Cut it, stack it, sculpt it, glue it, stitch it, paint it—with its endless opportunities for customization, it’s no surprise that cork is quickly becoming the go-to material for designers and crafters. Bonus: Since it’s derived from the outer bark of cork oak trees, the supple stuff is entirely natural and renewable.

1. Thoroughly clean and dry your vase. (We used an empty Pom Tea glass.)
2. Cut adhesive-backed cork into narrow strips and wrap around the vase, starting at the bottom and working up around the cylinder.
3. Repeat until the glass is entirely covered. Multicolored adhesive cork circles are another great option for a more bubbly look.

—Becky Eaton

1. We dyed one side of the cork by brushing on three coats of beet juice. Allow to dry between coats. You can also add stripes of color by blocking off areas with masking tape and painting with bright acrylic colors.
2. Cut sheet to desired length and width.
3. To create the bowed ends of the trays, make a cut down the center of the short ends. Place one corner over the another and adhere with wood glue. We used masking tape and binder clips to hold the shape in place until it dried.

—Donna Piacenza and Jody Work

1. To create this little slice of nature we used Ikea’s Heat trivet and added “bark” by gluing a strip of dark cork around the edges. Burnish a few tree rings on its surface to add to that woodland effect.

—BE

1. Cut a sheet of cork to suit the size of your table.
2. Using a utility knife, cut X’s in the cork where desired, each line about 1" longer than the candle diameter.
3. Insert the tapers through the X’s, using a short holder under the cork for support, if necessary.

—DP and JW

1. Cut strips to desired length and width.
2. If you’d like, burn guest names into the strips using a wood-burning tool.
3. Twist the ring once (Möbius-style) and glue the ends together with a small overlap.
4. Hold the ends together with masking tape and/or binder clips until dry.

—DP and JW

1. We dyed one side of the cork by brushing on three coats of beet juice. Allow to dry between coats.
2. Cut the square shape to desired size, approximately 4" x 4". We eyeballed the shapes intentionally, embracing a handcrafted feel.
3. . Make diagonal slices across the coaster, approximately  " apart. Cut  " strips (we used natural cork to contrast with the red dye) and weave them through the slits in the cork.

—DP and JW

{ TIP } Cork comes in all sorts of shapes, sizes, and textures. In addition to your local hardware store, check out corkstore.com to browse the various styles.