At our house we typically try to finish off a bottle of wine within a day or two (maybe three) after opening it. It doesn't always happen. But I really hate to throw out wine, so I usually save it for cooking. We make risotto pretty often, so we tend to use up any leftover wine then.
But in the meantime, the bottle is sitting on the counter or a shelf with the old cork jammed back into the top. There's been a few times I lost the cork. So I ended up pouring the wine into a mason jar with a lid to save for cooking. It looked pretty odd on our bar cart. It probably looked like I was attempting to make homemade wine.
That was partly the motivation behind making a few cute wine toppers. I loved how these turned out and it only took about ten minutes to complete (plus dry time for the glue and paint). Too easy.
There's about a hundred different ways you could customize this idea. You could use rocks you find your backyard. You could collect rocks from different locations (like, while on vacation) for a year and use those. After cleaning the rocks you could paint them a solid color, dip them halfway and leave the other natural half exposed, or you could add a metallic paint to just the inside edges (like I did).
You're creative. You do what you will.
I do want to recommend the particular glue I used in this project. It is extremely strong so it was ideal for this as you'll be pulling these corks in and out of bottles and you don't want the toppers to come off the cork base. I used Epoxy Cement (ultrafast crystal clear).
I could see these making a really unique gift to a fellow wine-lover. Just a thought. Thanks for letting me share. xo. Emma
Credits // Author and Photography: Emma Chapman
27 Comments
Very neat and clever idea! DIY projects are the best 🙂 Love my wine, so this is right up my alley – along with your 10 white wines under $20 post!
http://www.uniquelywomen.net
I LOVE THIS!! I’m a total wino and am going to be making these! This might even be great for my sister’s wedding as a favor.
Thanks!!
So neat – especially the partially dipped idea!
They’re pretty cool! x
http://moiraparton.blogspot.co.uk/
Not half so pretty but a vacuum pump system works amazingly well for keeping wine fresh, and they are pretty cheap. We use them at the bar at my work and I have some at home as well.
Cool idea, but they look more like kidney stone wine toppers.
Very creative and earthy! I like it!
So creative, I reckon it would be pretty cool to use crystals as well, it would make the corks a bit more glitzy 🙂
Such a great idea! And what a great look to have at the bar!
http://sometimesgracefully.com
As a big nature lover, I adore this idea. I have actually never seen anything like this before. So very cool 🙂
http://www.thesecretsurprisinista.com
How original it is!!!! You always give great ideas!!!
http://tarragonain.blogspot.com.es
These are so cool! I’ve been wanting to make some pretty wine toppers, so this is a great reminder! I’ve seen some with trophies on top that are really blowing my mind, but I also really love this mineral idea.
XOXO
Becca | http://ladyfaceblog.blogspot.com
Does wine go “bad” after opening it? I’ve always finished a bottle within a few days as well, so I’ve never really seen what’s happened to it afterwards. I’m not very knowledgeable about wine. You should do a post!
Cool idea! Never thought of glueing rocks to wine corks!
http://everydayingrace.blogspot.ca/
i’m the same way with wine so I love these
Or in a fix, you can use one of those retractable bottle stoppers that seals out air. I also refrigerate half open sealed bottles. If I’m saving wine to use for cooking, then I freeze it in ice cube trays.
The stoppers in this project would be great for display in a dinner party setting or for a wedding. Or could really pretty up some olive oil and vinegar in the kitchen.
Remember folks, Wine + Oxygen + Time = Vinegar
http://www.uniquelywomen.net
These are a neat idea with maybe something else as a topper. the Mineral with the cork just kind of looks like a kidney stone or Tonsil stones (tonsillolith)
Oh no! They may be pretty, but you won’t get good wine if you keep it like that! Even after 1 day, it starts losing its flavor and turning acidic. Vacuum stoppers are definitely the way to go.
Maybe a colourful one would work better – agate or similar…
These kinda look like a mound of mould?? (Not that that would put me off wine. Wine is good)
Love the idea!
Where can you buy wine corks for this project? Love it!
Yes!! Was thinking the exact same thing. Neat idea but definitely looks like lumps of mouldy bread to me…
Did anyone else think “Dammit, Marie!! They’re Minerals!!” …Just me? Ok cool.
These would make such cute gifts!
xoxo
Taylor
http://www.welcomehometaylor.com
I love this idea, and its so simple.
xo
LesliMarie
http://www.linenandtulle.com
Hi! I am a blogger and I hate when someone take my photos and contents without permission. I would like to advise you that I have seen your photos here: http://conideade.com/blog/como-hacer-tapones-de-corcho-originales-con-piedras-o-minerales/2473
I don’t know if they asked you for use them, so you can take a look.
Nice work girls!