DIY

Leveling and Setting Up Mom's Stump Miniature Village

By Ryan Hurd · Published

Mom's had this stump for a while, and it's slowly turned into a tiny lakeside town. Today was about getting the layout right and making sure everything actually sits level instead of sliding off into the tomatillos. The centerpiece is a windmill house, freshly painted white with a mowed-lawn base of green flocking and a little garden of tulips out front. Behind it, a bait shop with a wood shingle roof watches over an arched stone bridge and a stream — foam banks painted green, with a resin pour on top holding the fish I made from clay last year, so it was nice to see them still holding up. Once the plastic sheeting was down, Mom started laying Meramac rock around the base — it matches the arch bridge nicely. Once everything's positioned the way she wants, she'll go back through with liquid nails to lock the rocks in place for good. Mom's next addition is a log with a couple of turtles and a mini duck, both staged nearby waiting for their spot. The whole thing sits in a bed surrounded by marigolds, tomatoes, cockscomb, and tomatillos, so by midsummer the "village" will practically disappear into the greenery. One less charming discovery: a wasp nest built into the lighthouse. Flagged it for her — that's getting evicted before it becomes a bigger problem. Good day of digging, leveling, and pretending we run a very small Dutch fishing village.