Put a Cork in It

I don't know about you, but imbibing is one of my favorite past times. Nothing is better than a glass of wine at the end of a long day, a cold beer on the porch with friends, or a mint julep (or eight) in your box at Derby. I love a good glass of red wine (though not white or blush thanks to an unfortunate mixing of the two that ended badly in 2007).

An even more lasting memento of your night with a bottle of wine than your hangover is the cork from your bottle. These corks are not only useful as stoppers, but are quite often ornate and unique to the vineyard from which they came. So why not use them in an awesome project rather than chuck them? Cork is actually made from the cork oak tree and that makes this project GREEN. Way to go. I love it when recycling and libations go hand in hand.

As you can see from the picture, this project takes quite a few corks. So ask your friends or get started drinking. I was lucky enough to do both. Pick up a shadow box at the local crafts store of your choosing (they run about $20-25 depending on how nice they are... I have found some for even cheaper though). With a shadowbox, you might have to break out the glass, so if you can, find a deeply set (approximately 1 inch) wood frame. I was able to find one at Michael's for about $16. I also spray painted mine dark blue to better set off the natural color of the corks.

As for attaching the cork, hot glue will suffice, but I also recommend super glue or gorilla glue. I have seen them attached in many different ways, but the basket weave pattern seen in the picture is the easiest to make and the most visually pleasing.

Grab some thumbtacks (Target has some chic retro-looking ones right now) and start sticking notes to your new awesome cork board. I have already picked the perfect place for mine in my new kitchen... counting down the days until I can actually hang it up!