# Putting a cork in it. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 9, 2006, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putting-a-cork-in-it/347699 "2006-03-09T16:59:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2006, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putting-a-cork-in-it/347699/1 "2006-03-09T16:59:20Z")
Reading the recent wine threads in this and other forums got me to thinking about something. We’ve got a lot of wine drinkers here and, by extension, a lot of wine corks being generated / produced / freed from the confines of bottlish encumbrances. Question: What then happens to all these corks? Are they simply tossed? Saved? Put to utilitarian or artistic uses around the house? I’ve only come across one good use for them but would certainly be interested in any others, seeing as how there’s probably a thousand or so just patiently awaiting their fate in an old plastic bag in my garage. They’re bound to be getting pretty bored with that by now. Every so often I’ll head down to a hobby shop, Michael’s MJ Designs is our most convenient. There they’ve got wreaths made of grapevines in different sizes. Some are smaller ovals maybe a foot and a half across. Others are bigger and would easily cover the better half of a door. Them’s what I get… the bigguns. I’ll put one of those wreaths on a work bench, break out the bag of corks and pick out those with the most impressive names and embellishments and, armed with a glue gun and plenty of reserve sticks, begin to glue the corks onto the wreath. I glue them with the long axis of the cork aligned with the long axis of the wreath and first place a row next to each other working from the inside circle perpendicularly across to the outside circle. Then I’ll move down 3/4 of a cork length, lay it on top of the last row and at a slight downward angle and glue that row of maybe 6 to 8 across, then move down again and again until I’ve worked full circle. That last row is then wedged slightly under the very first and _Voila_, a beautiful wreath of corks of the better vintages one has enjoyed. Certainly other uses exist too. Anything you’d care to plug? ---
**Author:** ![Winston\_Smith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e95f7d/32.png) [@Winston\_Smith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winston_Smith)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2006, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putting-a-cork-in-it/347699/2 "2006-03-09T17:05:35Z")
They go to the _Home for Old Corks_, which is right down the street from the farm where all of my childhood dogs are. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2006, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putting-a-cork-in-it/347699/3 "2006-03-09T17:07:07Z")
Cat toys. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_The\_Younger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d9b06d/32.png) [@Paul\_The\_Younger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_The_Younger)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2006, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putting-a-cork-in-it/347699/4 "2006-03-09T17:13:15Z")
I find they do a good job of plugging up the leaking form holes in the poured foundation of my house. And they’re good for filling up that drawer in my kitchen that I don’t really need. You can make a corkboard – cut them in half, glue them to a thin board of desired size, in a running bond, basket weave, herringbone, or other interesting pattern, and add a frame. Perhaps you could make a really cool raft? ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2006, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putting-a-cork-in-it/347699/5 "2006-03-09T17:22:47Z")
[QUOTE=Paul The Younger] Perhaps you could make a really cool raft? [/QUOTE] The _Vin-Tiki_? Now that would be a trip. By the way, by “glue gun” I meant a hot glue gun… It hardens quickly enough that you can work continously without waiting for it to dry. I like these answers. Heh, cat toys. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Weird\_One](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7bcc69/32.png) [@The\_Weird\_One](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Weird_One)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2006, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putting-a-cork-in-it/347699/6 "2006-03-09T18:11:10Z")
Into the compost heap! ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2006, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putting-a-cork-in-it/347699/7 "2006-03-09T19:06:13Z")
Am I the only one to have seen the thread title, and **Lieu’s** name, and been very, very afraid of what the thread contained? :eek: 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2006, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putting-a-cork-in-it/347699/8 "2006-03-09T20:35:30Z")
Not great, but it’s a start: [http://www.kirkscorks.com/gallery/](http://www.kirkscorks.com/gallery/) I saw another site that said you can embellish table tops (I’d imagine a sheet of glass over it would be the next step. I have a bunch of corks in a drawer (though not as many as you) and have thought about decorating a door or something. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2006, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putting-a-cork-in-it/347699/9 "2006-03-09T20:39:45Z")
Or this: [http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/dc\_furnishings\_accessories/article/0,1793,HGTV\_3436\_1375396,00.html](http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/dc_furnishings_accessories/article/0,1793,HGTV_3436_1375396,00.html) It’s a bulletin board. ---
**Author:** ![psycat90](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@psycat90](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psycat90)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2006, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putting-a-cork-in-it/347699/10 "2006-03-09T20:41:19Z")
We just throw them away at home. I know other countries like Australia and Canada have [recycling](http://www.guidesaus.org.au/AboutUs/corks.htm) [programs](http://www.bag-a-cork.org/program.html), but I haven’t heard of anything similar in the US. The company I work for used to give old or otherwise unusable (never used, samples, etc.) corks to local schools and daycares in the area for arts and crafts, until parents complained that the logo printed on them was advertising wine to children or something. So people here in the office find creative uses for them, mostly simple things like cork boards, trivets, or wreaths, but there are a few elaborate sculptures around here, like animals, vehicles, grape clusters, replicas of famous sculptures like The Thinker, etc., all kinds of things. ---
