When you’re somebody who collects wine corks with the intention of “doing one thing artful with them at some point,” then that is your signal. That stash of corks sitting in your kitchen drawer or jam jar? It’s about to grow to be one thing each stunning and helpful—a home made trivet mat. Good for shielding your counter tops and eating desk from scorching dishes, this simple DIY challenge turns wine night time leftovers into rustic kitchen appeal.
What You’ll Want:
Round 30–50 wine corks (depends upon the scale of the trivet you need)
A pointy knife or small handsaw
Robust craft glue or a scorching glue gun
A clamp or rubber bands (non-obligatory, for holding items tightly whereas they dry)
Sandpaper (non-obligatory)
Ribbon, twine, or felt for ending the sides (non-obligatory)
A reducing board or non-slip mat to work on
Step 1: Collect and Type Your CorksYou’ll need pure corks, not the artificial ones, since these don’t glue as nicely and might soften slightly below warmth. Attempt to discover corks which might be roughly the identical size and width. Somewhat variation offers it a pleasant handmade really feel, however an excessive amount of and the trivet would possibly wobble.
Step 2: Resolve on a ShapeYou can go basic with a circle or sq., and even get artistic with a coronary heart or hexagon. Circles look nice if you stand the corks on finish. Squares are simpler when you’re laying the corks side-by-side lengthwise.
Step 3: Reduce (Optionally available)When you’re standing the corks on finish, you don’t want to chop them. However if you would like a flat mat with horizontal corks, slicing them in half lengthwise helps them lie flat. Use a pointy knife or a small noticed, and watch out—corks generally is a bit slippery. A fast sand on the minimize edge makes them look extra polished.
Step 4: Glue Them TogetherStart gluing your corks one after the other. A scorching glue gun works shortly, however robust craft glue will maintain higher long-term. When you’re making a round trivet, begin from the middle and work your approach out. For sq. or rectangular shapes, create rows and glue them aspect by aspect. You’ll be able to add a clamp or wrap rubber bands round the entire thing because it dries to assist it set firmly.
Step 5: Add a Backing (Optionally available)If you would like additional sturdiness or a extra completed look, glue a chunk of felt or cork sheet to the underside of your trivet as soon as it’s dry. This additionally helps defend your desk from scratches.
Step 6: End the Edges (Optionally available)Wrap a chunk of ribbon, twine, or leather-based strip across the edge and glue it down to present your trivet a tidy, ornamental end.
And You’re Carried out!Let all the pieces dry fully earlier than placing your new trivet to make use of. As soon as dry, place your do-it-yourself cork mat on the kitchen counter or deliver it out throughout dinner events. It’s a assured dialog starter, particularly when you’ve saved corks from particular events—anniversaries, holidays, or simply actually good bottles of wine.
Bonus Thought: When you’ve got much more corks, make a set! Stack a couple of trivets collectively and tie with a ribbon for a beautiful handmade reward.
So subsequent time you open a bottle of wine, don’t toss that cork—you’re just some sips away out of your subsequent DIY challenge.
