Turn saved wine corks into wine/cheese labels for a
wine & cheese tasting or place card holders for a vineyard theme party or wedding with a few simple steps. All you need are some wine corks and a sharp knife (I used a Global steak knife to make these wine cork place card holders). My sister Sara collects corks (she has the largest collection I have ever seen!). I asked her for a few for this DIY wine cork project. If you don't have any wine corks saved (or a sister with a stash), you can ask a restaurant or bar for some wine corks and they will likely be happy to hand them over. Here are the simple steps for making these wine cork place cards.
1. Using a sharp knife, place one end of the wine cork on a flat, stable surface and hold the other end of the wine cork with your thumb and forefinger to keep it steady. Trim off a small piece of the wine cork, lengthwise, so the cork will lay flat on a table.
Note: Pay attention to the print on the cork, if any, and aim to keep it right side up in the final version (if you care). I made the mistake of trimming the side of the cork that made the text appear upside down on the first cork I used (see the picture in the next step below). I used the upside down wine cork as a tester and corrected it for the rest of the wine corks that I trimmed and cut.
2. Place the cut side of the cork on a flat surface, place your thumb and forefinger on the rounded rides of the cork to keep it steady and to keep your fingers out of the way of the knife, and carefully slice a long slit in the cork lengthwise. Move the knife back and forth to make the long slit deep enough to hold a place card.
3. Tuck a place card into the slit of each wine cork holder and use them as a wine and cheese pairing label (as I did for a
wine & cheese tasting), as a holder for food labels on a buffet, or as place cards at the table.
If you're not a DIYer but like the idea of using wine corks to hold your place cards you can order pre-made
wine cork place card holders from
Uncommon Goods ($15 /set 8).
Photo credit for first and last pics:
Sarah Greig Photography
