DIY Decor: Put a Cork in It!

The holiday season is here! It's our favorite time of year to indulge in (healthy) treats, show gratitude for our loved ones, and give back to our communities. (Actually, we love doing this the rest of the year, too.) It's also a time to celebrate, so the next time you pop a bottle, we suggest you keep that cork! This week, discover a few of our favorite ways to upcycle your corks with some honestly easy eco-craft ideas for your door, dinner table, and garden.

Cork is a super sustainable resource: Harvested from live cork trees, it's renewable, reusable, recyclable, and biodegradable. Planting Cork Oak trees also creates a haven for endangered species, absorbs carbon dioxide and helps prevent soil erosion and desertification (loss of water, vegetation and wildlife). Feel free to get crafty with this "eco-chic" material!

Honest tip: You can reuse your own or order recycled corks by the bagful online--either way, the unique printing on the corks add an eclectic charm to any project.

Materials Needed:

Recycled corks

Drill

Floral wire

Beads

Ribbon

Wooden skewers

Paper

Pens

Dress Your Door

Holiday Wreath

1. Choose 18-22 corks of relatively equal height and carefully drill a small hole through each end of your corks, about ¼ of an inch from the edge.
2. Use a piece of floral wire to string the corks together by the bottom hole. Leave enough wire on each end to tie closed later.
3. Repeat step 2 using the top hole of the cork, and place a wooden bead between each. The corks will naturally begin to form a circular wreath shape.
4. Tie the ends of the wire together to close circle, and add a bow at the top.
5. Hang and enjoy!

Save a Seat

Party Placeholders

1. Use a safety knife to cut a ¼ inch deep cut across the top of your corks.
2. Write names on pieces of card stock (1" x 3" worked well for us) and slide each piece into the slit you cut in the cork.
3. Please your partygoers.

Put a Label on It

Herb Garden Markers

1. Use a permanent pen to write directly on your corks
2. Add a skewer to the bottom of each cork.
3. For added color, we painted the tops of our corks for more pop in the garden.
4. Mark your plants and let your green thumb do the rest.

Can you think of any other ways to use cork? Let us know in the comments below!