How to Create your Own Lighted Tree Stump Planter in 5 Easy Steps

Have you seen all of those amazing tree stump planter pictures on Pinterest? Do you have a stump laying around that you just don’t want to throw away? This is a fun one!  We have had this stump sitting in our backyard for about three years now, and I finally took the plunge and hollowed it out to make it into a lighted tree stump planter.  This really looks harder than it is. Once you get started, you will end up with your own professional tree stump planter in no time!  Mine even ended up with some crack lights!

 

 

Step One: Hollow out the top to create a plant hole. I used a chisel and a hammer to do this. Our stump was a little rotted so the pieces came out easier than normal. If your wood is in good condition, you may need to use a wide drill bit and drill some holes in the center to start the wood pulling process.

 

Here is a video of the hollowing out process: 

 

Step Two:  Stain all surfaces of the stump with a weather proofing stain. I used Behr deck stain and I added some dry brushing with grey and yellow chalk paint to give it back a weathered look.  This step is optional, but I would recommend going over your stump with some kind of protect-ant (even if its clear) to keep out the weather and the bugs, after all, you want this to last forever right?  My stump was already starting to rot, so it was pretty much mandatory for me to do this.

 

Here are the videos on staining and dry brushing:

Step Three:  Add lighting in the cracks of the planter. This is another optional step but it does add a lot of charm to the planter if you decide to give it go.

Step Four: Add some dirt and plants. I also added a diaper to the bottom to absorb excess water and protect the planter a bit.

 

Here is a video of us adding the lights and plants:

 

Step 5: Enjoy!  Sit back and marvel in the beautiful lighted tree stump planter you created!  Take some pictures of what you did and tag us on our Facebook or Instagram @bathtubringsandartsythings pages with the hashtag #artsytreestump. We can’t wait to see the posts, so don’t just Pin this… Do it!! You never know what you do until you do it!

 

If you like this, you will love our easy DIY Arch project.

 

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