If you're a wine lover, you probably have a cabinet of wine bottles and wine corks. If you have been throwing them away, think again.
Depending on personal hobbies or needs, you can breathe new life into each cork to give it a functional presence in the house.
Here are seven ways to upcycle wine corks.
1. Stable tables and door stoppers
Use the corks to stabilise wobbly furniture especially tables and chairs. Simply cut up the cork to the right size and glue it to the bottom of a table or chair leg.
Use the corks to protect your door and wall. Some doors open fully wide with a swing that hits the wall causing damage. Fit the cork to the wall at the bottom to prevent the door from impacting the wall.
2. Succulents planter
The corks make excellent window plant pots. Most pots are too big for window sills and even the right size is at risk of breaking. All you need is wine corks, a drill to make them hollow, aquarium gravel, tiny succulent plants, and potting soil.
Once the plants become too big for the corks, which should take a while, transfer them and repeat the process.
3. Drawer pulls
For a little furniture DIY project, use corks to create handles for your cabinets. Simply decorate them to your personal preference and attach them to drawers, and cabinets, among others. Get some screws, a screwdriver, and a drill to attach them nicely and neatly.
4. Jewellery holder
Corks can provide a protective space to store your jewellery. Throwing jewellery into one compartment can lead to damage, fading, and breaking. With wine corks, you can pin each jewellery item to a cork that is glued to a board on the wall. It certainly makes picking them out easier.
5. Starting a fire
Natural corks make great fire starters. Throw the corks into a jar and soak them in 91 percent Isopropanol or isopropyl alcohol for 4 days. At the end of the four days, remove them and store them in a zip-close bag. From here you can always get them to start a fire and keep it burning for longer.
6. Labeling
Use corks to make your home more organised by creating labels for items. If you need to remember certain things or decorate your space with labels for storage spaces, write names on the corks and stick them on surfaces.
Takeaway
Wine corks come in three types, composite, synthetic, and natural cork. Each type has an appropriate function with the right upcycle method.