HOW TO CUT WINE CORKS | Easy Way to Cut Wine Corks For Crafts

[@cyndiwideman611]

I made a 5 foot by 8 foot cork board for my kitchen wall... over 2500 corks and now I need to fill in a few spaces... I was having a heck of a time cutting and found you! Thank you!

[@TheDadCave]

WOW! That is an insane amount of corks! And here I thought the 6ft bar top I made had a lot of corks. I’m glad you found the video helpful and thank you so much for taking the time to comment!

[@chantalmay8147]

This saved the day for my cork board! Thank you! I have like a couple thousand corks from asking the local winebars to put them aside for me. 100% recommend getting them that way for anyone who wants free DIY material!

[@TheDadCave]

That’s awesome that this video helped you with your project! Chatting up your local bar or winery is definitely a great way to get free material for crafts. I know a couple of local makers to me that do the same thing. Thank you for comment and contributing!

[@Imagio-jw6js]

This True! I tried it on a whim after struggling with halving them! Thanks for sharing.

[@TheDadCave]

I’m glad it worked out for you!

[@fayeinwonderland]

I'm so glad I found this video!! I needed to buy cork stoppers for small potion bottles but they were way too "tall" and could not find shorter ones! Glad I can cut them without hustling too much now! thank you!!

[@TheDadCave]

Thank you for the feedback and taking the time to comment. I’m glad you found the video useful.

[@canigetabeer5188]

I am so happy to have come across this video! I’ve been sawing them in half using a jewelers saw and even that takes too much time 😁

[@TheDadCave]

Thank you for checking out the video and I hope it helps with your future projects. Thank you for subscribing as well. If you know anyone else struggling to cut wine corks please feel free to share the video with them.

[@brendaeverhart1690]

3 year old video has helped me today! I gound out real wuick corks are hard to cut! Want to make some handmade Christmas gifts using them...TY!

[@TheDadCave]

I’m glad to hear the video helped you out with your project. Wine corks make for great Christmas gifts!

[@marionpeters7303]

Fantastic, I want to start using my saved corks for crafting, I'll definitely use this method 🙂

[@TheDadCave]

I’m glad you found the video useful and thank you so much for commenting.

Hello my friend, This is a very good idea. I didn't know it cut wine corks so easily. You cut easily like a sausage :-). I take note of this. Thank you for sharing. See you. stay healthy and happy. Big greetings. Best regards, Mehmet.

[@TheDadCave]

Thanks for watching and commenting, I appreciate it!

[@ejb3781]

Do you know if this technique works on synthetic corks as well?

[@TheDadCave]

The synthetic corks I came across, I was able to cut them with my 12” chefs knife. I stood them on their end and the knife went right through them. I didn’t try boiling them because of the success I had with my knife. Great question! I hope this helps with what you are working on!

[@annsmith9623]

Thank you for the tip. I have lots of cords at home and don’t know how to cut them for my birdhouses project, now I can .

[@TheDadCave]

My pleasure! And thank you for taking the time to provide me with feedback. I like to feature projects from my subscribers in my live streams and social media pages, if you would be willing to share I would love to see a picture when you are done.

[@engiturtle65]

i decided for fun to carve an existing cork (idk for what type of beverage) because i found a small bottle i liked and wanted a cork, since no cork would fit i decided to take a knife and carv it to fit but now i wonder if it would make drinking out of said bottle a hazard and if so if there were any way to make it safe?

[@TheDadCave]

I’m not really sure I understand what you are referring to. I guess if you have any safety concerns, I would advise going against any reservations you have.

[@keybiscaynehardware7531]

Great tip on boil the corks before cutting. Question, any tip on drilling down the center of the wine cork? Thanks for posting.

[@TheDadCave]

Thank you for the feedback. As far as drilling a hole down the center, I have not done that. I would however, think it shouldn’t be a problem. If a corkscrew can go in with little effort a drill should have no problem. My only concern with doing that is creating a jig of some sort to securely hold the cork and keep your fingers away from the drill.

