Recycled Wine Cork Garland

Every year, I make a new recycled wine cork ornament for my closest friends and family. The ornaments are where it started but it's blossomed into more than that. From wreaths, to wall decor, and more, my collection of wine cork gifts has grown. With that said, so has my wine cork collection. So I had an idea to make a Christmas tree garland out of corks this year. I've never had garland on our tree before so I thought it would be a fun to make my own. I'm sure I'm not the first to do this but regardless, I am happy with out it turned out. ​

What You Need

Wood Beads
I used this one pound bag from Michael's. They are normally $20/bag but I had a 40% off in store coupon. I used about half of the bag (roughly 300 beads) so if you don't need that many or would like different sizes, you can find more options here on Amazon.

Hemp Cord
The kind of twine/string you use matters here. You could also use fishing line but I personally hate using fishing line. Hemp cord is stiffer, doesn't shred as easily as twine and it holds a knot extremely well. So to avoid any headaches, I used this hemp cord from Amazon. You will also find this in many craft stores. 

Wine Corks
I'd avoid the rubber ones as they are harder to drill and don't look as nice. If you do not have a massive collection of used wine corks like me, you can buy them here on Amazon. If you'd like to avoid buying them, many wineries give their used corks away to people who use them for crafts. Just call them up and ask if they have any you can take. I did this all the time and I got them for free. 

Power Drill
Any will do really. Just make sure you bit is thick enough for cord to fit through the cork. 

Instructions

Start off by drilling holes down the center of each cork. When your corks are ready, grab your hemp cord. I suggest not cutting your cord until you're happy with the length. Just start stringing your wooden beads on to one end and keep adding until the desired length of garland has been reached. I personally wanted the corks to be the star of the show so I started off with three wooden beads, added a cork, did another three beads, added a cork and repeat. 

Once your desired length as been reached, tie your already cut end of twine into a loop. Then from the other end, push the beads and corks down to the tied end to remove the slack in your string. Then cut the other end of cord, tie in a loop, and you're done! ​