Cheers! Three easy DIY projects that use wine corks

Whether your wine cork collection represents memories of special events, reminds you of the wines you've tried, or is just where you keep the corks ― take heart! The spongy texture, rich and often crimson-tinged hue, and cylindrical shape of wine corks make them well suited to the following three crafty DIY projects.

Choose a wall or surface and give it a wine-cork makeover!

Pantries, ceilings, and backsplashes are all ideal places to install a wine-cork wall. Though you should avoid corking any area near a stove, oven, or fireplace because cork is flammable and extremely difficult to clean.

• To make this wall accent reality, simply apply contact adhesive in the pattern you want to make.
• Then attach your corks.
• There are no rules: you can apply the corks vertically or horizontally, in a pattern or randomly.
• Some examples include applying your corks in the shape of your initial, a heart, or a peace sign.

You don't have to wait until Christmas to deck the halls with a wreath. A wine-cork wreath is a timeless, classy addition to any kitchen.

• To make a wine cork wreath, first select (or collect) approximately 220 of the best corks you can find.
• Next, head to the craft store for a 14-inch Styrofoam wreath, brown butcher paper, hot glue gun and glue sticks, and tacky glue.
• Tear the brown paper into strips and use tacky glue to cover the Styrofoam with paper.
• Use a sharp, non-serrated knife to slice one end of each cork at a slight angle.
• Glue gun the corks around the middle of the wreath.
• Let those dry, then glue corks to the wreath in successive rows.
• When your corks are firmly in place use raffia and bows to complete the look and coordinate the wreath to your décor.

Need a place to leave reminders (like "buy more wine")? Here's how you can put a handy bulletin board together using your collected wine corks:

• First, select a picture frame that complements your décor and is the size you want your bulletin board to be.
• Next, cut an inexpensive piece of plywood to fit the inside of the frame and use a strong adhesive to glue wood to the frame's interior.
• Once you've amassed enough corks to fill in your frame, hot glue them to the board (label-side up).
• You can glue them uniformly or in a pattern.
• Keep a knife handy in case you need to trim any corks to fit.

If you're feeling crafty and wondering what to do with your wine cork collection, give one of these three DIY projects a try. Who knew drinking wine could be so productive?