Here’s another quick DIY Project. It’s extremely simple, and should be pretty fast once you get the hang of it. The step which might be most difficult is finding enough corks. Thankfully my local fine dining establishment was able to help me out in this regard - they gave me a grocery bag full. It’s a good idea to try and get corks that are as similar in size and shape as possible, or else the pot may end up being unstable, which could be dangerous.

To do this project you’ll need:

1. At least 12 corks, depending on the design.
2. A Meter or so of thin wire (I used non-braided wire left over from a garage-door opener installation, which I stripped so it was bare copper). Length depends on the design.
3. A Drill with a smallish drillbit (a drill press is best).

Instructions:

1. Drill Out the Corks - Holding each cork with a pair of pliers, drill out the centres with a smallish drillbit. It’s important to be as straight as possible here. It may take a few corks before you have the hang of it. Throw out any corks which aren’t reasonably straight. If the holes are too far off centre the things you put on the final product could be unstable.

It’s also important that the hole be a few times wider than the width of the wire, so multiple wires can be inserted.

2. Decide on a Design - Here are some design mockups I did of various patterns for inspiration:

3. Wire Everything Together - I laid my design on the table and wired the sections together one by one, using a single piece of wire for every 4-cork square or 3-cork triangle. At the corners I twisted the wire together and then stuffed the twisted part into the hole in the cork with a pair of small pliers, thus hiding it from view. That allowed me to have a pretty clean-looking final product.

Using this technique of going square-by square, I gradually built out my designs, connecting smaller shapes into larger designs. The pattern is really up to you, and could be expanded or reduced as needed.

With a tighter weave pattern, a lot more corks, a little ambition, and some tougher wire, this could even be made into something more substantial like a bath or welcome mat.

Tags: DIY