Projects with Corking

Cork comes from the bark of the cork oak tree. The bark can grow 2 to 3 inches thick, but it's usually harvested when about 1 to 1.5 inches thick. Cork is a versatile crafting medium because it is soft but sturdy, easy to cut and comes in many forms. You can buy cork in sheets, rolls, blocks, or you can use recycled wine corks for your projects. Once you know how easy it is to work with, you'll think of all kinds of crafts you make with cork. Here are a few to get you started.

Desktop Organizers

Turn old coffee and soup cans into attractive desktop organizers by covering them in cork shelf liner. Cork shelf liner comes in rolls. Simply unroll the cork liner, cut it to the appropriate size, and glue it to the can with hot glue or silicone glue. If you put several layers of cork liner around a can, you can actually use the can as a bulletin board as well as a desk organizer.

Wine Cork Place Holders

If you slice off part of the wine cork's curve, it will sit flat on a tabletop. Use a craft knife to make a 1/2 inch slit from one end of the cork to the other end. The slit should be deep enough and long enough to allow a place card to sit securely in it.

Earring Holder

Cork is often used on bulletin boards because it is easy to pierce and retains its shape well. An earring holder can be made and used in the same way as a bulletin board. Cut a piece of cork board that will fit inside a picture frame. Cut a piece of fabric 1 inch larger than the cork board. For example, if your cork board is 8 by 10 inches, cut your fabric to be 9 by 11 inches. Stretch the fabric tightly over the cork board and then insert the cork board into the picture frame. If it doesn't fit snugly, tape or staple the cork board to the back of the frame. Insert earrings without their backs into the cork.

Wine Cork Board

Some people save interesting wine corks because they're just too nice to throw away. Instead of keeping them in a drawer or bucket, you can glue them onto a piece of plywood that fits in a nice frame. This creates a display that becomes a conversation piece and reminds you of past social occasions

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