The Trouble with (cork) Trivets

OK, I am showing my nerdy side since the title of this post makes me think of the original Star Trek and their “Trouble with Tribbles.”  I love that episode and found this photo on Wikepedia.
 
Interestingly, the cork trivet I made this weekend, is a similar color to Kirk’s Tribbles, and the ribbon matches Kirk’s tunic.  Coincidence?  I think not! (OK, it is a total coincidence.)


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The first cork trivet I made was inspired by the various cork trivets on Pinterest.  Many of those were secured by metal hose clamps or embroidery hoops. I didn’t have either of those in my stash so figured I needed to figure something else out using what I had.  Armed with my box of corks, a hot glue gun, some felt and a ribbon, I figured I had the beginning of a great trivet.

Step 1: Gather Materials Corks (I used 37 – 12 from red wines and the rest from white wines) Scissors Serrated knife Marker Hot glue gun Additional Glue Sticks Ruler Ribbon Felt

Step 2:  Measure Your Corks I decided that a full cork was too tall for my trivet. So I measured my corks and marked them at 1 inch.

Step 3: Cut the Corks Cut all the corks using the serrated knife.  I found this worked better than a pair of scissors or a regular knife. While I tried to be careful when I cut the corks, the reality is that I wasn’t very accurate (as you can see in the picture).  But don’t worry, it all works out. You can use the hot glue to build up the low spots under the felt.

Step 4: Lay out your pattern Arrange your corks in an arrangement that is pleasing to you. Once you have your arrangement, you can figure out the dimensions of the felt. On your felt, mark the edge of the corks with a marker and then cut along the lines, trimming to make sure the felt doesn’t hand over the edges of the corks.

	Step 5: Gluing Flip the corks over, making sure to keep them in your particular pattern. Hot glue in between the corks to hold them together. Once this initial gluing has cooled, check to make sure all corks are secure.  Re-glue any areas that seem loose. Let cool completely.(Or you may end up burning your finger on some glue that seemed cool but was really not.) Build up any low spots with glue.  Let cool. Glue the felt piece to the bottom of the trivet.
	Step 6: Ribbon I noticed that the corks on the edges didn’t seem quite secure. So I decided that I needed add some trim to the edges so I could glue the intersection between the outer corks. Cut your ribbon about 1.5x the circumference of the trivet. Glue in between the outer corks then, using a bead of glue, secure the ribbon to the outside of the trivet.
	Enjoy!

Cost of the Project:
$0.00 TOTAL

I had all the supplies in my "craft stash." This is my kind of project.

Linking back to:
Making the Word Cuter, A Round Tuit, The Girl Creative, Mad in Crafts, Keeping it Simple, Sumo's Sweet Stuff, Singing Three Little Birds, Skip to My Lou, C.R.A.F.T., Craftomaniac, Marvelously Messy, Coastal Charm, Northern Cottage, Hope Studios, Sugar Bee Crafts, Homework,Today's Creative Blog, Confessions of a Stay at Home Mommy, The Thrifty Home, Blue Cricket Design, Passionately Artistic, Not Just a Housewife,