Seek Love: Wine Cork Art

I think that the original pin for this project was one of the first pins I ever saw on Pinterest, but just recently did I realize that the link led to nothing. So to right that wrong and use up some wine corks that I've been hoarding, here's a DIY of making art out of some simple materials! Feel free to pin this one, so you actually have the steps for later!

First things first, you need to get all of your materials. Except for the wine corks (obviously) I got all of my materials from WalMart, but I'm sure that they are readily available at any craft store as well. Also, you'll have to save up corks, there are places online that sell them as "supplies" but where's the fun in that? What you'll need: corks, paint, brushes, water cup, pater towels, newspaper, pencil, piece of wood, glue, stencil letters, and something to mix your paints in that you don't mind ruining. I also encourage you to put on your favorite Pandora station because this project does take a while. I highly discourage you allowing your curious kitten to "help" with this, though.

The first step is to paint your board. I originally thought I'd just use a canvas but, didn't think it'd be sturdy enough to hold up - use your discretion on that one. Also, if your board doesn't have a hook on the back, this is the prime time to add that on as well. Let this fully dry before going to the next step. During this time, I went out for dinner, but that's certainly not required.

Step two: Lay out the letters you want on your painted board and paint them in. Or just freehand this - I never trust myself fully to freehand everything, so I outlined my letters. Step three: you'll want to arrange the corks in the shape you'd like. I went with a heart because of the phrase that I put on it and because, Valentine's day is coming up and sometimes I pretend to like that frilly holiday haha

Once you know where you want your corks to go, either mark their places on the painted board, or leave them and work on this step as you go along. Paint just the top of the cork and glue the opposite end to the painted board. For this I used Krazy Glue because it works really well and dries fast. I also painted my heart in an ombre effect to give it some interest.

To finish off your piece of art, make any touch ups that you want and let everything dry overnight before hanging it up. If you'd like, you could also coat your whole piece in a sealer, I personally didn't want to because I don't mind getting an aged look over time.

Check out what other fabulous bloggers are pinning and doing with the H&K Style Journey link-up! 

And don't forget about the giveaway currently going on, hosted by writtenforyou!