Advent How To - Making Scented Cork Decorations

For 2014 we have decided a two-fold Advent Calendar.  On the Backyard Patch Facebook Page we are posting a recipe a day beginning November 30 and continuing through Christmas Day.  Each week will be a different theme.  This week it is side dishes.  Stop over there around 6 pm everyday for the new recipe.

On the Blog we have decided to share a weekly HOW TO.  Each we will have a recipe, gift or decorating item to enhance your holiday and give you a moment to reflect. 

The first week we did Scented Pine Cones.  The second week we featured Herb Butter Cookies. This week we thought we'd give you something you can place on your wrapped packages to provide an herbal touch.

This is a fun, quick, scented item you can make almost at the last minute to tie to a gift bag and make it extra special. 

Scent the corks with rosemary and clove orange essential oil for a scented and colored wine cork gift topper ornament.  Wire them together with jewelry wire or glue them with hot glue.  Colored ends make them holiday festive.

I had several of those synthetic corks and I used those along with the real corks for texture.

The MATERIALS:

5 corks

ribbon in two colors

thumbtacks

hot glue sticks and a gun

colors (stamp pads, water color markers, even crayons)

scents  (Essential oil or perfume oil)

The STEPS

Step One - Soak corks in water for 15 minutes to keep from crumbling before you cut them.

Step Two - Cut 5 corks in half.  This will give you enough to make one wreath, which will use 9 halves. I used an exacto blade and scissors and  to cut them.  You can also use a sharp knife or even a box cutter.

Step Three - Color ends of corks, you don’t need to color all of them.  This allowed me to use some of those synthetic corks in between as they do not take color or scent, but did make a great filler. If you color the ends when they are still wet, you get a watercolor like shade.

Step Four - Attach corks in a circle with the hot glue.

Step Five - Scent corks.  You can only add scent well to a real cork.  Add 2 to 5 drops of essential oil to the uncolored sides of the cork and allow to soak in.  Pine, cinnamon, clove orange or rosemary are all good choices or a combination of rosemary and citrus scents.

Step Six – Add ribbon.  Using one color of ribbon to make a loop about 6 inches long.  A second piece of ribbon (about 9 inches in length) create a fold-over bow.  Attach both pieces of ribbon to the top cork with a thumb tack.   I used clear push pins, but I think a gold tack pin would have looked nice too.  You now have a bow and a hanger.  Attach it to your gift bag or wrapped present.