Sean Conway

Recently our family celebrated my mother-in-law's 82nd birthday. We had a wonderful dinner at our home and shared a few bottles of good wine.

As we usually do after a party, we put the empty wine bottles in the recycling bin and lined the corks up on the counter behind the sink. When they were completely dry, we added them to the collection of other corks from parties past.

I am not sure why we first started saving corks. Perhaps it was because of the interesting graphics and logos, or perhaps we were trying to remember a special bottle of wine or a particular evening.

Whatever the reason it seemed a shame to just toss the corks in the garbage; in fact, they can be recycled and put to good use around the house.

Cork is a renewable resource.

It is extracted from the cambium, or outer layer, of the bark of a species of oak tree called Quercus suber, which is native to Southwest Europe and Northwest Africa. The bark is removed in sheets, leaving more than 50 percent of the tree untouched. The stripped sections will re-grow and the tree will be ready for harvesting again in seven to nine years.

The older the tree, the more bark it will produce. When well cared for, cork trees commonly reach 150 to 200 years in age.

One of cork's distinguishing features is its high concentration of a waxy, highly water-repellent substance called suberin, which makes it perfect for one of its best-known uses -- as a stopper for liquids such as wine.

Cork has been used as floats for fishing nets, as insulation, for flooring, trivets, coasters and the ubiquitous corkboard for pinning notes to.

Repurposing your saved corks is easy, and here are two great ways to recycle mementos from your own parties.

 

Making a round cork trivet:

Materials needed: 6- to 8-inch metal hose clamp (available at a hardware store), enough wine corks to fill the inside of the clamp, two rubber bands, a screw driver.

Gather the corks (standing on end) into a circle slightly smaller than your hose clamp. Stretch two rubber bands around the bundle to hold it in place (one at the top edge and one at the bottom edge of the corks). Slide the clamp over the bundle and position between the two rubber bands. Tighten the clamp until it has compressed the corks together so none will fall out.

 

Making a cork message board:

Materials: 1 piece of 1/3-inch plywood cut into a rectangle 9 inches by 15 inches, sandpaper, paint, 1 3/8-inch nails (roofing nails), 60 corks, glue, drill and bit slightly smaller than shaft of nails, hammer, pencil

Sand and paint the front and side edges of plywood. With a pencil draw a 1 1/2 inch grid on the back side of the plywood leaving a 3/4-inch border around the edges. Drill small holes through each cross on the grid. Hammer the nails through the holes. Place a dab of glue onto the nail and push a cork onto it. Repeat for the rest of the nails. Attach a picture frame hook to the back of the plywood and hang it on the wall. Pin up notes and messages to your friends and family!

 

 

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Home Decor & Interior Design
After popping all those corks why not put them to good use