**Author:** ![Taters](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/taters/32/2845_2.png) [@Taters](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taters)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2006, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putting-a-cork-in-it/347699/11 "2006-03-09T20:52:34Z")
[QUOTE=Mama Zappa] Am I the only one to have seen the thread title, and **Lieu’s** name, and been very, very afraid of what the thread contained? :eek: 😃 [/QUOTE] Nope, you’re not the only one. I was thinking something along the lines of plugging up the rear posterior… ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2006, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putting-a-cork-in-it/347699/12 "2006-03-09T21:29:20Z")
I promise you that if a thousand people do reply with tails of cork, I will in fact start a additional thread on the practice. I googled on the use of wine corks and found some of the things mentioned here like trivets and table tops. In the links though the wreaths they’re selling for $45 are [cheap looking](http://www.wineenthusiast.com/E/details.asp?Ep=An/0//A/16852&uid=47234EF8-58C4-421A-BC53-24475BF8C2F3&AfID=GGL) and just have a few dozen corks in them and are haphazardly arranged. I promise you that if instead you use the big woven grapevine wreaths as your base you’ll end up with a much more beautiful final product. I believe the ones I make probably have about 300 to 350 corks in them. We first saw one at a winery hanging alone up an a rustic wall, all 200 or so corks from that particular winery (Becker). It was so beautiful it was all the wall needed for decoration. I wish I could find a picture of one as these definately are a horse of a different color. ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2006, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putting-a-cork-in-it/347699/13 "2006-03-09T21:46:59Z")
Alas I’ve noticed a move to artificial cork (at least in the cheap ass 10$ bottles I can afford 😃 ). So very little real cork has made it’s way into the zoid household as of late ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2006, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putting-a-cork-in-it/347699/14 "2006-03-09T22:08:35Z")
[QUOTE=zoid] Alas I’ve noticed a move to artificial cork (at least in the cheap ass 10$ bottles I can afford 😃 ). So very little real cork has made it’s way into the zoid household as of late [/QUOTE] Okay, I’ve read articles about the fake cork, and the experts (at least some of them) said the fakes are better for the wine, even if the romance is lost. I don’t know if there’s a final word on the subject. ---
**Author:** ![SmellMyWort](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SmellMyWort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmellMyWort)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2006, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putting-a-cork-in-it/347699/15 "2006-03-09T22:56:52Z")
The cork boards and trivets are a good idea, and they use a lot more corks than you think. It’s hard to make them turn out as perfect as they show in magazines and such because some corks are shorter or wider than others. You can make it work though, and we even used a few champagne corks if a spot was too big. Mrs. SMW and I also used to write the date on the cork whenever we opened a bottle of wine, especially if was a special occasion. When constructing the board, we were found corks from multiple anniversaries (including our 1st), New Year’s Eves, V-Days, B-Days, etc. ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2006, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putting-a-cork-in-it/347699/16 "2006-03-09T23:00:46Z")
[QUOTE=Kalhoun] Okay, I’ve read articles about the fake cork, and the experts (at least some of them) said the fakes are better for the wine, even if the romance is lost. I don’t know if there’s a final word on the subject. [/QUOTE] Well I will say this; I’ve never opened a bottle with a _fake_ cork to find that the lower third of it has corroded away into the wine. ---
**Author:** ![GKW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d9b06d/32.png) [@GKW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GKW)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2006, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putting-a-cork-in-it/347699/17 "2006-03-09T23:45:59Z")
[Art car!](http://www.artcarfest.com/vehicles/cork.truck.html) ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2006, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putting-a-cork-in-it/347699/18 "2006-03-10T00:01:26Z")
Not a wine drinker (heh), but I opened this thread expecting that lieu was going to regale us with another [url=“[http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=143292&highlight=fart](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=143292&highlight=fart)”]tale of intestinal, ah, adventure. Robin ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2006, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putting-a-cork-in-it/347699/19 "2006-03-10T00:19:18Z")
[Let’s try this again.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=143292&highlight=fart) Robin ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2006, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putting-a-cork-in-it/347699/20 "2006-03-10T18:12:32Z")
My, what marvelous memories many of you possess. 🙂 **MsRobyn** , what with you being a Cowboy fan and all, you let me know next time any acquaintance of your starts another “Onward march” rant and I’ll be happy to provide you with all the corks you deem necessary. No charge, on me, gratis, I couldn’t possibly resist! That, my friend, is the best use for them anyone could possibly come up with. 😃 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putting-a-cork-in-it/347699.md?page=2)