DIY: Cork Pendants

Corks are pretty awesome.  Not only can you stamp with them and make them into place card holders, you can make them into jewelry as well.  What’s that, you say?  Jewelry?  Yep!  I decided to try and make some pendants from wine corks, and am very pleased with the results.  I think this project is incredibly versatile, and I love the idea of up-cycling.

Plus, you can likely use little bits and pieces of your existing creative stash (provided you’re into arts and crafts) – small pieces of your favorite papers, ribbons, fabrics, and a few other goodies.  I only had to buy one thing (screw eyes), and bet you can make these pendants primarily from things you have on hand already, too.

Suggested Materials
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Corks – I used real corks from wine bottles (versus plastic/foam corks)
Paint, gesso, or acrylic ink
Paint brush
Ribbon
Fabric
Thin Decorative Paper
Wire
Beads
Sequins
Sequin Pins
Screw Eyes
Straight Pins
Cord, ribbon or chain to hang the pendants from

Directions
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1. Apply color to cork, if desired.  (I used black acrylic ink, purple acrylic ink, and white gesso)  Let dry. Wipe some color off with a dry paper towel when the cork is nearly dry if you’d like a slightly mottled surface.
2. Select materials to embellish your cork with, and decide on how many “decorative bands” you’ll have.
3. Cut materials to proper size.  Corks are 2″ long on average.  If you’ll have just one type of decorative material, cut the piece slightly narrower than the cork is – end to end.If you’ll have two different decorative bands, cut each piece to 1/3 the length of your cork.  If you’ll have three different bands, cut your strip to approximately 1/4″.  Each strip should be long enough to wrap around the cork twice, which is approximately 6″.
4. Pin one end of your ribbon/paper/fabric down with sequin pins, wrap the remaining length around the cork, and secure the ends with more pins.  You can add sequins or beads onto this “closing pin” if you’d like to add a bit more pop.
5. Embellish the bottom by affixing a bead or bauble with a straight pin.
6. Attach a screw eye to the top.  This will allow you to hang the pendant from a chain or cord.

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GOAL PENDANTS
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I made these two corks into Goal Setting & Reminder Pendants.  I’m a big believer in setting goals and taking action, and I thought that writing my goals and working it into a pendant would be a great way to stay focused on that goal.  Wearing the pendant is a reminder of what I’m working towards – a way to keep my aspirations close to my heart.  Literally.  :]
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