful, loving woman who is only incrementally more graceful than I. We both get much worse when overtired but that usually only happens every day. Are these stable enough to not fall over and smash our toesies? You have kids, right? Do they mess with the stumps and are you nervous about the stumps falling over?

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  51. Hi Her Husband! Thanks for taking the time to stop by blog. I really appreciate your comments.

    The stumps are heavy! The larger stump is a beast. But they are stable enough where I am not worried about them falling over. You could add legs or casters if you decide to make a couple for yourself. If you like you can view the other stump table I made with a different finish. There are lots of tutorials on the web to assist you. The drying time is very important.

    http://bet1975.blogspot.com/2013/03/tree-stump-table.html

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  52. Wow, those are so gorgeous! I looked at your stained one, too, which is very elegant, but I like this natural effect even more. Great job! :) Lisa
    (p.s. stopping by from Make it & Love it!)

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  53. I really like these and how they turned out. The imperfections are, perfect! The bleach treatment only enhanced their beauty. Good call!!

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  54. Great idea Brandi!! They look great!

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  55. very nice! I love the shape of these, and all the character they have...woodpecker holes--how great!

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  56. WOW....beautiful,I love the natural look!

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  57. i am gonna jump on the comment bandwagon so i can tell you i love them, too!!!!!

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  58. Love them! Want them! I think the natural color is beautiful. Thanks so much for linking up to Best of the Nest!

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  59. These are great. I love their character. I'm guessing you shaved off the bark first, then bleached. They look so smooth!

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  60. I love how these turned out! I have big stump drying on our porch now so this definitely gives me inspiration to be patient!

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  61. These are fabulous Brandi! You know I always love your projects and I'm so happy you stopped by to share these, I love the character and the bleached look is my favorite!

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  62. I love these!!! and I think the bleached look makes them look so organic! Coming over from Best of the nest!

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  63. I have stumps sitting outside waiting for a little TLC. Pretty sure that treatment will include some bleach now! Thanks for sharing!

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  64. Wow! These look amazing. I love that you decided not to stain them. The color is so perfect. Thanks for linking up at The Makers! Pinning :)
    Corey @ TinySidekick.com

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  65. Love love love these!! The color is amazing and they look so smooth and natural and rustic all at once. Thanks for sharing at Work it Wednesday:)
    ~Krista from The Happy Housie

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  66. I love the look and I'm so glad you left them natural and the bleached look I really like. We had many pine trees cut from our yard and I have some stumps and wanted to do something different and I will beach them. Thanks for sharing. Do you think you should apply felt or something soft on the bottom so if someone moved one by accident, you don't get your pretty floors scratched. I just discovered you and so glad I did.

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  67. I've been dying to try something like this- we have a few stumps from a tree we had to have cut down. You've inspired me! Thank you!

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