Cork is good for more than just your wine bottle! Yup, getting tipsy has its benefits but what if you could use cork in practical ways that didn’t leave you hungover the next day? Let’s get smart, peeps. Let’s DIY with cork for your man cave. Get in on one of the hottest design trends right now and cork it up. Pssst you don’t have to start from scratch; we’ll provide you some inspiration below.
The Drinking Team Has A Dart Problem
It’s not enough to say you have a bar in your man cave. You also want to have some FUN with that bar, dude. Darts are always a hit with the buds but when they drink, well, their aim gets a little off (to put it mildly).
Therefore, it makes sense to add a dartboard surround. Why muck up your wall full of dart holes when they miss the board? Guess what, the dart board backer is made of… cork! DIY the surround like in the pic above, using a Manton Natural Cork Sheet.
It is a thick sheet (over 1in thick) so it won’t crumble over time, and it protects the wall. Also, the darts won’t bounce off the cork when they make contact with it (the opposite to that gal who was repelled by you the other night).
If you have a typical dartboard, then you’ll want a backboard about 4ft by 3ft. To mount the cork board, simply use screws, adhesives, or finishing nails. If you want to permanently install the cork dart board backer, put it directly on the wall.
For a movable unit instead, mount the cork board to plywood sheets using rubber cement or wood glue before connecting it to the wall. The latter option lets you move the board to different locations (that’ll really screw Jim up after a few cold ones).
Tip: Clamp the corners of the cork to the plywood so they will dry together properly. No clamps? Just put a heavy object over the cork instead.
Put A Cork In It & Light It Up
After you tell Jim to put a cork in it (he’s whining about how you moved the dartboard on him again), it’s time to get all DIY with your bad self again. Make this DIY wine cork lampshade today.
If you have a lamp around the house with an ugly shade on it, you can totally revamp it with a cork shade that is uber cool (not to mention eco-friendly).
Build Your Own DIY Cork Lampshade
- You will need: a glue gun with glue sticks, a lampshade, and several corks. Get this package of 36 corks to ensure you have enough to cover the lampshade.
- Place the corks vertically one at a time on the shade up to the top of the lampshade. Ensure the corks touch one another as you go for a cohesive, clean look.
- Want to go the extra mile? Keener! Paint the corks before you attach them to the lampshade. Ideal colors are silver, gold or bronze.
- Done! Yup, told you this project was an easy one.
This Is A Different Kind Of Cabinet Meeting
If you constantly have papers hanging around the place with notes and reminders for you (honey do list, anyone? I have a few to give away). Store those lists, receipts, and other papers in a convenient way by hanging them with thumbtacks on mounted cork tiles.
But, you say, I don’t have the wall space for it? Not a problem anymore. Here’s an ingenious solution: Hang the cork tiles on the inside of cabinets. Yup, genius. Einstein’s got nothing on us.
This 8-pack of natural cork panels is exactly what you will need for the project. They are 1/4in thick so they won’t add a lot of depth to your cabinet door’s interior and aren’t too thick for regular push pins.
Plus, the natural fibers are long-lasting. The panels in this 8 pack even have self-stick backings – BAM all you have to do press them onto the inside of the cabinet to mount them. Make sure you cut them to the size you want first though (Mr. Obvious strikes again).
To cut the cork, a utility knife works great. Before you make a cut, measure the cabinet dimensions and then draw a line in pencil along where you want to cut the cork to fit within it. Use a straightedge, such as a ruler to make sure your cuts are straight. Tip: Put a flattened cardboard box underneath the cork before you cut it with the knife to protect the surface underneath where you cut and create a stable cutting surface too.
There you go! DIY a cork backdrop for your dartboard, make an old lamp new again with a cork lampshade and create a cork bulletin board in a very unlikely but handy place. Now you can DIY with cork any time your heart desires. What, she told you that you’re heartless? Well you’ll have to prove her wrong when you put together these cork projects. Well, provided you let her into the man cave, that is.
If you’re still on a DIY high, why not try these vinyl projects for your man cave too?
