My parents and grandparents lived through the Recession and were great at using what they had and being creative using what they had. They were also so much better saving their money than those of us today.

My friends and I like to drink cheap, sweet wine. What do you do with all the bottles and corks? Throw them out? Why not reuse them?!  Today I am going to share with you ten uses for wine corks that you might never have thought of doing!

1.    Use As a Pin Cushion

I hate to sew, but I will sew buttons back on. When I go into my sewing basket my fingers always get stabbed when I try to pick up a needle. Use a wine cord as pain cushion! I have one cork that I use for needles and one cord that I use for pins. No more stabbed fingers!

2.    Knitting Needle Pin Cushion

My mom used to crochet, and my grandmother used to knit. They would always have problems (especially my grandmother) moving their projects from one place to another. Their afghans would start to slip off the needles and they would have to go back and “restitch” the row. Instead, just push the sharpened end of the needle into a wine cork and it will alleviate having to go back and restitch.

3.    Pot Lid Knob

My other grandma loved to cook German meals for us, and I remember one time she was upset that her lid to the pot that she was using was missing its knob. My grandfather went down to the basement and came back up with a screw and a cork. He pushed the screw up through the hold in the pot lid and carefully twisted the cork until it was secure. Added bonus? Wine corks are heatproof!!

4.    Avoid Overpouring

When I go to Little Italy in Philadelphia, I love to pick up a bottle of balsamic vinegar. This is not just any bottle of balsamic vinegar. It is thick and extremely tasty and expensive. The last thing that I want to do is to overpour any of this deliciousness and waste it. Just cut a ¼” wide wedge down the length of the cork and slip it into the bottle neck. (I used an exacto knife.)  This creates a smaller gap that will prevent me from overpouring and help me to save every precious drop. This works great with other expensive vinegars and oils as well.

5.    No More Boot Tray Puddles

My husband and son work outside and after a snowy or rainy day our boot tray is just a puddle of water with the boots sitting in it. Too many times I have heard them complaining that their shoes were still wet on the bottom and that they were cold. Just line the tray with wine corks and it will soak up the excess water, leaving their boots dry!

6.    Quick Fire Starter

We love to sit outside with a fire. But sometimes the wood is slow to catch fire. Take a glass jar, put a couple wine corks along with some rubbing alcohol in the jar. (Make sure to keep this jar away from fire and stove – it is flammable!)  When you are ready to start a fire, just put one of the soaked wine corks on the kindling and light. The rubbing alcohol is flammable and will catch fire quickly and stay lit to ignite the firewood.

7.    Chip Clip Alternative

My family are a bunch of snackers, and we need more chip clips, so that our snacks stay fresh! A wine cork can be used! Just use a knife to cut a slit into the end of the wine cork and slide it over a folded, closed bag. It was function as a chip clip, keeping the bag closed and food fresh!

8.    Bulletin Board

Do you leave notes for your family, and they claim that they never see the notes? Make a bulletin board using a large picture frame from the Dollar Store! Just take out the glass, cut the corks in half, and glue onto the frame. Hang it up in the kitchen where everyone can see it!

9.    Cat Toys

When I was single, I had three cats. Their cat toys always seemed to disappear. (Only to find under the refrigerator months later.) Take a cord and carefully put a hole through the center of it with a screwdriver. Just thread pieces of string or ribbon through the hole. Hang it from a closed door to keep the cat entertained for hours.

10 Keep Household Plants Happy

I try to grow plants indoors. Sometimes I have a green thumb and sometimes I do not. Then I learned this trick:  take about ten wine corks or so and grind them up. Mix them into the soil that you will be using for the plants. The put the plant in the pot. Whenever you water your plants, the corks will expand with the water and will slowly release it when the soil dries out.

BONUS:  My blog is called Saving Money AND Making Money. Here is a tip to help you make money with wine corks. After you have saved 50, 75 or 100, go onto eBay and sell them. Crafters will pay for wine corks!!

There you go, ten ways to use wine corks and one way to make money!!!

As my husband always say, Saving Money IS Making Money!