Juliet Ames
Cork is just one of those materials that I never give much thought to. It just keeps my wine fresh and makes a great organizational board. Lately, however, I have seen cork popping up more and more on Etsy and discovered that it is actually a great environmentally friendly product. Here is what I learned:
Cork is harvested from the outer layer of bark of the Cork Oak tree found mostly in the Mediterranean. The bark is harvested every ten years, with each harvest producing a softer batch of cork. By keeping these trees in production, they provide homes to wildlife in about 1800 acres of cork forests and provides many jobs to the people of who harvest the cork by hand. Cork is also 100% recyclable! Of course they can be used for these cool crafts, but companies like Yemm & Hart also collect donated wine corks to make products like tile flooring. This sustainability and ability to recycle make cork an environmentally conscious crafting choice!
These images are just a few cork crafts I discovered on Etsy! Check out their shops for even more!
- Classic Chair Cork Coasters from Annacote
- Cork Beehive Brooch from Ottoman
- The UN-DIamond Cork Ring from Uncorked
Tell me about your cork crafts in a comment!
There’s been an increase in cork flooring over the past few years. As people began to build wine cellars in their house, many put in cork floors for the obvious connection. Once people realized that cork floors look really cool, they’ve spread to other parts of the house and have taken off with the increase of demand for green products.