How to Make a Mary Engelbreit-Inspired Wine Cork Wreath

Remember the Valentine cork wreath from a couple of weeks ago?  Well, this wine cork wreath was originally my plan, but as I sat at the kitchen table and looked at the mantel display, I realized that Valentine wreath should be red and white.  The plan was not to make two of the wreaths, but I love this one!

How to Make the Wine Cork Wreath

Supplies Needed:

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• Wine corks 
• Tacky Glue, Glue gun, or *Quick Hold Glue
• Serrated knife
• 12-inch MDF Wreath ring
• Twine or Cord for hanger
• Acrylic Craft Paint
• Mod Podge or White Glue
• Mandala Dotting Tools
• We R Memory Keepers Glass Cutting Mat – (optional)

*If you are planning to display your wreath outside, you would be advised to use Quick Hold Glue.  This glue will hold in 2 - 3 minutes, cure in 2 - 6 hours, and then hold up in up to 150°F heat and cold, 
as low as -40°F. 
I picked up the MDF wreath ring at Hobby Lobby for under $5.

Click here to see my earlier post showing how to easily cut the corks ► Cutting the Corks.

The Cork Flowers

The We R Memory Keepers glass cutting mat is so nice!  It is not absolutely necessary, but aside from cutting, you can easily scrape off excess glue and clean off paint.  It makes a nice work surface and I recommend it.

The cork flowers each take 7 corks, one for the center and 6 to surround the center.  I make some of the centers higher than the cork petals by gluing the outer corks a little lower to the center cork.  To lower the centers, just cut off the end of the center cork a little.  You can make these without cutting the corks but varying them a little just adds interest.

Gluing the Wine Cork Flowers

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I picked up some Quick Hold Glue at the fabric store.  This glue sets up more quickly and it is easy to glue all the petal corks to the center at one time.  Then, just wrap rubber bands around the cork flower to hold it in place.  Readjust the corks, set the cork flower down, and allow it to set. 

The Wreath Ring  

The wreath ring is made from MDF, measures 12 inches in diameter, and is a narrow 1/2 – inch.  The cork flowers cover this ring really well.

Creating a Hanger and Gluing the Cork Flowers to the Ring

Before you start gluing the wine cork flowers to the wreath ring, you need to attach some kind of a hanger.   Use twine, cording, ribbon, or string if you like.   To attach the twine, fold a length in half, position the loop under the ring, and thread the ends through the loop.  This is called a lark’s head knot.  

You can tie a knot in the end for a hanger.  I’m leaving the ends loose for right now because I’m not sure where it will be displayed yet.

Twine Lark’s head knot and glued cork flowers

Painting the Cork Flowers

I suggest that you paint your cork flowers before you glue them to the ring.  It’s just a little easier to paint them before gluing, not difficult, but easier to hold the individual little flowers in your hand.

For this project, paint the tops of the corks with acrylic craft paint.  You will probably need to paint a second coat to completely cover the cork top.

While you can use items you have at home to make little dots, this set of mandala tools is relatively inexpensive and comes in handy for this project.

There are so many different ways you can paint these cork flowers.  After the initial base coat, paint a deeper color on the petals and the center to create dimension.  Use mandala tools to add dots to the center or petals to create different looks.

I tried to paint lines on one of the pink flowers with a small paintbrush.  It was tedious and not easy!  You can see the end result in the picture below.

Using the foam end of one of the mandala tools makes it much easier!  The foam end of the tool dipped in paint and gently touched to the top in a row leaves a slightly broken line, which I find appealing.

Initially, the plan included a few plain flowers, but the more flowers I added dots to, the more I wanted to add to the plain flowers.

Gluing the Cork Flowers to the Wreath Ring

Lay the cork flowers out on the wreath ring and decide how you want to arrange them.  Remember to attach the hanger before you start gluing your flowers to the ring.

Place the cork flowers on the ring and decide on colors and placement.

Place each cork flower where you want it.  Turn it around and adjust it until it sits flat and fits nicely.  Apply the glue to the MDF wreath ring, then, set the cork flower on top of the glue in that position.  Be sure to remove any cork on the bottom that protrudes from the hole left from the corkscrew so the flower sits flat.

Boiling the corks expands them a little, which makes them wider.   I made a few more of the squat wider flowers to take up more space so that the flowers completely cover the ring. 

The Quick Hold glue makes creating these so much faster!

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