[@WYO_Cowboy_Joe]

I've done quite a few with verious size drill bits for different project. But what I find is that the drill bits tend to chew up the cork and weeken it' integrity. Plus it's hard to get the hole perfectly centered becuase the cork material is not consistent throughout. You'll get very easy and very difficult places that the bit has to go through and it's hard to stop the drill once it gets going. trying to go at a slow speed chews up the cork more than a fast speed. What I've found works best is to start with a small pilot hole using the smallest size bit I can get away with for my project. Then with a red hot poker (ice pick heated on a gas stove or a nail held with a pair of vice grips works real well) burn through the hole. This sears the cork and stops any further degrading from the frayed edges left by the drill bit or the original damage done by the corkscrew.

[@heatherlandskron]

Great video and interesting!! I have some wine corks and i do want to use them and make art & crafts! Have a good day and weekend. I saw you in brian live chat! Thank you for sharing.

[@TheDadCave]

@heatherlandskron thank you so much for the feedback and stopping by to check out my channel. Looking forward to joining up on the livestream next week!

[@HomerHonerloggin]

So happy to find this video! I need to do an epoxy project with corks. How long do you think it takes the corks to fully dry out? I'm hoping to do a Thanksgiving project.

[@TheDadCave]

I’m glad the video helped you. The corks dry out pretty fast, I don’t think you will have to worry about it. Just be sure that if you are going to pour epoxy over them to glue them to the surface first. Ask me how I know!

[@curiousgeorge4674]

Use mine for fishing. Does it degrade the cork in any way?

[@TheDadCave]

That is a really clever use for wine corks. To answer your question the wine corks didn’t break down or lose their integrity.

[@paperpath]

Thanks for this!! I will use an inverted steamer basket in the pot so as to keep those floaty-rascals submerged.

[@TheDadCave]

👊😀 glad it helped! Thanks for taking the time to comment also!

[@surrealkit4843]

This is just what I needed.

[@TheDadCave]

👊😃 Awesome! I’m glad it helped you.

[@matthewmartin3893]

Did the ink on the cork go away or did it wash out the wine stain? We are cutting corks in half to fill a hole in our table with all the wines we have memories with, but we don’t want to lose the defining characteristics of each cork

[@TheDadCave]

Some of the wine stains lightened slightly but the ink on the corks stayed. In my opinion it wasn’t significant enough to take away from the character or the memory of that particular wine that was enjoyed with family or friends. I would love to see a picture of the final result when you are done!

[@kumottakun6089]

Does the cork harden back after it dries? I just bought an empty snowglobe with a cork as a base and I want to stick a custom acrylic figure with a peg on the center of the cork base and is looking for a way to easily stick the peg in without too much effort or making too much "damage" on the cork itself.

[@TheDadCave]

Once the cork cools and dries it returns to its original shape and texture. I’m guessing you are going to drill a hole into the cork for the peg?

[@kumottakun6089]

@@TheDadCave I was thinking of using the peg itself to poke a hole into the cork itself since I had it shaped into a pointed tip. The cork material is on the softer side not the ones that are real compact.

[@TheDadCave]

@@kumottakun6089 just a thought, you may want to pre drill a hole a little smaller than the peg and secure it with some gorilla glue epoxy. Let me know how it turns out.

[@kumottakun6089]

@@TheDadCave the peg is flat as opposed to circular so I think drilling wouldn't work.

[@TheDadCave]

@@kumottakun6089 Ahh, ok. Sounds a bit challenging. If you want to message me on Instagram and show me a picture I made get be able to offer some additional insight.

[@dracosummoner]

Super good to know, thank you so much! Enjoy your 400th like.

[@TheDadCave]

Thank you so much!

[@skippythemeh2451]

Life Saver !!

[@TheDadCave]

Right on! Glad to hear it! Thank you for the feedback! What did you make with the wine corks?

[@spritzpistol]

Great tips, thank you for experimenting and sharing! 🎉Will make my projects so much easier, as my craft knives seem to be my no 1 enemies at the moment ⛑ 😂

[@TheDadCave]

I’m glad the video helped you out. Good luck with your projects and thank you so much your feedback is n the video!

[@jungljn]

You rock. Thank you

[@TheDadCave]

👊😀 you’re welcome! Thank you for checking out the video and commenting.

[@abrahamsasa3439]

Thanks needed to know how Will definitely try your way looks very easy Thanks again :-) :-) :-)

[@TheDadCave]

I hope it helps you with your project. What are you working on?

