Uses for Wine Corks
Save the Corks!
Corks from wine bottles can be made into so many things! There are multiple uses for these little gems, so next time you pull that cork out of a bottle, save it, don't throw it away. This page has tons of ideas on how you can easily transform wine corks into household items, art pieces, gifts and more!
If you're not so crafty, there are lots of ready-made wine cork gifts available for sale. Scroll down!
My Wine Cork Project
I have a boxfull of wine corks and I'm still deciding what to do with them. A wreath? A trivet? A set of coasters? I'm just not sure yet. I may just get a "cage" to display them in for now until I can figure out what to do.
Wine Cork Ideas
Transform wine corks into:
bulletin boards - affix corks laying on their side to a backerboard and then hang on the wall. The corks can be placed on the backerboard in all different patterns. Colored corks can be used to spell out an initial on the board.candle holderscarvings - break out the exacto knife and carve shapes into a wine cork for a miniature sculpture!coasters - you can cut them in half lengthwise or leave them whole and attach them to a base.jewelry - cork earrings, or carved cork earrings (see "carvings" above)keychains - wine corks make great keychains because they float! Less chance of losing your keys in the water.magnets - just attach a cork to a magnetic base for a classy and stylish fridge magnet. Also can be used to attach notes to with a push pin.napkin rings - string some wine corks together to hold table napkins.picture frames - dress up a frame by decorating it with wine corks.placeholders - cut a slit in the end of one to hold a card with the person's name on it.rubber stamps - see "carvings" above to make a design into one and then grab an ink pad and stamp away!trivets - wine corks are perfect for trivets! Lay some out on a base in a checkerboard pattern, or whatever design you choose and then affix to a base,wreaths - wine cork wreaths are beautiful! The more corks you use, the better, it seems, Weave in some plastic grapes and grape leaves for some color, and don't forget the bow!A large empty flower vase filled with corks and plastic grapevines intertwined would make a stunning table centerpiece!Perhaps wine corks can be strung together and hung in rows to form a curtain?Corks for Cats
Growing up, my cats used to love to bat wine corks around the house. Not sure if they make an appropriate or safe cat toy, but our guys sure had fun with them. They'd toss them into the air and scoot them around on the floor. It provided hours of entertainment for us humans.
Wine Bottle Cork Stuff on Amazon
Wine Cork Voting
Which is more fun?
More About Wine Corks
Natural vs. Synthetic
Traditional wine corks are carved out of the bark of a certain type of oak tree which grows in Portugal and the Mediterranean. They are environmentally friendly, as cork is taken from the tree in sheets every ten years, and then the cork grows back! A substance called 2,4,6-trichloroanisole, (TCA) is a fungus-produced compound that infiltrates cork fiber and causes cork spoilage, producing a musty or moldy odor.
It's estimated that up to 12% of all wine bottles sealed with organic cork are found to be tainted in this way.
Natural corks are best for wine that will be stored for long periods of time.
Synthetic corks will not dry out, crumble, break or leak and cost much less to produce than traditional corks or metal screw caps. They are made of #7 plastic and can be recycled. With synthetic, it is difficult for air to get through the bottle, and this can change the aging process of the wine, so much so that it can cause a reductive state inside the bottle.
