Wine Cork Cork Boards

In light of the fact that I was sitting outside in the freezing winter cold at 4:50 a.m. yesterday morning, I was unable to post yesterday as I spent the better part of the day catching up on my sleep. Let me tell you that monogram momma is not someone who functions well when she has missed sleep. All this, I tell you, to ensure Mini Monogram #2 is registered for the day’s I want at their pre-school for next year. But the good news is that I was second in line and therefore secured the days I wanted for next year. Whew!

But on to other things today. Now, if I remember correctly, there were quite a few of you who were interested in a wine cork board. I myself am not a huge wine drinker. I know, perish the thought, right? But as I’ve mentioned before, I am horribly allergic to red wine so that pretty much leaves me to white which is okay or Riesling. I will say, however, that I adore a good Riesling. But I realize lots of you are big wine enthusiasts and are looking for something creative to do with your wine corks. And while there are plenty of kits you can go ahead and purchase, I found some super simple instructions for creating your own wine cork board.

You Will Need
-wine bottle corks
-wine bottle labels (a few dozen)

-wooden picture frame

-white glue

-sheet of foam core cut to fit frame

-craft glue

-picture hanging wire and attachments

Directions
1) Place a sheet of pre-cut foam core into back of frame (replacing the glass). Turn the frame right side up and trace the inside edge with a pencil. This will ensure that the finished project will fit into the frame.
2) Soak bottles with labels in water for a half-hour. Peel off gently (soak longer if label is difficult to remove).
3) Place wet labels on flat surface to dry.
4) Apply to wooden picture frame with white craft glue. Smooth in place and cover entire frame. Let dry.
5) Cut collection of wine corks in half lengthwise using a large knife. Cut each one so the most interesting sides will face out when glued down.
6) Glue cork halves to piece of foam core inside pencil line using craft glue. Stagger rows to make a brickwork pattern.
7) Fill in any gaps around edges with smaller pieces of cork.
8) Place board with glued corks into back of frame, cork side facing front. Attach hangers and wire then put it in the kitchen. Great for a travel postcard collection.

Note: Trivets for hot pots and pans can be made in this same manner, as can serving trays. Just glue cork halves onto a piece of thin plywood cut into 6" or 8" squares. These are great for future dinner parties.

Simple, right? What is great about this is that you can dress this up or down by the type of frame you chose. Pick a carved wooden frame with a rustic gold patina or a more contemporary thick black frame. Also, by doing this project yourself you can create the exact size and shape you want also. So definitely keep that in mind. The choice is yours to create the look you want. But keeping those of you in mind who prefer not to make this yourself, you have plenty of options to purchase a kit which contains everything you need.

The best selection of kits you’re going to find is over at Wine Enthusiast. They’ve got some great options for making trivets, trays, bulletin boards (with different frame options and sizes), and the like. However, you can also pick up finished wine cork bulletin boards from Just Corks so be sure to check them out if you like the look but don’t want to assemble anything yourself. For me, I don’t think I’ll be assembling much of anything today since it’s so gorgeous outside. Instead, I’m loading up mini #2’s tricycle, mini #1’s bike, and we’re heading to the park. Let’s just hope I can do a better job of keeping those lunch-stealing ducks away from us today!