Cork Letters

I saw this project on Pinterest via Sherry @ Young House Love the other day and immediately had to make one, or three.  You see, there are still three huge bins of corks in my basement, and any new idea to use them up has great appeal.  I will probably never use them all, unless I cover a wall with them.  Hmmmm....

If you don't have three huge bins of corks in your basement, fear not.  For those who look at cork projects and think of the challenge of saving corks as part of the project, here's a hint:  I drink my fair share of red wine, but most of my corks came from restaurants.  Go to your local restaurant or bar, and ask someone if they'll save corks for you for a few weeks.  When you return, you'll be amazed at the quantity.  Most will be happy to please a customer, and you're recycling.

I found a different challenge here.  The project I've linked to above suggests that you glue your corks to a wooden letter cutout.  You can buy wooden letters from your local craft store, like A.C. Moore or Michael's, but the ones I found were too small.  I did find this online resource that seems to have a lot of different sizes and styles to choose from, and I would definitely order some if I was patient.

I wanted something substantial, so I decided to make a custom letter using a stiff piece of cardboard, cut from a box. 

Here's what you'll need:
cardboard
corks
wood glue
xacto knife

1. Set out your corks in the shape of the letter.

2. Working in small sections so the glue doesn't dry, spread some glue on the cardboard, and then a little on the side of each cork so they stick to the cardboard and each other. 

3.  Let the corks dry overnight, and then trim the edges with an xacto knife.  To get any remaining edges that seem to stick out, flip it over and trim from the back.  The cardboard will be barely noticeable from the side if you trim it back far enough.

4.  I'd recommend waiting 48 hours before hanging the cork letter. Especially if it's humid, seemingly dry glue may drip.

And, there it is.  I like the variety of colors. It was an easy, free project.  What do you think?

Have a great weekend!