11 easy, fun craft projects you can do by recycling corks

Cork is a wonderful material with extraordinary characteristics, especially when we realize that it is actually just tree bark. And even when it has been processed into corks for wine bottles, it can still prove to be very versatile in creative ways. It all depends on what we want to do with it.

So, if you have a bunch of corks laying around, you can easily make some wonderful decorations and other useful items. Check out the ideas below:

The easiest project is to make coasters out of them: the thickness depends on how you cut the corks. Afterwards, you can paint various colors, or take advantage of the different shades that the wine has stained them.

But you could also create coasters by joining the corks together without cutting them. They just need to be glued, (or stitched) together and it's done. And the same technique works for making trivets.

To finish the job, some people use ribbons wrapped around the outer edge of the coasters.

Cork is perfect for making a notice board, so why not use a packed cluster of them to achieve this?

With cork disks, you can also replace worn-out felt pads under the legs of your furniture. Cork is great to muffle noises and also prevent marks developing on the floor.

Without having to modify them at all, you can use corks to decorate candle holders.

By cutting and gluing corks, you can create any shape you want: a cork decoration looks great and can be hung up almost anywhere.

Have you ever thought about using corks to make a colorful wreath?

Corks are also perfect for clading the outer sides of vases and various other plant containers, which then can be used as a table centerpiece.

A creative and simple variant of the large, cork notice boards: a single cork strip, which takes up very little space on the wall, but provides a place onto which you can pin your photos!

Have you ever recycled corks like this?