Trivet…

So…   it’s been a while since I got my craft on.  And, I actually did this over Christmas.  But, ya know…  some times we post and some times we don’t.

I know I posted this as an idea earlier…  but, thought I would post the “how to” and my results here as well…

Now…  before we go any farther…  let me just say…  that I am wine drinker (don’t roll your eyes and act like that is a ridiculous statement from me).  It’s not so much a confession, as it is a statement.  I also need to state, that these corks were collected over 10 years of wine enjoyment (hence, the reason there are so many of them).  I did not drink all this wine alone, either.  I have shared with the DH, friends, family and more recently, our now over 21 year old children.

I guess I state all that because I have a bit of a reputation as a wine-o (though, I prefer the much more classy and “French” spelling…  “wineaux”).  But being a wineaux does not make me a drunk.  I enjoy wine…  because wine is meant to be enjoyed.  Not to get sloppy.  With that said, I must say “tipsy” is a town I have visited once or twice (or three times, I can’t remember).  But, we do our level best to know what our limits are.

Just wanted to put that out there…  because…  ya know…

Whatever.

Anyhow, about those trivets…

This is such an easy and cheap project.

You need wine corks, about 50 to 55 (all around the same height).  You also need an adjustable metal hose clamp.  You can find these in the duct work department at Lowe’s, they run a couple bucks a piece.  I used the 6″ diameter clamp to make a medium sized trivet.

Next, begin putting the corks in to the metal clamp.  Following the contour of the clamp.

Keep adding in the corks, nice and tight…

You will continue to fill in with the corks until it looks like this….

Then, scooch (or would that be skooch?) the metal clamp up to about the center of the side of the corks and tighten the clamp with a screwdriver.  If the excess (the tail) of the metal clamp sticks out too far you can bend it under or clip it off.  If you clip it…  be sure to bend the end back with pliers so the sharp cut end doesn’t get anyone.

Voila!

Trivet!

So easy, practical and useful…  and you can feel all warm and glowy inside knowing you were earth friendly and ecologically minded because you “upcycled”!!!  Look at you now…  a regular tree hugger!  YAY!!!

Now…  what do to with those wine bottles…  (sigh)

It’s a monogram, of cork…

Photo: Greenisuniversal-reuse.com

Everyone needs something that they are good at…  right?  Well, I think I might be good at drinking wine.  I recently read a blog post in which the writer said just that very thing.  It made me think…  “Hey, I know how to drink wine!”  Of course, a cursory look around my house would tell you that.  But, I am a sucess at it none the less.  Since I am so good at this endeavor, I happen to have LOADS of wine corks.  So, in my quest (yes, another one) to find some thing incredible to do with them…  I wandered across this idea.  I am definitely going to have to make a few of these…  Hmmmmm, may have to drink more wine to accomplish all the cool wine projects I want to do!

For the wine cork monograms above you will need the following:

Wooden Letter (you can purchase a woo letter at Hobby Lobby or Michaels)(I suspect even a chipboard letter would work, you can get those at the aforementioned stores as well), a bunch of corks and a glue gun with a passel of glue sticks.  Then, just glue the corks on to the letter…  that’s it!

I ask you, how easy is that????