[@abrahamsasa3439]

@@TheDadCave just trying to reuse old cork tops make it more decorative artsy :-):-)

[@TheDadCave]

@@abrahamsasa3439 right on. I would love to see what you come up with and feature it during a future live stream if you are willing to share. Let me know and thanks for checking my channel. And for taking the time to comment.

[@nancyford8212]

Thanks soooo much. Need to do alot of corks for birdhouses for Habitat.

[@TheDadCave]

You’re welcome! I’m glad the video is helping you with your project.

[@katehunter538]

Does anyone know if actively boiling for 20 minutes is necessary? It's summer and I don't want to heat up my kitchen that much. Would pouring boiling water over the corks and just letting them soak for 20-30 minutes produce the same effect?

[@TheDadCave]

I think you could achieve the same result if you put them in a container and covered them with something so they could steam. I would try using some sort of glass bakeware bowl and a plate to cover it.

[@katehunter538]

@@TheDadCave Thanks for the reply! I might stick them in my Instantpot and stick that out in the garage to keep the house cool.

[@TheDadCave]

You’re welcome. I would be curious to hear if it works for you. Let me know the results.

[@WYO_Cowboy_Joe]

Or use a tupperware dish and the microwave and cover with the lid when it's boiled then let sit for a few minutes. Trial and error will tell you more. Start with a few DUD corks that don't matter then move over to your better corks and finally you'll be an expert and ready to tackle all the premium corks.

[@suzanp8431]

Do you think this would work when drilling a hole?

[@TheDadCave]

Absolutely, I think it would. I would use a wood drill bit and advance it through the cork slowly so that the drill bit is making the hole not the force of pushing it through.

[@WYO_Cowboy_Joe]

I haven't tried it on soaked wet corks but on dry corks, SLOW speed drilling chews up more cork than HIGH speed drilling. The only advantage of slow is that you can stop sooner if you realize you're not remaining in the center. The down side is it takes a lot longer on a large project with many corks to drill. The biggest problem with trying to drill center holes is that you already have a damaged cork from the corkscrew which will almost never be directly centered. If you' are trying to drill through the side, that won't really be much of an issue.

[@whitebrownie2]

Can I put these in a blender after boiling?

[@TheDadCave]

Not sure what that accomplishes, but you can if you like.

[@connied9656]

Not unless you want to break your blender

[@TheDadCave]

They do have some seriously high powered blenders that might accomplish this.

[@aliciacassab1138]

I WANT TO MAKE A FLOWER POT FROM A CORK...HOW CAN I CARVE IT?

[@TheDadCave]

@Alicia Cassab that is a great idea. In fact, I will come up with some ideas and work on a video.

[@popismommyme340]

Thannx for the tip! I'm making reindeer from corks.

[@TheDadCave]

I’m glad this tip helped! I’d love to see the final result when you’re done.

[@AndyCPugh]

Great tip. Thanks for sharing.

[@TheDadCave]

And thank you for watching!

[@lauraaustin1998]

Thanks!!!

[@TheDadCave]

You’re welcome! I’m glad it helped.

[@PinkTea]

Anyone else here after learning the hard way how NOT to cut a cork? (Couple butterfly stitches later?)

[@TheDadCave]

Ouch! @PinkTea I hope this video made it easier the second time around. I hope it wasn’t too bad.

[@cyndikonopka2734]

Well I’m trying a saw and a vice and it’s not working so I figured someone else had a better way.. gonna try this!!!

[@TheDadCave]

Let me know how it works out for you. I tried other ways as well and this was the easiest!

[@joybecton2770]

Thank you I will try this tip

[@TheDadCave]

You’re welcome! Let me know how it works out for you.

[@kenhart2374]

Perfection thanks for this!

[@TheDadCave]

My pleasure! Thank you for taking the time to leave me some feedback as well! What are you doing with the wine corks?

[@MrPresident1222]

the one project i did with Corks i just used full corks wish i had thought of cutting them in 1/2 though.. becasue gluing 700 corks wasn't fun..

[@TheDadCave]

Let me tell you it made it easier instead of trying to have emergency drinking sessions to complete a project using full corks. Maybe this technique will help you with a future project!

[@WYO_Cowboy_Joe]

neither is cutting 700 corks in half a lot of fun. Try doing just a few every day and then you'll have a project to come back to and never be bored.

[@forrestebert5276]

You didn’t mention how long to boil the corks?

