Posted by
Elana Safronsky, Managing Editor
Friday, June 10, 2011 3:26 PM EDT
HGTV.ca has sustained another Craft Day. Every once in a while, we try to stuff our eyeballs back into our skulls, put our computer monitors to sleep, pack up our various mugs, tumblers, personal humidifiers, and god knows what else, and we leave the office to make crafts.
Mia, site manager, crafting.
I can't yet break the seal on the amazingness we crafted up for your jeering pleasure, but I will say there will be lots to jeer at, as well as reveal to you my new obsession: wine corks.
Am I saying too much? Are wine corks as abundant and prolifically renewable a resource in your house as they are in mine? I started collecting wine corks almost as if directed by the divine, Close Encounters of Third Kind (1977) - style. There are so many, and each so unique, that I don't have the heart to throw them out.
So this craft day, I decided to put them to use. I thought and thought on it, until I let the force guide me and a candle holder centrepiece was born! I'll wait 'till we're ready to unveil all our amazing results to show you the details, but I will show you an outtake of my cork Xanadu:
Wine corks + copper plumbing tube caps + glue gun = Therapy Centrepiece Candle Holder!
But enough about us! While musing on cork, I did a little surfing of the 'nets and discovered that I am overwhelmingly not alone. Cork crafting is an old favourite of the craft community, and here are some inspiring ideas for what to do if you too count wine corks among your family's natural resources...
Trivet
CraftyNest.com
Love the ribbon trimming! Some great tips in the step-by-step.
Message Board
ObeeDesign blog
This is one of the more popular and easy solutions to your cork hoarding, especially since it gives you an opportunity to use up an old frame or shadow box. But I can't decide if I like the lengthwise arrangement of corks or the top-end/penny round arrangement... Thoughts?
Letters! (There's Always Letters)
TheHighHeeledHostess.com
I believe this also involves a stenciled, thin plywood backing, but perhaps you can freeform it if you're really good.
Pure Charm
LovelyMornings.com
It's the colour of the wine stains on the ends and their careful gradation that really gets me... but how sweet!
Pure Industrious Crafting
CraftyNest.com
I take my hat off to this woman. This is an actual good looking, functional thing, made from a whole bunch of other things that were headed for the garbage. Put it on the 'I Wish I Thought of That' list.
Do you collect corks? Do you have the urge to make something with them? Any other ideas?
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