Crafting Rustic Elegance: Upcycling Logs into Centerpieces and a Giveaway

At an elevation of 7,000 feet, our mountain cabin is surrounded by the natural beauty of the White Mountains and the Apache/Sitgreaves National Forest, with more than two million acres and more than 400 species. When our trees die or become unhealthy, it is important to remove them as part of healthy forest management.

Our community is a Fire-Wise designated one, and tree management is an important part of that initiative. There is an abundance of logs and stumps available and though my heart aches when a tree is cut down, I want to find ways to respectfully use the wood.

Most of the trees are Ponderosa pines, oak, alligator juniper and aspens. Probably the most challenging part of this project is transporting large, heavy logs back to where we can work on them. Our green golf cart, Shrek, can get into smaller spaces and helps transport a few logs.

Transporting the bigger tree logs, a truck is needed. My husband is able to score these beautiful aspen logs from a dead tree.

Prepping the Logs

For the recent Holiday Styling Workshop, my husband prepares 12 logs to be used for the craft of seasonal arrangements. These logs are cut to approximately 16″ in length.

In order for the log to be stable, he uses an ax to remove a small portion of the log for it to sit flat and not roll.

With a chisel, Scott carves out a rectangular channel that will be the section for dry floral foam.

Using a Larger Log

The larger aspen log is perfect for a 6′ long centerpiece in the middle of our nearly 9 foot long outdoor dining table. With knots and branches, the log is interesting and a perfect wood specimen. Three channels are strategically cut along the log.

Since the log is so long and has unique features, Scott adjusts the bottom to sit firmly on the table, while leaving the interesting nooks and crannies.

Filling in with Flowers

I fill the channels with dry floral foam, which you can buy online or through your local craft store (Michaels, Hobby Lobby, Walmart).

Now the fun begins as you can use any type of artificial flower to decorate. If you want to use real flowers, you will need to line the channels to waterproof them or find small vases to fit in the space.

Using holiday greens and flowers, I start filling in the channels. Now is a great time to purchase flowers as they are significantly discounted at Hobby Lobby and Michaels.

Moss is added for color and interest. Fresh evergreen cuttings are tucked into the channels, too. Since this arrangement is outside on our back terrace, the cooler weather will maintain the greens throughout the holidays.

Between the three channels, there is plenty of space between the flowers to enjoy the beauty of this aspen log.

It is difficult to get a good shot of this 6′ long centerpiece, but hopefully you get the gist.

You can add some adhesive felt pads if the touch points to the table might cause scratches.

What I love about this natural centerpiece:

• You can leave it outside in the natural elements
• Seasonally, you can add different artificial flowers
• This is a thoughtful upcycling of a beautiful tree
• You can customize the size or the amount of channels

From the Holiday Styling Workshop

Since this project came from trees around our cabin, I wanted our workshop guests to go home with something meaningful that they can enjoy and adapt to their own decorating style.

This hands-on craft, using faux artificial flowers, is a successful centerpiece from the workshop.

If You Live Locally

We have two 16″ logs available to give away to anyone who lives locally. If you are interested in one of our unique log centerpieces and are feeling creative to add your own flowers, please let me know. I am also happy to decorate them if you’d like. Shipping would be a little cost prohibitive as one log is 7 lbs and the other is 4 lbs. You can request one in the comment section or send me an email at [email protected].

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