Throwing away the cork together with the drunk bottle of wine, few people think that this is a very valuable natural material. A real gift of nature, obtained from the bark of amazing trees growing in the Mediterranean region, Spain, Portugal, in the Crimea and the Caucasus, can be beneficial for a very long time.
The advantages of wine corks, which are able to serve people even after fulfilling their direct purpose, were manifested long ago, thanks to folk craftsmen. Earrings, pendants, necklaces, brooches, rings, key rings, furniture handles, hangers, Christmas decorations, all these crafts can be made with your own hands from wine corks. They can be used to decorate clothes and handbags. If the furniture is scratching the expensive floor in your house, then you can glue the cork plates underneath and the problem will disappear. All this suggests that throwing away wine corks after drinking the contents of the bottle is a waste. This is confirmed by the ten examples below.
Hot dish stand
To make it you will need:
- cork backing;
- wine corks;
- hot glue;
- knife;
- sandpaper.
Cut a support of the required shape and size from the cork backing. Cut the wine corks in half lengthwise. Using hot glue, attach the halves of the plugs to the base, then cut off the protruding edges with a knife and sand the edge off with sandpaper. Stylish and reliable stand for hot dishes is ready.
Frames for photographs or paintings
Making frames for photographs, paintings or reproductions from wine corks is not at all difficult. You just need to show your imagination, since the corks can be arranged in a variety of combinations: lengthwise, across, "herringbone", alternating lengthways and across, cutting into halves or joining together, etc. PVA glue is excellent as a fastener for such products.
Wine corks can serve not only as a frame basis, framing, but also as a decorative element of a ready-made frame. To make one version of them, you will need:
- ready-made frame;
- black paint;
- wine corks;
- knife;
- scissors;
- jute thread;
- PVA glue.
Paint the frame black - the natural cork color looks very great on it. Cut the corks lengthwise into slices. Using scissors, cut the petals and leaves of flowers from the slices, connect them with jute thread glued to the frame. The artistic imagination in the manufacture of such decorated frames is not limited by anything.
By the way, if you cover the inside of the finished frame with a cork, you get a wonderful panel. It will be possible to pin the necessary information to it: phone numbers, notes to relatives, shopping lists, and more. This interactive whiteboard looks stylish and does not spoil the interior of the premises.
There is also a mirror frame option. If you frame it around the perimeter with whole corks, located vertically with the end to the frame, then, reflected in the mirror, they will give unusual depth.
Birdhouse
A bird house is the best structure that is useful to do with children. This teaches them kindness, caring for smaller brothers and love of nature. First you need to take a sheet of plywood from which to cut out the required area of the birdhouse and the surrounding area. Then, from thick cardboard, make the frame of the future bird house, and then glue it over with blanks of wine corks.
For the roof, it is necessary to cut the plugs into thin round discs and paste over, starting from the lower slope. It will be very similar to shingles. The walls are pasted over with longitudinal halves and a very nice birdhouse is obtained, which will become not only a bird's house, but also a decoration of the place where it will be installed.
Rugs
Cork bark is a durable and excellent material for making practical rugs that can be used in the bathroom or hallway. You can, for example, cut the plugs lengthwise into two halves and glue them onto a rubberized base. There is also the option of using the whole plugs, installing them vertically in some kind of frame, preferably metal. These rugs will work well next to your front door.
Such rugs are good in dressing rooms and storage rooms, since cork has excellent thermal insulation properties and the ability to absorb unpleasant odors.
Cork floor
You can make a stylish floor from traffic jams in a country house, on a balcony or even in an apartment. This will require:
- wine corks;
- hot glue;
- epoxy grout;
- stain or color impregnation (if the natural color of the cork is not suitable);
- polyurethane parquet varnish.
Cut the corks into circles of the same thickness, lay out the floor with them, placing them on glue. Then fill the space between the plugs with epoxy grout, and finally cover the floor with parquet varnish. Then it will be protected from moisture and dirt.
By the same principle, you can make a mosaic in the interior of rooms, in these cases it is not necessary to cover the product with varnish.
Filament curtains
From what homemade cotton curtains have never been made! Stationery, garlands of postcards, tape and other attributes were used. Today, when there are a lot of interesting materials for zoning rooms, they can compete with filament curtains made from wine corks. One has only to string them on a strong thread, lay beads between them, paint, if desired, in the desired color or make the ribbons multi-colored, and the rooms will receive additional comfort.
Chandeliers and lampshades
If a simple plastic shade is pasted over with wine corks, leaving certain light gaps, then the light of a table lamp will become cozy and intimate.
Garlands of corks that are not tightly adjacent to each other can be used to hang an old chandelier, a grill from a fan, or a shade that has become unusable. You will get a new, elegant thing that will decorate an apartment or a country house.
Flower pots
Already tried and tested - wine corks can serve as original and reliable flower pots. To do this, you need to cut cores from natural corks, fill up the soil and plant seedlings in them. Then, using magnets or double-sided tape, organize flower beds in various places of the home interior.
Letters and numbers
The inscriptions fit into the decor of the home, which can change depending on the relevance and significant dates. Wine corks make excellent volumetric letters that fit perfectly into the interior of almost any home. Cap letters can be used to create inscriptions that can be mounted on walls, placed on tables and window sills, etc.
To make them, you will need corks, glue and, if desired, holiday ribbons or other elements that can decorate the letters.
Reminder of plants at home and in the garden
Finally, an absolutely simple and practical application. For those who like to plant plants at home and in the garden, a wine cork can be of invaluable service, as people often forget what and where they planted. A signed cork planted on a toothpick or a branch will remind gardeners and gardeners which plants should grow in this place.
You can also make stylish decorations from wine corks, create ingenious paintings and sculptures. This is a matter of talent, imagination and golden hands.
For those who want to seriously engage in handicrafts from corks, we note that you yourself cannot drink so much wine and champagne. Therefore, plugs can be bought on the appropriate Internet resources.
