How to Make a Wine Cork Trivet

Wine corks are often brilliantly decorated making them ideal for crafts.

Trivets are designed to withstand the heat of a pan, and although they are often made from metal, they can also be fashioned from organic materials. Homemade trivets are a unique gift idea that can become a vintage-inspired kitchen decoration with a few craft supplies and recycled wine corks. The wine corks can be laid-out lengthwise in a frame to showcase the intricate designs along the surface or wrapped with ribbon. Although complicated in appearance, trivets are relatively simple to construct.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Picture frame
• 1/4-in. plywood
• Stain (optional)
• Paintbrush (optional)
• Wood glue
• Wine corks
• Knife
• Fine-grain sand paper
• 31 wine corks
• Serrated kitchen knife
• Fine sand paper
• Hot glue gun
• Glue Sticks
• 1 1/2 yards of 7/8-inch-wide ribbon
• Scissors

Framed

1. Remove the backing and glass from the frame. Glue the frame to the plywood. Make sure the edges line up exactly with the edges of the plywood, and allow to set.

2. Stain or paint the frame in the desired shade, if using. Allow to dry. Examine the wine corks and make sure they are all made of cork and the same length. Cut and sand the ends of longer corks, as they should uniform in size.

3. Apply glue to the side of one wine cork and place it lengthwise against the top of the frame. Apply glue to the second wine cork, and lay it directly below the first cork, facing the same direction.

4. Apply glue to the third cork, and lay it vertically to the right of the first set of corks. Add the fourth cork in the same manner. Continue to alternate two horizontal corks and two vertical corks. Repeat the pattern over the entire surface of the plywood, and allow the trivet to dry.

Free-Form

1. Check the wine corks and make sure they are the same length, and not made from plastic. Cut the wine corks in half widthwise with the serrated kitchen knife. Sand the ends with sandpaper to make sure all the corks remain the same height.

2. Arrange the corks lengthwise into a hexagon shape, with five corks on each of the six sides. Make the center line with nine corks in a straight line. The surrounding lines will have eight corks, then seven, then six and the last lines will have five. This will create the hexagon shape.

3. Begin gluing with the nine-cork line. Apply a line of glue to either side of the center cork and attach the two corks beside it. Repeat the process for the entire line. Continue to glue the corks one by one from the adjacent lines until the shape is complete. Allow the trivet to dry.

4. Glue a thin line of glue to one of the outer cracks. Carefully tuck the ribbon inside to begin a ribbon border along the outside edge. Continue gluing and tucking the ribbon along the entire outside length of the trivet until completely covered. Cut any excess ribbon with the scissors. Allow to dry, and trim off any glue strands.

Tips & Warnings

• Ask friends to help collect the wine corks or inquire at local restaurants.

• Avoid contacting the hot glue with your fingers when tucking the ribbon.

• Make sure only real cork is used, as plastic corks will melt if used for a trivet.

References

• "Re/uses: 2133 Ways to Recycle and Reuse"; Carolyn Jabs; 1982
• You Really Made That?: How to Make This Elegant Wine Cork Trivet Gift Set
• Crafty Nest: Wine Cork Trivet; 2009