How can I reuse or recycle wine corks?
Another suggestion from SaraR:
Hi guys. Thanks for the great ideas for what to do with the leftover coffee – I told one of my colleagues and now she’s taking it home to use on her garden.
Anyway, I have another one for you based on another of my naughty addictions – red wine. We have a number of cork-corks and plastic-corks lying around the house and add to the number regularly, but I don’t know what to do with them. Do you have any ideas?
We’re not wine drinkers so we don’t have much call to reuse or recycle wine corks or the plastic synthetic equivalents so any suggestions for SaraR would be very useful indeed.
I know there are a number of popular wine cork crafts – most commonly noticeboards or trivets – anyone got any specific favourites?
Best Suggestions
- Reduce: If you brew your own wine, consider reusing old screw top bottles – the range of wine available with screw tops has increased dramatically over the last few years so you’re sure to know someone who can save some bottles for you.
- Reuse: Slice up real cork wine corks and use them to make noticeboards and trivets or pop them under wobbly table legs. Alternately, use them at the bottom of plant pots to aid drainage.
- Recycle: Lots of organisations collect cork-corks and synthetic corks. See the comments below for some addresses.
- See the comments below for more suggestions and ideas
(Awesome photo by xml, c/o sxu.hu)
Hi, Just wanted to say a HUGE thank you for the corks I have recently receieved, not sure who to thank as there was no note, so I hope you see this message
Thank you, very much appreciated
Kind Regards
frangipan@hotmail.co.uk
you can make it to be a mobile pendant
We’re reusing corks as food label holders. We slice off about 1/4 lengthwise so that it sits flat. Then we slice down 1/2 way into the middle and again just a smidgen over to make a slit along it. Then, simply print out food labels on business cards (or handwrite on the back of old business cards) and wedge them into the slit. Also handy as place card holders.
gosh, some of these tips and ideas are sooo clever.. I thought I came from a pretty clever and creative background and living but you all have some amazing ideas! Thanks so much for sharing!
A friend is collecting corks (We enjoy emptying the bottles in her behalf). She has an old end table that has sentimental value for her. The table is showing its age and rather than sell or toss, she is making a design with prepainted corks in different colors. This can also serve as a trivet.
Decorate with htem small Christmas tree. :)
Wrap in pretty fabric, tie with ribbons to make decorative pillow for a doll.
Make original handles for your furniture.
You could slice them in half either way and fix inside an old picture frame to make a unique cork notice board to pin all those important messages.
I find them frequently. My friend uses them to perfect her whittlin’ skills. I am going to ask her to make me a chess set.
I have a pattern saved from a magazine for a kangaroo, with a joey glove-puppet in its pouch. I make it (out of re-used fabric) whenever I have enough corks, because the pattern includes an Australian hat with corks hanging from it. I donate the toy to charity shops where it is very popular, the corks make an attractive “gimmick” which helps it to sell.
Are there any UK companies who would like to re-cycle our wine corks -apparently there are in the USA.
I made a simple and much needed tool holder for my desk. See pictures here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/urbanwoodswalker/4543547205/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/urbanwoodswalker/4544179648
Its great for the really delicate tools I use daily, and I was tired of the tools “hiding” under my cluttered mess.
I collect cork-corks from my friends. After I have about 350 to 400 corks, I make a wreath.
I get a 12 inch straw wreath form, a box of tooth picks and my glue gun. I put a tooth pick into the hole left by the cork screw in each cork. When I have a bunch ready, I then add a blob of hot glue from the glue gun and then push the toothpick into the wreath. The tooth pick helps stabilize the cork and the glue keeps it in place. By having all the corks on end, the whole wreath reminds me of a hedge hog. The wreaths are pretty substantial in size but really lovely in their simplicity. This method also leaves the end of the cork which came into contact with the wine facing out. You get a nice variation in colors from the ones stained by the red wine.
Four wreathes have been made this way for friends so far. Now I’m saving up to make one for myself.
Can you please show us the finsihed cork wreath.
Thanks
I actually created a wonderful tool holder shown here:
http://www.instructables.com/id/Tool-Holder-Pin-Cushion/
I have also seen frames covered in corks
My family went fishing while at our camp, but forgot the bobbers. My husband thought of the plastic cork and guess what?? Good as a bobber.
nice idea!!!
this is daft!
Put them in your garden compost and be done with them. Alternately, look for screw-cap wine; good stuff comes without cork these days as well. I want to save the world too but people laugh at this stuff!!
Artos…no one I know “laughs at this stuff” If you don’t enjoy recycling, or creatively upcyling…don’t bother with this group!
Not all corks are compostable….only the natural corks are. The other type is plastic and will never be good for the ground or environment.
Insensitive comments make me angry!
For wine cork recycling check out http://www.recork.org. You will be pleasantly surprised.
Corks look great surrounding my potted bayleaf shrub – they act as mulch but are much nicer to look at than bark etc. (I only use real cork not plastic ones.) They don’t go black and mouldy, either.
These came handy when we got fed up with our bed grid – the thing that supports the mattress. It is made of 2 rows, with some space between them.
We cut a cork in slices and placed them as separators. No more moving, no more rearranging the mattress!
Another use: sliced, under the chairs, to stop scratching the floor.
I use cork to level wobbly chairs and tables. Just slice into disks of desired thickness. We also had a glass-top table that rattled every time someone walked past it, so sliced some cork and placed it between the glass and the frame– no more rattling!!
I once saw a home near Ashton, in Canada, where one whole wall and the inside of a door were designed using recycled corks. A unique design was created by gluing them onto the entire surface, then the effect was further enhanced by painting them…I suppose that you could pin buttons into the corks and create an entirely different look. I say they were glued in..but perhaps some type of cement was used.
My boyfriend was taking the old transmission out of his 1983 Jeep truck and my contribution was to suggest using a wine cork as a plug to keep the old transmission fluid from spilling all over. It was just the right size and he didn’t make a huge mess all over the garage floor.
We use corks and plastic corks in the bottom of large pots in the garden. They reduce the weight if the pot has to be moved, allow drainage and leave room for the plants’ roots. You need to fill about a quarter of the pot with corks to get a good result. You can also use plastic bottles with the caps on for the same purpose. They reduce the weight of the pot but are not as good for drainage and root space.
We use natural corks for potting orchids instead of orchid soil. The roots wrap around the corks and provide great aeration.
Send them to me! I do lots of art projects with them!
Email me at Rich010@bama.ua.edu and I’ll send you my mailing address.
cut in half lengthwise & glued down on piece of plywood – however big you want it. Then frame with washed up timber planks/boards from the beach – the more randomly shaped the more rustic looking. I frame the board first then fill in with corks & cut them to shape to fit the frame. I try to have the winery name showing outwards. Oh, this makes an awesome noticeboard or for photos & still looks good if its empty.
I hot glue corks together in a square shape of various sizes to make hot mats for hot pans or bowls.