Don’t Toss That Wine Cork in the Trash Just Yet!
You may be unable to turn water into wine, but you *can* turn those old corks into something useful.
Wondering what to do with old corks? Turn them into fishing bobbers!
It’s an idea that’s as old as Tom Sawyer, but worth remembering: you can use corks as substitute fishing bobbers. Drive a staple into the top of the cork, then pull the staple out just a bit so you can slide your fishing line through it.
Use corks as impromptu pincushions
Need a painless place to store pins while you sew? Save corks from wine bottles—they make great pincushions!
Prevent pottery scratches
Your beautiful pottery can make ugly scratches on furniture. To save your tabletops, cut thin slices of cork and glue them to the bottom of your ceramic objects.
Use corks to replace pop bottle caps
Lost the cap to your pop bottle and need a replacement? Cork it! Most wine corks fit most soda bottles perfectly.
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Make pour spouts from old corks
Don’t have one of those fancy metal pour spouts to control the flow from your oil or vinegar bottle? You don’t need one. Make your own spout by cutting out a wedge of the cork along its length. Use a utility or craft knife. Stick the cork in the bottle and pour away. When you’re through, cover the hole with a tab of masking tape.
Use corks to prevent chair scratches
The sound of a chair scraping across your beautiful floor can make your skin crawl. Solve the problem by cutting cork into thin slices and attaching them to the bottom of the chair legs with a spot of wood glue.
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Create personalized stamps
Carve the end of a cork into any shape or design you want. Use it with ink from a stamp pad to decorate note cards. Or let the kids dip carved corks in paint to create artwork.
Whip up a funky beaded curtain
Want a boho-chic beaded curtain for a child’s or teen’s room? Drill a hole through corks and string them onto a cord along with beads and other decorations. Make as many strings as you need and tie them onto a curtain rod.
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Use corks to fasten earrings
Earring backs always get lost, and you can’t always find a perfect-sized stand-in when you need it. Instead, use a snippet of cork as a temporary substitute. Slice a small piece about the size of the backing and push it on.
Straighten picture frames
If you’re always straightening picture frames on the wall, cut some flat, pieces of cork, all the same thickness, and glue them to the back of the frame. The cork will grip the wall and stop it from sliding. It will also prevent the frame from marring the wall.
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Use corks to mass-produce sowing holes
Here’s a neat trick for quickly getting your seeds sown in straight rows of evenly spaced holes. Mark out the spacing you need on a board. Drill drywall screws through the holes, using screws that will protrude about 3/4 inch (2 centimetres) through the board. Now twist the wine corks onto the screws. Just press the board, corks down, into your garden bed and voila—instant seed holes.
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