Spoonful of Imagination

Add it to a Family for Something Beautiful

  • Home
  • Our Family
    • Our Home
  • Courses
  • Shop
  • Contact

Dressing Up the Wood Log

April 5, 2013 By Erica Deuel 15 Comments

rustic DIY end table2

Rustic charm is so in, yet in my mind I think it’s more than a fad. I see it as timeless.  As someone who loves color, I know I need decor items that are more neutral and calming to my excited color, Bohemian palette ways.  I came up with this log table as a subtle way to add some rustic charm in our decor.

My parents always have a fire going in their wood burning stove during the winter.  It is a way they keep the cost down for heating their house, and I love it.  A warm fire to sit by with family is one of my favorite things.  One of the benefits of visiting them is they always have firewood.  On one of my trips out to their place, I snatched up this old log that they were going to chop into firewood.

old log

It doesn’t look like anything here, but I had grand plans.  Here is how I turned this old log into a cute little end table:

First, I ripped off all the peeling bark and scraped the sides till they were smooth.

Next, I gave it a good Clorox bath.  I forgot to take a picture of this step, but I literally filled one of our big outside trashcans up with water from the hose and dumped in a lot of Clorox bleach.  I let my log soak in there for a couple hours, and I then removed it to let it completely dry.  The drying step took a couple of days, but it was worth it.  Not only do I think I really killed anything inside my log or growing on it, my log was lighter in color.  I really liked the way it looked.

I then sanded the edge of my log to give it a rounder curved edge/table side look as well as sanded the top to make it a smoother surface.

My final step was to seal it shut. I had a stain and polyurethane sealer in one and used it to paint four coats on to my log.  I let it dry completely between each coat.

This project took a series of days because of all the drying that was required, but each step was not hard and didn’t take long.

sealing wood

After the last coat of Polyurethane, my little end table was finished!  I love the way it looks and feels.  I’m not sure if it was the stain or the polyurethane part in my sealer that created the darker/burnt top look, but I love it.  I guess those wood fibers were just softer or something, so it took the sealer differently.  This table was so easy and feels free since I had the sealer and bleach. I think it will be striking in a room.

DIY log table2

Have you ever created an end table like this?  Or taken on a project that your husband looks at you like you might be a bit crazy when you are describing what you are doing while loading your van with an old log?

how to make a log end table

I can’t wait to find a place for this little end table in our new house.  What do you think?  Are you on the hunt for a chainsaw and old tree now?? Thanks so much for stopping by!

log sidetable

 

signature

Share this:

  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)

Related

Filed Under: Craft Projects, DIY

Comments

  1. missinformationblog says

    April 5, 2013 at 7:38 am

    OH I’m so glad you did this I have been wanting to do one for my living room

    Reply
  2. Erin @ DIY On the Cheap says

    April 6, 2013 at 12:47 pm

    Very cool! Can’t wait to see it in your new house.

    Reply
  3. Rachel says

    April 11, 2013 at 9:28 pm

    I love it! We have been cutting down trees in our new(ish) back yard. I would love to do this with some of the logs. They will look great on our patio! Would you do anything differently if you were planning on keeping it outside?

    Reply
    • ericadeuel says

      April 12, 2013 at 12:13 pm

      Thanks Rachel! I love the idea of using them on a patio! I might have to make some more! This is the first I have ever worked with a log before, so I kind of experimented doing this project. I wish I had an experience with it outside to tell you better. I think it could totally work. I would just look for a polyurethane that is weather tight and says it can be used outside. Maybe when you are at Home Depot or Lowes you can ask an employee which one would be best to use outside…and then just do lots of coats of it on your log? I hope this helps!

      Reply
  4. natierose says

    June 20, 2013 at 10:41 pm

    Just wondering – what color was the stain in your stain/polyurethine sealer?

    Reply
    • ericadeuel says

      June 27, 2013 at 2:23 pm

      Ohhhh I wish I could remember to tell you katie! I know it was one of the lighter stains, but I can’t remember. I used the rest of my can on that wood log too. I’m sorry I can’t be more helpful. I think any shade would be beautiful though!

      Reply
  5. Susie says

    November 6, 2013 at 8:44 am

    Just love this. My husband has made several since we moved to the mountains.

    Reply
    • ericadeuel says

      November 7, 2013 at 4:13 pm

      That’s awesome Susie! Whenever I see mine in my daughter’s room-I think how I should make another to keep it out where I can enjoy it more. I love that look! XO, Erica

      Reply
      • Mary Lou Throop says

        October 14, 2015 at 10:33 am

        Hi there, Love the log table and honestly scanned your directions very quickly … can you tell me if you let it age awhile before you did all the finishing?

        Reply
        • ericadeuel says

          October 29, 2015 at 8:43 pm

          Yes I did Mary Lou. I left it outside in the rain and change of temps for a while. Best of luck! XOXO

          Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Decorator in a Box says:
    April 24, 2013 at 4:59 pm

    […] house, if the log were infected with termites or other critters. So I’ve included a link to Spoonful of Imagination where blogger Erica recommends soaking the log in a chlorine-water mix before the sealing coat. […]

    Reply
  2. Wood Cake Stand - Spoonful of Imagination says:
    August 9, 2013 at 7:32 am

    […] you remember my log end table, you know I love working with logs and sticks. The latest project I incorporated them in is this […]

    Reply
  3. Trash To Treasure | 17 Recycled Arts & Crafts Projects - DIY Ready | DIY Projects | Crafts says:
    June 2, 2014 at 8:04 pm

    […] via spoonfulofimagination […]

    Reply
  4. Woodworking Plans For Beginners Plans says:
    July 21, 2014 at 8:15 pm

    Woodworking Plans For Beginners Plans

    Dressing Up the Wood Log – Spoonful of Imagination

    Reply
  5. Create an Outdoor Patio Space You Love - Spoonful of Imagination says:
    October 7, 2014 at 6:45 am

    […] garage. My initial idea was to create a little wood log end table with it, like the one I did for Reagan’s nightstand, but it worked great for this makeover project. Matt was excited to see it leave the garage as […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • YouTube
YouTube-Channel
Erica Deuel

Subscribe for Weekly Updates!




Most Popular Posts

Painting Flower Pot Party Tips
DIY {easy} Burlap Wreath
Cheap lamp to Industrial Beauty
Repurpose Old Kitchen Chairs
Engraved Wood Sign Tutorial (and Dremel Micro)
The Encanto, Madrigal's House Craft For Kids
DIY Outdoor Checker Board
DIY Bookends (what you can make for being a hoarder)
Chiffon Flower Tutorial
DIY Outdoor Table

Categories

  • All About the Kids
  • art journal
  • Blogging
  • Christmas
  • Craft Projects
  • Dancing Zebras
  • DIY
  • Eddy's postcards
  • Embroidery Journal
  • Family
  • Featured
  • Foster Care
  • Giveaways
  • Guest Posts
  • Home
  • Homeschooling
  • Kid Activities
  • Kid Craft
  • My Heart
  • Our Outings
  • Project Spotlight
  • Send Out Love
  • Shop
  • Sponsored Posts
  • Spoonful Lab
  • Spoonful Tribe
  • Tips + Tricks
  • Traveling
  • Uncategorized
  • Vlog

Favorite Categories

Subscribe for Weekly Updates!

Favorite Categories

© 2023 Spoonful of Imagination, Inc.