Wondering what to do with your ever increasing collection of used wine bottle corks? Let’s explore some creative wine cork storage ideas that will look great in your homes decor, and practical ways to reuse them around the house. From DIY projects to household hacks, get inspired now!
I don’t consider myself a collector of many things – but the pile(s) of wine corks that I can’t bear to part with will tell a different story!
Starting as a way to preserve a few memories of special occasions where a cork or two was popped – it then increased to keeping every single one of them.
And you know what? I’m glad I have – especially since a lot of wine bottles have moved to using a screw top.
Over the years they’ve featured in a craft project or two around my house, but they’ve also come in really handy!
If you’re like me and have a growing collection of your own that you want to do something with – then here’s all the inspiration you need…
Enjoy!
Why Would You Keep Wine Corks?
Aren’t old corks just a by-product of your weekend tipple – what’s the point in hanging on to them?
There really are so many reasons people keep them, including the following:
- They are really lovely to look at – a textural and interesting natural material (along with printed patterns and words from the wine manufacturer)
- They can be sentimental, kept to remind of a special event
- They’re great for craft projects as they can be cut up, and are light in weight.
- They are practical around the house, as cork is water proof and heat resistant.
It almost doesn’t make sense NOT to keep them, right!
Plus – it’s always good to reuse things when possible.
What Can You Do With A Lot Of Wine Corks?
Once your collection has gathered momentum, you’ll start to have quite a few corks available for storing or using in some way.
There are 4 main categories of things that you could use them for:
- Store / Display For Sentimental Reasons
- Store To Use In Your Home Decor / Display
- Store For A Mix Of Decorative AND Practical Reasons
- Store To Use In A Practical Way.
Let’s look at each category – and some ideas within them…
Sentimental Wine Cork Storage Ideas
#1 – Memory Box
We’ve already talked about the fact that a wine cork / champagne cork is a great bit of memorabilia for a special occasion.
It could be that you keep when you get engaged, married, have a baby etc…
And so you don’t lose these special ones, why not consider adding them into your memory box?
TIP – Write on the cork as well – things like the special date / event etc… so you know when they were used, and why they’re so special to you
#2 – Frame Special Ones
If you want to save a favourite cork but don’t want to hide it away in a box, then why not get a box frame and mount it inside?
Go a step further with this, and write in any special details of the event, a ticket stub etc…
This makes a great gift idea too!
Give to a friend or family member to celebrate a special time in their life (this would make a perfect gift because it’s so personal and shows you’ve taken the time to create it just for them – why not grab a cork at their special event and use that, to make it even more meaningful).
TIP – An extra way to make this special would be to cut a slot into the cork and place a coin in it. This is traditionally done for luck. You could go one step further and make sure the coin used was from the year of the event as well!
Wine Cork Storage – For Decor
Of course – a lot of the time all we want to do with those beautiful corks is to store them in a way that displays them well.
Here are all the options to do just that!
#3 – Cork Display Frame
You can get loads of different varieties of these, and they are my favourite wine cork holder option (I have 2 in my kitchen now!).
A simple box frame with a glass front – with a hole in the top that you can add in corks as you collect them.
Some have words printed on the glass – others are simple and plain. But they are always a great talking point!
#4 – Under Glass On Coffee Table
You can buy coffee tables that have a display area under the glass top – and this can be a really lovely way to decoratively store those corks.
You could have them filling in sections, or if the entire table top is one section, have a pattern, or just pile at random – whatever works best with your room decor.
#5 – In Vase To Hide Stalks
I like to have a few artificial flowers in vases around my house – especially in darker areas where real flowers wouldn’t thrive.
Trouble is that the stems look odd being in a vase without water…
To make this look even more decorative, why not add in corks to the vase to cover up the unsightly stems, and add some texture to the display?
#6 – In A Jar Or Set Of Jars
I like to have a “wine cork collector” in my kitchen – and a nicely shaped vase or jar on the sideboard or in my display cabinet is perfect.
It’s a simple display but makes it easy to pop any new corks I get into it.
Another way I’ve seen is to have a HUGE glass jar standing on the floor that houses literally thousands of corks – something that’s a real statement in a room (and also a talking point!).
These act as a display while they’re being collected and filled up, but then makes it easy to grab corks to use for other projects around the house.
#7 – Wine Cork Wreath
One of my favourite wine cork craft ideas for sure, because I love the idea of using corks in an unexpected way.
