Wine Cork Back Splash

This is the month of do-it-yourself.

I know that in my 'about me' paragraph, I talk a big talk about giving you some DIYs and tutorials... and then for the first month, didn't have a single one. But at last, I live up to my own description!

This time, I decided to do a back splash made of wine corks (yes, it will show all the world, or just your friends and family, how much wine you really drink. Who cares?) to add to my mom and dad's new faux granite kitchen! And I do some day plan to make one of my own... though mine may be less classy, and made of beer bottle caps. We like drinking, but no, not in a way to be called an addiction.

*sips 12 year El Dorado rum*

This project was supposed to be finished along with the countertops when I did them, but I realized that a week to do the faux granite and this cork board was just impossible, at least for my first time on either of them! I could probably make it happen now that I think I have a clue what I am doing...

Getting on with it: Wine Cork Back Splash Tutorial

What you need:
Hot Glue Gun
Corks
Knife (exacto works splendidly)
Fiber Wood (if you don't want to glue directly to your walls)

1. The most important step to this project is knowing your space- measurements, mostly. That is measurements of space width and height, divided by measurements of wine cork height and width size (the average wine cork measurements. Don't go through measuring each cork you have)

2. The second, pretty important step is having the wine, drinking the wine, which then gives you number of said corks. Try not to get lost in all of these algebraic formulas!

Since I had to do this project from my own home for a space that was not at the same location, I took my measurements first and cut a piece of finished particle board to match the size of the space I needed to fill, and ended up gluing my corks to that board.

3. To maximize your usage of corks, cut all of your corks in half, vertically! This way you technically get two cork widths from one. Or if you're like me, and want to get really involved, you can cut slices. (I did some of both)

4. Now you want to draft your layout of corks. For me, I laid all of my corks onto the board, arranged, rearranged, replaced corks, etc, before ever touching the hot glue gun. You want to know that you are going to like the design and pattern first, before you make it permanent. Get Creative! If you use a board, you'll find this step is much easier, due to the fact that it can be laying horizontal, instead of working on a vertical space, such as directly on your wall.

5. Once you have the exact design or pattern laid out that you want, it's time to plug in that hot gluing bad boy and get to work. One by one, pick up the corks, put a dab of glue on, and replace it.

All laid out, ready to be glued!

I have seen this idea done in many different ways. I wanted to do a pattern, because I feel that nothing is ever truly random, even if you say you want random. And I am far too picky to be satisfied if I have just slapped a bunch of corks onto a wall and called it decoration.

This project was extremely simple, while being very tedious. So you do need to have a bit of patience to complete this project. But trust me, it adds so much character to the space!

Completion!