It’s not time to worry about your New Year’s resolutions just yet! The first order of business in 2009 is to re-purpose all of those champagne corks from your party! If saving the environment (and your pocketbook) is one of your resolutions this year, then enjoy these inspirational ideas on how you can upcycle your bubbly corks. Even better, tune in each Monday in 2009 for a new re-purposed project.
I saw the sturdy base and porous nature of the champagne as a perfect, instaneous pincushion. You can glue a vintage fabric scrap to the top or simply leave it natural with a sliver of ribbon trim. I have also re-purposed my antique wooden spools to hold my packaging materials, such as paper rope, jute, and raffia, while a lovely mini-branch serves double-duty as a natural thread spool.
If your dressers are asking for a makeover, make like Mary’s Creole cottage and switch the drawer pulls out for champagne corks! Not only are these comfortable to the touch, but they add creative flair to any dresser, while serving as a reminder to indulge in bubbly more often.
Finally, you can say good riddance to those pesky plastic bike handle ends that always disappear! Be inspired by Jon Heslop and replace them with champagne corks for the ultimate beach lifestyle statement.
And last but not least, taking inspiration from Modern Bride, you can create a fitting cocktail party place card holder with a champagne cork. Or, you can use it to hold up love notes in the bedroom or to-do lists for your desk. Simply use a knife to slice a line across the top, and display notes to your heart’s content.
18 responses so far ↓
1 ljcadv // Jan 5, 2009 at 3:01 pm
ha i love this!
2 Stacy // Jan 5, 2009 at 3:52 pm
What cute “green” designs. Who would’ve thunk that a siimple cork could be so versatile? Love the photos!
3 please sir // Jan 5, 2009 at 4:06 pm
Such clever ideas – love the bike one! Happy New Year!
4 Rachel // Jan 5, 2009 at 9:32 pm
I love all these ideas! I think I may have to get the pincushion one in action immediately for my sewing area.
5 Heather // Jan 5, 2009 at 11:00 pm
These ideas are so great! Now I’m regretting all those times I’ve just thrown my corks away…
6 jessica // Jan 6, 2009 at 1:07 am
That place card holder is rad!
7 Livy // Jan 6, 2009 at 4:22 am
I love that top photo!
8 Grace // Jan 6, 2009 at 5:43 am
Thank you all kindly for your lovely comments! There is indeed a benefit to being the cork hoarder that I am
9 Anne @ The City Sage // Jan 6, 2009 at 7:05 am
Woohoo! So happy to have you back Grace! What a perfect way to celebrate a new year. Hope your time away was rejuvenating, and can’t wait to see what you have in store for 2009!
10 lace&tea // Jan 6, 2009 at 7:59 am
That place card holder is very nice! Thanks for posting it.
11 Betty // Jan 6, 2009 at 11:58 am
Love that bike one!
12 Dizi izle // Jan 7, 2009 at 1:46 am
Very clever solutions. Congratulations.
13 Sheau // Jan 7, 2009 at 7:12 pm
These are wonderful Grace. I also collect vintage wooden spools.
14 Katherine // Jan 14, 2009 at 6:39 pm
I love these ideas! I actually have a collection (overflowing and running out of space to keep them) of wine corks. All different sizes, shapes and materials… I want to do something with them, but I can’t come to an idea because they are all different… any suggestions?
15 Martin Lewis // Jan 31, 2009 at 10:34 pm
Yup, using these as door knobs myself.
16 jessimarie33 // Feb 13, 2009 at 7:23 pm
I know this is a little late, but we are currently saving our corks for a kitchen bulletin board. I have seen the idea with the corks standing upright, and framed by a vintage frame. But, we are laying ours down so that you can read all of the different labels, and then framing with a vintage frame. When I get it done (s0on) pictures will be on my blog. Hope that helps somebody!
17 drew // Mar 27, 2009 at 4:38 am
what about making a trivet? or, in case i’m spelling that incorrectly, a thing to hold hot plates. I’ve been meaning to do that for a while, but i’m still trying to figure out how to hold all the corks together…
18 Cathy Tibbles // Oct 9, 2009 at 9:37 pm
Hi there,
I found this gorgeous little tower of thread bobbins and corks on a google search. May I use it in a website design – as a small image element to decorate the front page? (one of 10 – 12 images)?
Gorgeous!
Cathy
Leave a Comment