Get crafty with this simple DIY project (or get the kids to help), and let your imagination run wild (you could have a cork wreath with corks as a base but then decorate for any time of year really – why just wait until Christmas?!)
Wine Corks – Decor & Practical Uses
Just as a wine rack is both for decor and the practical use of storage – there are lots of ways to use wine corks too…
#8 – Cork Noticeboard
This is the first cork craft project I tried, and I still love the look! Both practical and decorative, for sure – and much nicer than a standard noticeboard.
I had an old piece of circular wood (I actually think it was a water sports something or other, but I digress!), cut up the corks and placed them in a pattern that I liked – sticking them down with hot glue from a glue gun.
Then I decided to add in a chalkboard area as well.
Voila – my very own wine cork board to proudly display and use for years to come.
TIP – Another option for a cork noticeboard is to create this look on the inside or outside of a kitchen cupboard door.
#9 – Cork Wall
This is the same concept as a noticeboard – but on a larger scale. Just add corks in a decorative design to the wall like you would cover it in wallpaper.
It can look amazing – and definitely stores a lot of corks for you!
Some options for this idea that I like in particular are:
- Dart board wall – great to protect the wall!
- Behind a home bar area in your dining room
- In your drinks area as a back splash
#10 – Table Runner
What a great idea – as it not only looks lovely, but you can make it the exact size that works best for your table, and it doubles up as a protector for the table from hot food / drink.
#11 – Cork Coaster
Cut your corks up into discs and glue onto pieces of wood to create fantastic cork coasters for your drinks.
TIP – Ensure that you make all of the cork discs the same height. This will help to avoid anything toppling over when you put a cup or glass on it.
#12 – Wine Cork Trivet
LOVE the idea of making a wine cork trivet as it makes great use of the fact that cork is heat resistant.
#13 – Place Card Holder
A lovely option for holding a place name setting for a dinner table – and can be done in a few different ways:
1 – Use one lying flat, and cut a flat surface on one side to allow it to not move. Add a slot in the top, and then slide a place card into the slot.
2 – Stick 3 or 4 together vertically so they can stand up straight, then either slide a name setting between the corks, or add a cut into them again for the place card to sit in.
#14 – Wine Cork Keychain / Keyring
Simply attach a wine cork to a keyring, and you’ve got a unique way of keeping your keys safe.
Added bonus is that this will float, so is great if you live near water etc…
#15 – Pin Cushion
Group a few corks together and it makes a fantastic pin cushion for when you’re sewing etc… It’s really easy to stick the pins into the cork because it’s soft.
Wine Corks For Practical Uses
#16 – Fire Lighters
Not used myself as yet, and I would warn you to be careful about this one, but why not use your corks as firelighters?
Here’s a tutorial on how to go about it – just be careful of course when dealing with fire.
#17 – Fruit Bowl Helper
Adding a few corks to your fruit bowl can keep fruit flies off the fruit. Who knew?!
#18 – Mulch
Corks can be great for container gardening.
Just cut the corks up into smaller pieces and add to your pots. They will help retain moisture which means you won’t have to water your plants as much.
#19 – Drainage In Plant Pots
If you’re planting in a pot – then adding a few corks to the bottom of the pot not only means you need less soil, but will also add some drainage for the water!
#20 – Knife Ends
Pop a cork on the end of each of your knives. This will help to stop the knife tips getting damaged, or to stop the knife damaging the kitchen drawers by cutting them by accident.
#21 – Craft Stamps
A simple but very effective idea for crafting is to take a cork and cut a pattern in the end of it – similar to this idea.
You can then dip in ink or paint and use as a stamp.
(You don’t even have to cut a pattern if you just want a circular stamp).
Wine cork crafts for the win!
How to safely cut corks for display and other uses
Corks are pretty soft, but if you’ve ever tried to cut them before, you can be sure that they’re quite tricky to hold and cut easily.
As such – try soaking them first as this will soften them up a little.
Then, use a clamp to hold them while you cut – to keep your fingers well away from any sharp cutting tool.
Cork Storage Ideas
Along with the DIY route, you may want to look at some pre made options – here are my picks!
Note – Clicking on any item below will take you to the store so you can see details and purchase – for your convenience. The links are affiliate links, which means I earn a small commission for any purchase you make – at absolutely no cost to you, of course.
There you have it – loads of brilliant wine cork storage ideas both for decor and for more functional options.
Any wine lover is going to have lots of fun trying at least a few of them – so let your imagination flow – and enjoy!
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