If you’re a cork saver one of those folks with bags and boxes of wine bottle corks discreetly stashed away you probably spend at least some of your time thinking of ways to put them to good use.
When we received a bountiful bag of corks from a friend recently, we decided to try a couple of projects we’ve had percolating in the back of our mind for a while: cork corrals for plants and flowers, and a set of chunky coasters.
All you need for these projects are the corks and some glue, but let’s take a few minutes to talk about both materials before we begin the instructions.
Remember, all corks are not created equal. The newer-style corks those with a smooth, almost waxy, finish and spongy stuff in the middle will not hold together with regular hot glue from a glue gun.
| What you’ll need
* Corks * Hot glue or extra-strength glue |
We tried using the hot glue gun several times and while the corks held initially, they gave way easily with the tiniest amount of pressure or movement.
The old fashioned cork corks hold together quite well with the hot glue, but for the new ones, you’ll need to purchase some extra-strength or special purpose glue.
You can also attach the newer corks to each other with short pieces of floral wire, but this is very time consuming and can be painful if you jab the wire into your finger while trying to push it into the cork.
When choosing a glue, you also need to take into account what the finished product is going to be. For example, if you plan to use the plant corral outside, choose a glue that is waterproof and will withstand climatic changes; the same is true for making coasters or hot pads.
That said, creating cork corrals and coasters is very simple: all you do is glue.
To make a set of chunky coasters, select corks of equal length and, beginning with a center cork, glue a ring of five or six corks around the center cork and let the glue harden for a few minutes.
Continue to glue additional corks around the center until you achieve the shape and size you desire. For our sample, we made a hexagonal shape.
Make four or six coasters and present them as a gift by tying a wide, festive bow around the set.
You can also cut the corks in half to make shorter coasters, but we kind of like the chunky ones, even though they take up a bit more storage room.
Add a few more rows to your coaster and you’ll have a very nice hot pad, suitable for casserole and serving dishes.
To make our plant corrals, choose corks of equal length. You’ll need quite a few: between 50 and 60 for the vase corrals, and nearly 200 for the multiplant corral.
These estimates are for our samples the vase corrals will hold a soup-can size vase and the multiplant corral will hold three four-inch plant pots but the number of corks needed will, of course, vary, depending on the size of your project.
If you choose to make a vase corral, decide whether you want it to be round or square.
To make a round one, use a soup can or other cylindrical object as a base to build around. Glue your corks together around the can (don’t glue them to the can!) until a ring is formed.
Glue another ring of corks on top of the first, then a third and fourth, and your round vase corral is finished.
To make the square vase or multiplant corrals, lay a row of corks side-by-side and glue them together in a straight line. Repeat this procedure three more times so that you have four panels of corks.
Glue the four panels together at the corners to form a square and let the glue dry completely.
Add the height to the corral by gluing corks end-to-end and one at a time on top of each cork in the base, and repeat until the corral is the height you desire.
And there you have it, your corral is finished.
Embellish corrals by adding ribbon or other decorative touches if desired, or just leave them plain.
For a variation on the large corral that kids will enjoy, leave out a few corks here and there to make open doors and windows, and build up the corners into towers to make a castle. Once the base is done, even very young children can help glue corks into place.
Contact Jonetta Coffin at jrocoffin@aol.com
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