Wine Wednesday: How To Make Seating Cards from Corks

By Caitlin Klein in Food on Feb 8, 2012 7:20PM

Happy Wine Wednesday, fellow sots. If you’ve been drinking your fair share of vino lately, then you probably have some corks laying around. Here is an easy entertaining tip and use for those old corks: turn them into seating card holders. Use cardstock to make the seating cards and slip them into the slit in the cork. These wine-centric place card holders can be used again and again by switching out the cards. Seating cards like these dress up a dinner party or add a themed accent to your table. If you’re throwing a large party, just drink more wine! (For the corks, of course.)

Materials and Tools:
Wine corks
Serrated blade or knife
Cutting board

Step 1: Get the cork to lay still without rolling.
Stand the wine cork on its end on the cutting board. Using your serrated blade or knife, carefully shave off a small piece of cork so the cork will lay flat without rolling. Use a sawing motion with the blade - do not try to press directly down or the cork might slip from your grasp.

Step 2: Make a slit in the cork to hold the seating card.
Using the same sawing motion, cut a slit in the cork. If you’re looking at the cork end-on, the slit should be at 1 o’clock so the cards lean back slightly - this will allow your guests to more easily see their places as they approach the table.

Step 3: Use cardstock and slide the seating card into the slit.
Ordinary paper probably won’t work with these wine cork seating card holders, because the paper needs some rigidity to slide in (hold your jokes, boys). If your card isn’t fitting, make the slit slightly wider by re-sawing it with your serrated blade or knife. Also try slipping the corner of the card in first, then sliding it into place.

Happy entertaining and wine drinking!