DIY: Recycle your wine corks

Image via abeautifulmess

The New Year is nearly upon us, and what better way to ring it in than to pick up a new DIY project? Instead of making a weight-loss or no-sugar resolution, make one that will be fun and crafty – and one you’ll find easy to fulfil.

After the New Year’s celebrations, this year’s dinner parties and any weekend’s night out, you’re likely to find yourself with dozens of left over wine corks. Before you throw them away, consider for a moment all the memories you made over those bottles of wine. Maybe you celebrated an anniversary or maybe it was just a Thursday night dinner with friends. Whether or not your corks are tied to memories, those extra wine stoppers can be used to make several fun and crafty DIY projects like these:

Wine Cork Board

First of all, wine corks are often recycled for the most obvious use – a cork board. You already have the cork; why not make a board out of it?

Sarah-Anne from Inside Magazine shows us how to make a DIY wine cork board. This is one variation with a bit of an artistic twist, displaying more like a scrapbook than a cork board. She also includes bottle caps from beer to keep with the alcohol-infused theme. Over at collegecandy, they take a more standard but versatile approach to the cork board, which can be more appropriately gifted to your wine-enthusiast parents.

Image via collegecandy.com

Wine Cork Bathmat

Craftynest’s wine corks are recycled into perfectly usable everyday items, like this bathmat. This project takes a bit of time and dedication, as you’re meant to cut each wine cork in half and line them up symmetrically. If you are going for an edgier look, scatter your corks haphazardly. You don’t have to cut the corks in half, either, you can adhere them in full for a thicker mat, or even standing on edge for more of a bath step rather than just a mat.

Image via craftynest

The natural look of the wine cork will give your bathroom an eco-soothing atmosphere. Pair this mat with bamboo-themed accents to complete the look.

Wine Cork Wine Stopper

Blogger Elsie over at abeautifulmess puts together these beautifully simple wine stoppers made out of the most appropriate materials: wine corks. Using a plain wooden thread spool, embroidery thread, a hot glue gun and wine corks, this DIY wine topper is perfect for a wedding favour, a stocking stuffer or just to have around the house for your own use.

Image via abeautifulmess

Wine Cork Bowl

This is a simple project that I love. (This may be my 2012 New Year’s Craft-Resolution!) Mintagehome offers her memories on cork and on display in her home with this easy project she calls “wine journaling”. She writes a quick note, date or name on the cork and lays it to rest in a clear glass bowl. When she passes the bowl or guests peruse the corks, memories and stories come back to life.

Image via mintagehome

You can also opt to display your wine corks the way twotwenty-onesuggests, inside a large clear cylindrical candle holder.

Image via twotwenty-one

My suggestion is to “journal” on the corks, then once you have enough, use them for great DIY projects. This way you keep the memories and still have a little crafty fun.

Do you have any New Year’s Craft-Resolutions? Tell us about them in the comments below!

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