[@TheDadCave]

I think you may have missed that part of the video. I found between 10 and 20 minutes worked well for me. I tried less but had better success when they were boiled longer. I hope this helps for what you are working on.

[@hesiistanbul]

I don't have cork how I make cork?

[@TheDadCave]

Unfortunately I don’t have an answer for this other than save them after opening wine bottles.

[@julietphillips1991]

Being the person that I am, (always trying to find a cheaper, easier and faster way to do stuff), maybe you could try bringing the water to a boil and just leaving the corks in there for the half an hour. It just might work and you would save on gas. This works on pasta!

[@TheDadCave]

It might. I don’t have the patience for waiting. Let me tell you though, either way would have been easier than the first time I cut corks in half for the bar I built.

[@joycechong7207]

@@TheDadCave Did you do a video of making your bar with the wine corks? Would love to see it.

[@TheDadCave]

@@joycechong7207 I sure did! Here is the link. Take a look and let me know what you think. • kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZqSTfmRnramNps0

[@joycechong7207]

@@TheDadCave I did have a chance to watch it. I sure wish I had your carpentry skills but I loved your finished product. So cool! Thanks for posting it.

[@TheDadCave]

@@joycechong7207 thank you so much for the feedback! My latest video requires no carpentry skills if your looking for a quick and easy DIY project.

[@KidSavage04]

Great video

[@TheDadCave]

Thank you! Any advice for improving the video?

[@KidSavage04]

@@TheDadCave Just do what you love man it really was a great video

[@TheDadCave]

Thank you for that!

[@KidSavage04]

@@TheDadCave No problem at all my friend

[@WYO_Cowboy_Joe]

Looks like each one gets harder to cut due to the cooling. Supposedly STEAMING them works better than boiling them directly in the water and steaming only requres 3-5 minutes.

[@TheDadCave]

I didn’t notice a difference as I was cutting them. I think steaming could also be a good option and achieve the same result. I might give it a shot to see. Thanks for the option.

[@TheBennie102103]

No boiling for me, I just cut them in half with my Opinel #7, they are great slicers :)

[@TheDadCave]

I have two Messermeister blades and love them. I have never heard of Opinel.

[@TheBennie102103]

@@TheDadCave They have been around since 1890, they are low priced folding knifes with wooden handles made in France.

[@TheDadCave]

@@TheBennie102103 I’ll have to check them out.

[@TheBennie102103]

@@TheDadCave they offer 11 sizes to choose from with #2 being the smallest to #13 the biggest and #8 being the most popular.

[@TheDadCave]

@@TheBennie102103 thanks for the info. I’m always looking at and buying knives for some reason or another.

[@annmudge8427]

I cut wine corks in half to create a serving tray. Cutting the corks was difficult. I have a lot of corks on hand and will definitely boil them the next time.

[@TheDadCave]

Thank you for the feedback and taking the time to comment. I hope this helps with your future serving trays.

[@AgentRains]

Well im.nerd to cyt mine un the opposite direction i hope it works.. i have 1000 of them to do lol.

[@TheDadCave]

You make a good point. I didn’t try to cut them the opposite way. Let me know if it works out for you.

[@spongesurf12]

Another idea is make a V block out of two pieces of wood to hold the cork still and get the fingers out of there!

[@TheDadCave]

Absolutely that would be a good idea!

[@spongesurf12]

@@TheDadCave I actually just cut a ton of corks in half lengthwise to make a surround for my dartboard. I found the best way was to boil for 10-15 min, then cut them standing up on end. Not only does it keep your fingies out of the way of the blade, you can see easily if you are cutting at least close to evenly in half. I did probably 200 corks or so.

[@steveb796]

Corks are the bark of the cork tree.

[@TheDadCave]

Yes they are certainly are.

[@sjosly2]

Helps a little bit but not really. When the corks dry, they become hard to slice. Also, the designs on the corks, when boiled, often get distorted and left a stain on the inside of my saucepan.

[@TheDadCave]

Sorry to hear it didn’t work well for you. I didn’t have those issues when I tried it. Also, I did use a serrated knife to aid in cutting.

[@peterdavidchessell5952]

Microwave for 20 secs much better.

[@TheDadCave]

Really? I have never heard of that. I will have to try it. Does it smell?