I have no idea when or where this tradition started, but every time our group of friends enjoy dinner together at a restaurant…..
….everyone in attendance initials the wine corks, dates them and takes one home.
Now I have got an entire drawer full of dated wine corks…..each a reminder of a special occasion and a fun night with friends. I’m still pondering what to make with them 😉
Other uses for corks: itty, bitty stamps (see previous post)
Or maybe a cork card holder decorated using a cheese shaped stamp.
My dad saves wine corks from big occasions…I don't think he knows what to do with them, either. Drives my mom nuts!
Oooh LOVE the cheese sign! I do inhome wine tasting parties and I will definitely use this idea!!
I have a friend who made a coffee table out of them, where they sit in a shallow space with glass on top. She did not nail or glue them in so that if she wants to do something else in the future, they are still good to do whatever she wants.
Display them in a pretty jar.
I keep mine in a ball jar normally. But for my wedding I used them for place settings. Instead of just have a card with everyone's name and table. I used a whole cork with a slice in the side (length-wise) for every card. Then when you picked up your card it was a little more substantial. The didn't stand up, but i liked them how they were! And they matched all the wine on the tables!
Oh and I LOVE your sign and date idea. Maybe just get a shadow-box/frame thingy and place them all in there! A nice way to remember all the events and decorate!
I've seen people put them in a deep picture frame and make a kind of bulletin board from them. That's what I keep saying I'm saving mine for…I just haven't run across a frame that I like.
I can't wait to see what you do, because I have an entire bag full-o-corks just waiting to be transformed!
I just realized that your initials spell out your name too!!!!! ASH! Mine PSL I guess could stand for Personal Seat License! I'm bored if you can't tell!
We have been making little 'fairies' with our corks: http://mummalu.blogspot.com/2010/04/fairies-in-garden.html We don't drink wine but there were lots of corks going in the bin at the restaurant where I work. I have to admit that champagne corks work best 🙂
We save corks from special things, too. I just have them in a vase right now… I can't wait to see what you decide to do with them! 🙂
I save my over the course of the year, then at Christmas time, I put a little eye hook in and tie on a bit of pretty ribbon and use them to decorate my kitchen Christmas tree (yes, I know. We have one in each room. It's sad. I am a Christmas Nerd. :D). Sometimes I glitter some of them, or hot glue a tiny, tiny figure on top. The topper for the kitchen tree is a wooden spoon and we also hang all the christmas cookie cutters on it (Then they're handy for impromptu baking sessions!) I have a tree skirt with grapes on it as well, that I made with the embroidery machine. I love it! 😀
I don't personally drink enough wine to save corks but my friend does so she turned the entire wall behind her build in desk in her gorgeous kitchen, into a cork bulletin board and it looks great! Just framed it out and there you have it.
I've made some of these cute ornaments from Olivebites:
http://olivebites.blogspot.com/2009/12/recycled-christmas-countdown-more.html
You'll like them!
My mom has a nice hot pad made out of corks. Just a deep picture frame with them all glued in. Makes a great place to set a hot pan on the table!
I think it started out that someone (maybe Staci) was going to make a cork board out the corks, but then it just sort of became tradition…I love it. It definitely reminds you of the good times with friends…
I love those mini stamps… I am saving ours to recreate a wreath I saw in a local restaurant!
A friend of mine took a whole bunch of used wine corks, stood them all up, all of them touching each other inside a wood tray with legs. He made the tray the size he wanted his coffee table and then placed glass over the corks. There ya go, coffee table. Very cool!