Architecture Blog

Five ways to decorate with leftover wine corks.

Don’t throw your old wine corks away! You can use them for so many crafts and decor ideas! I’ve gathered a bunch of DIY projects and ways to put corks to good use around the house.  

If you’re a wine lover like us, then you probably have a pile of corks sitting around. I find it hard to throw them away! I’ve always loved the organic texture and look of cork — especially when they are stained with the deep red colors of the wine. 

They fit in year round, but I think they are especially pretty home decor additions in the fall and winter months. Perfect timing as we head into that season! 

These crafts, decor and gift ideas work for champagne corks as well! 

Wine cork crafts and gifts

I loved this idea for using wine corks around a vase for a pretty floral display. Kristen at Upcycle My Stuff shares how she made these lovely wine cork vases: 

These would be a great for a fall flower display, and how pretty would something like this be as a wedding centerpiece?

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This one would be a great project if you don’t have a ton of corks to use up.

These easy cork garden markers are another good idea if you don’t have a lot of corks. Artsy Pretty Plants shares how to make these in just a few minutes: 

I’ve used this idea for gardens in the past, and they hold up surprisingly well! Spray them with a protective clear coat if you want to keep them year to year. 

I thought this DIY wine bottle stopper would be a sweet idea for neighbors or friends at the holidays! Two Bees in a Pod shares their tutorial using pretty cabinet hardware:

You could wrap one up with a bottle of wine in a pretty tea towel for a lovely gift idea. 

Wine cork bulletin boards

Using wine corks to make bulletin boards is a smart way to use up your collection! This is a great one if you have a lot of them laying around. 🙂 

All you’ll need is a frame or tray and a hot glue gun!

She placed them on their ends for this board. I bet having the wine stained ends out would be pretty as well!

I like how she changed directions throughout this board. You could do any design — herringbone, stripes, whatever!

This one would easily transition to a wine cork tray by taking off the hanger and adding handles to the sides. 

Placing them on their sides will give you more coverage — keep that in mind if you don’t have a lot of corks to work with. 

These bulletin boards would make great wall art in a kitchen or a bar area!

Wine cork holiday and seasonal decor 

Oh my goodness…there are so many cute ideas for holiday crafts! Here are a few seasonal wine cork craft ideas. 

This would be another cute idea for a wedding! I envision a huge heart in the natural cork color with the seating assignments stuck to it with push pins. 

She used little screw in hooks to make them into a Halloween garland, but they would be sweet anywhere! How cute are those?

You can use a touch of paint to add orange and brown tones. I love the cork stem on this too! 🙂 

Yet another fun project with the kids! So cute!!

Wine cork decorative filler

It really doesn’t get easier than this folks! Corks look so lovely just on their own — it’s hard to find affordable decorative filler that doesn’t look fake or plastic. 

I love the contrast of the simple, natural coloring of the corks with this creamy white bowl: 

I find it’s nice to have something open like this where you entertain so you can just toss the corks inside. 

That is beautiful! And there’s plenty of room to add more. 😉 

Wine cork candle holders

Wine corks make great filler around a candle display as well! 

Although cork is a slow combustion material, I recommend only using LED candles or a wick candle in a thick container that will prevent it from getting too hot.

If you use real candles, make sure they are secure and you are present at all times while they are lit!

I have a couple versions of this in our basement. I used an LED candle that operates on a timer and put it in a tall glass container on our built in bookcase shelves: 

I love the look of corks piled up inside a beautiful tray or bowl! It’s simple but elegant. 

I have to laugh when I think back to when I first wanted to use these in our decor. It was about 15 years ago and we didn’t have enough for me to do much with, so I ordered a bunch from Etsy.

We still have those, but now we have no problem building up a collection of our own. 😂 I’m trying to decide what project I’ll tackle with our extras! I recently found this large metal initial that you can fill with wine corks — love that idea too.

Have you tried any of these pretty DIY wine cork crafts?