Spruce up your patch of green with affordable finds and quick-and-easy DIY projects. The editors of This Old House share their best budget-friendly makeover ideas
The Editors of This Old HouseThis Old House magazine
Turn a tree stump into a dining table. Slice it level at about 28 inches tall, and crown it with a DIY poured concrete top.
For a 30-inch-round by 2-inch-thick top, build a plywood mold that's the same diameter, but make the sides 1 inch deeper. Line the bottom of the mold with steel mesh, and pour in a 1-inch layer of wet concrete. Lay a few pieces of steel rebar in the wet concrete to provide extra strength. Top with a second 1-inch layer of concrete. Let cure and remove the sides of the mold, leaving the plywood base intact to help support the tabletop.
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