Unusual interior items do not necessarily have to be purchased in expensive stores, they can easily be made with your own hands from scrap materials. One of the simplest and most accessible materials are wine or champagne bottle corks, which can be used to make a comfortable rug for the bathroom or hallway.
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Advantages of Cork Carpeting
Wine corks, familiar to everyone, are made from natural material – cork oak bark for high-quality wines or bark of other trees for more budget options. The resulting material is a natural polymer, characterized by water resistance, strength and elasticity.
A wine cork bathroom rug has many benefits, including the following.
- Availability of material. The required quantity can be collected or purchased in bulk in specialized stores.
- The material does not absorb moisture, which prevents pathogenic bacteria from multiplying in it.
- The carpet creates a massage effect, which is useful for improving blood circulation in the feet.
- Oak bark helps relieve static electricity, preventing leg cramps.
- A non-slip surface will prevent the possibility of injury in the bathroom.
- Aesthetic, original appearance will be an interesting addition to any interior.
Preparing to Make a Cork Rug
Before you start making a bath mat from wine corks with your own hands, you need to prepare all the necessary materials. The main task is to collect a large number of wine corks, depending on the expected size of the product.
Tools and materials
- Cutting board.
- A sharp knife.
- A piece of coarse sandpaper.
- Super glue, universal glue for rubber, wood or glue gun.
- A cloth for removing glue residue.
- Base for the mat. Waterproof, rubberized fabric, a mat for sports, soft plastic or a rubber shower mat will do. If you don’t have any of the above, you can use thick oilcloth.
The same materials will be needed for those who want to make a shower mat from champagne corks.
Determine the dimensions of the finished product in advance and cut a piece of the base of the desired shape and size. Having prepared the base, calculate the approximate number of necessary blanks based on the fact that a regular wine roll measures 2.0 x 3.5 cm, and during production they will be cut into two parts.
Please note! It is better to take care of a small stock of products so as not to interrupt the process of making the rug due to a shortage.
Let's give an example. For a ready-made rug for a bathroom or hallway made of wine corks measuring 60x40, you will need at least 180 pieces. If you don't have a suitable amount at home and don't have any wild parties planned, you can buy the products in an online store. It will be easier to work with them, since you won't have to wash them off from wine beforehand.
Before starting the manufacturing process, it is necessary to properly prepare the materials collected by yourself. In order for the resulting rug to be uniform, the wine corks must be washed from the specific smell and red color. They are soaked in a basin with a bleaching agent for several hours, and then carefully rubbed with a sponge.
How to Make a Cork Rug with Your Own Hands
When wondering how to make a beautiful rug from wine corks with your own hands, it is better not to try to reinvent the wheel, but to find step-by-step instructions on the Internet. Creating a unique cork product will be within anyone's power and will not take much time.
The main stages of creating a rug are as follows.
- Each cork is cut into two equal parts. The action should be performed on a thick wooden or plastic board so as not to accidentally injure yourself. Be sure to take a sharp knife, since the material is quite difficult to cut.
- The cuts are cleaned with sandpaper, giving the edges a neat, even appearance.
Please note! It is not necessary to select blanks of the same length. Some differences will help to create an interesting structure.
- Lay out the blanks on a waterproof base, starting with creating a frame, then filling in the middle. Any irregular options should be laid out closer to the center, and the even ones - along the edge.
- Check if there is enough material. At this stage, you can also try to create an unusual pattern, use different methods of laying out the corks.
- Once all the elements are laid out on the base, you can begin gluing. Apply glue to the smooth side of the cork material and press firmly onto the base. Do not change the arrangement of the parts, try to put everything in its place.
- Remove any excess glue immediately with a soft cloth. There is no need to glue the corks together.
- After gluing all the elements of the rug, let it dry thoroughly.
- If necessary, the oilcloth base can be glued to thick fabric or flexible plastic.
- The final stage is the treatment of the bottom and edges of the product with sealants, providing full protection from moisture.
Following the steps listed above, you can make a bath mat from champagne corks with your own hands.
Remember, the rug pattern can be any. The most popular are: checkerboard, straight lines, intersecting lines, zigzags, etc.
Please note! A DIY wine cork shower mat should be thoroughly dried in the sun once a month.
Original ideas for creating a rug from corks
There are also more non-standard ideas for creating cork products, which involve a completely different manufacturing technology.
A carpet for the hallway or living room made of corks can be made without using glue and cutting the material into two parts. This method requires a much larger number of elements and a small plywood box. Prepare a box with edges slightly longer than the length of the workpiece. If necessary, trim it to the desired size.
Please note: This product is not suitable for use in the bathroom.
An interesting option for decorating a bathroom can be obtained by gluing wine corks to the base not horizontally, as in the main instructions, but vertically. In this case, the blanks should be glued together, ensuring the stability of the structure.
You can make a rug using the beading technique. Holes are made in the corks, and all the elements are strung on a fishing line like beads. This option allows you to create items of any shape.
A cork product without any frames or base looks interesting. The blanks are securely glued together in a checkerboard pattern and dried. A rug without a base has better moisture resistance, it is easier to wash and dry.
A rug for a bathroom, hallway or bedroom made of wine corks will become a successful interior element or a gift to a loved one. It not only has an unusual appearance, but is also very practical and easy to use.
VIDEO: DIY cork rug.
50 variations of rugs from wine and champagne corks:
