While in Michael’s craft store recently, looking for supplies for a project, I found some pretty paper butterflies in the $1 bins.  The pattern reminded me of ikat fabric and the sparkly glitter just had me.   They have metal clips on the back.  I have no idea what other people do with these but here’s where they ended up in my house.

I have both woven seagrass lampshades on our nightables, and seagrass baskets on the media shelves in our bedroom.  So,  I tried one out there.  I think it would work well to embellish a plain box too.

It’s may be strange for some, but the other one ended up as flair on the gray curtains in the kitchen.  I like the shiny touch of unexpectedness. That sparkle also made me think it would work well instead of bow when wrapping a gift.

Do you know what the official intended use is for these?   Where would you use them to add a bit of flair?
-J

I often go for a run at a park nearby.   I’d seen this scene many times as I ran the loop around the park.

Several trees were cut down about a year ago and the remnants were just sitting there.  One day after a winter run earlier this year, I decided to grab one of the wooden stumps.  That sounds easier than it was since it was pretty heavy. I ended up rolling it over to the truck and then heaving it in.

I think the stump dried out a little more during the several months it sat in the garage because I noticed it’s actually lighter to lift now.   Even with it being less heavy, I still wanted to be able to move it around easily, so I attached three casters I picked up from Home Depot.  They were easy to attach, I just drilled in two screws to hold each wheel in place.

While most of the bark was already off, or at least easy to pull off, there was still a layer of dirt and debris that needed to be cleaned off.  It came off easily using a small putty knife.

After that clean up, I got out my small electric sander and sanded the sides and top edges.  I wiped it down with a wet cloth and decided to wait before I seal it.   I am thinking about staining the sides with a dark stain and maybe doing a paint or metallic leaf treatment to the top.   I’ve am going to live with it a little for now before choosing how to finish it off.

It’s so versatile.  It serves well as both a stool for extra seating and a side table.   And it was only $9 – the cost of the casters.

Are you a fan of the lighter natural look  or do you prefer a dark stained finish?   I am also thinking of gold leafing the top but leaving the sides as-is. I think the combination of luxe + organic can look great.
-J

P.S. Check out the natural tree stump table for sale at West Elm.