With upcycling, recycling, DIY-ing, and a heightened green awareness, what do you do when it comes to cork? In recent years there has been a growing concern about the sustainability of cork. And if you are a wine drinker, you will have noticed a steady shift in the age old cork being replaced with screw tops, and synthetic ‘corks’. I won’t get into the sustainability pros and cons, but came across this article, ‘Cork – The Argument for Sustainability‘ that you might like to read. I was enlightened, and I must say, surprised…
Cork and Corks
But I’m more intrigued by what we can do with used wine stoppers made of cork… did you know they are recyclable?
Since we’re rapidly moving into the Season of Cheer, I thought a few repurposing ideas ahead of time would be helpful. You know, so you can start saving the corks now for that rainy day project later (like we all need to gather more ‘stuff, right?)!
Have you heard of Cork Journaling? It’s when you write on the cork the date and occasion that was paired with its wine that you enjoyed.
I thought this idea was pretty cool. And you can have some fun displaying your collection as it begins to grow!
This is what I would do with my collection of journaled corks… if I had a collection!
I think the candle light is so pretty shining between the corks, kind of like a glowing fire in a fireplace. And there’s even simple DIY instructions. How hard can it be?
If you want to go all out with a wine cork theme, and dress your table in style…
How about elegant name cards at each place setting?
These are champagne corks, but they would be a better choice for place cards because of their size and shape.
Once the settings are established, it might be fun to add personalized wine glass charms to each spot…
Just think how much fun you can have with these!
Do you like to give your guests a little token when they leave, you know kind of like a swag bag, but without the bag?
How about these coasters?
Or maybe a potted herb instead.
We always have a little pot of Basil in our kitchen window, so I kind of like this idea…
And I really like these customized monograms made from vintage wine corks.
They’re available on Etsy… and ‘yes please’ comes to mind with this S 😉
But if you want to try a DIY version…
Click here for the instructions to make your own.
There are just so many things you can do with used wine corks. So many things I’m sure you’ve already seen…
But I wonder, have you seen a portrait made of wine corks before?
Isn’t this an incredible work of art?
I thought this chair was too…
Who thinks of things like this? Isn’t this amazing?
And on the note of amazing, what do you think of this vase?
It’s just one of many wine cork vessels made by artist Steven Leslie. If you go to OneofaCork.com you can see more…
So on that note… oh, and speaking of notes…
You might want to make your own cork board to pin your notes to. Click here for the DIY steps.
And trust me, there are lots and lots of cork board ideas out there made from wine corks… this is just one of them.
But if you really want to make a splash… a back splash, that is…
Oh, never mind. Let’s just uncork the wine! Can I pour you a glass?
So, what do you do with your used wine corks? I think I’m going to start saving mine!
Thanks for stopping by!
Photograph sources indicated beneath each image.
Cool stuff. I have a client who’s working on creating a serving tray made out of corks – it takes a lot more than you think!
Thanks Kristie!
This was such a fun post to put together – the ideas out there are incredible. And I know what you mean about taking more than you would think… there’s definitely more to it than ‘just’ putting corks together for a voila result!
salute and pop another one, same story – what to do with the corks.
I had my collection as outdoor garden art but the grass soon ruined it
Great story
Ursula
Did you take any pictures of your collection before it was ruined? Would love to see some… and if we pop another one, will you join us for a sip?
I love all these ideas, but I think the clutter of saving would finally get to me! I love howerver the garden idea with corks! Great post!
Ha, you are so right Jodi. That’s the part that worries me too! I’m always trying to reduce excess clutter, so would definitely have to commit to the project, or the mounting collection would drive me crazy!
These ideas are so cool.. Love the candle and then garden ideas.. SO fab.. Is it weird for me to want to make a garden just to implement the cork idea? yes? shoot!
You are so funny Danielle! No, it’s not weird to want a garden just for the cork idea – I love that idea, too! And it’s perfect for container planting, so no home is limited. It can be implemented in an apartment if that’s where one lives!
One more I saw was a door mat. Very clever! Similar to this, except they were put in a frame and stood up vertically, all pushed together into the frame (instead of strung together horizontally, as in this photo): http://blog.sndimg.com/hgtv/design/lili/wine-cork-bath-mat.jpg
They are very unique looking items and so many people save them. What a great way to put them to use!
Thank you for including the link Gina, and for leaving a comment! You are so right about how many people do actually save the corks. I love that there are so many great ideas out there to repurpose them with 🙂
I like the vase and the back splash especially. I make Custom Portraits and Door Beads, among other things, out of corks. http://AmysCorkCreations.com
Also, I use the synthetic corks in the area off of my patio door where the neighborhood cats USED TO like to use as a litter box… I guess they don’t like the way the corks feel on their feet. (Yay!)
Hi Amy!
Thank you so much for including your link… I hope others click onto your site too, because you offer some really great pieces! I love the first custom picture frame. It’s really awesome, but that’s just one of many things you make that caught my eye. Sorry I didn’t come across your link for my post 🙁 Interesting about the synthetic cork and cats!
I really appreciate your response to this post!
Have a great weekend,
Sheila
Creative, informative and entertaining. A really great post Sheila. I donated my corks to a friend’s Dad…then decided to keep them instead. Still not enough for a large project but maybe for your candle bowl idea!!
Oooo, you are so luck to have some corks to start with. I love the candle bowl idea, and that’s the one I really want to do! I’m glad you enjoyed the post 🙂
I’ve been doing the “cork journalling” for years. Although, my collection was getting so large, I had to pair it down to saving only really special events. LOL! It’s fun to look over the corks every once in a while and reminisce.
I love the idea of this. Do you display them?
These are some great ideas. My husband has been on a real “save the cork” kick lately so we’ve been saving all of them and I hope to create something similar to one of your features here. I love the idea of the journal and I also love the herb garden marker. We don’t have a ton saved yet either, but I’d love to be able to do the monogram or wreath at some point.
Hi Sheila! Wonderful post – I’ve got this linked to my cork post too today, for inspiration! Have a great day.
Thank you so much, Heather! I love visiting your blog because I always find so much inspiration and a ton of great ideas there! xo Sheila