Use what you already have decorating tip of the day.

I am all about re-purposing items around my & clients homes.  It is so easy to take something ordinary and turn it into some fabulous all with a little creativity.  Today's tip is on how to use all those old wine bottle corks.  I was given one of these as a gift a few years back and it was wonderful.  You can make them any size you would like.  It can be hung on the wall for a memo board, they can be smaller and used as hot plate holders, they can even be used to hang pictures of all your travels.

Supplies:Wine corks even wine stained-Skill saw or X-acto knife,  Hot glue gun & glue sticks, frame all ready painted or stained, Cork sheet & foam board (both can be purchased from your craft store, ribbon or wire to hang if you are using on the wall.

Here's how to create your own:

1. Using the skill saw, cut wine corks in half lengthwise. This nearly 24-by-28-inch frame required 60 wine corks (120 halves).
2. With the X-acto knife, cut the cork sheet and the foam board to fit snugly into the back of the frame (the same size the glass would be) and glue them together.
3. If your frame has bendable metal clamps that keep the backing in place, skip this step. But if you're dealing with a thrifted frame with no clamps, use a hammer and nails to secure the cork/foam board into the back of the frame, cork side out.
4. If necessary, group the corks into piles according to size. Then — and this is important — lay out all the halved corks, flat side down, into the frame to make sure they fit. Create a pattern alternating two horizontal corks with two vertical.
5. Using the hot glue gun, glue all the corks inside the frame with a small line on the flat side of each. Fini!

Total project time: approximately two hours.
Although you can buy the wine corks in bulk online, collecting your own recycled stoppers will give the finished piece much more character. Stop by a local restaurant or wine bar and ask if they have corks to spare; they may be able to give you a bag. Or, ask your wine-loving friends to share their collection with you.



(http://www.casasugar.com/DIY-Wine-Cork-Board-7707790)