Turn your old wine corks into an easy-to-pair statement necklace

Statement necklaces are an easy way to dress up any simple outfit. Throw one on top of a plain T-shirt and jeans, and you suddenly look polished and daring. By making a statement necklace with leftover wine corks, you can recycle something you would normally throw out, and design the perfect accessory to complement your wardrobe.

The tutorial uses neutral colors for beads and leather lace, but there are many options that pair beautifully with the rough texture of the wine cork. Keep in mind the palette your clothes typically fall in and what would work best with those hues. Make a couple of necklaces to give yourself some variety with your accessories. Just don’t throw out those wine corks!

- Two or three wine corks
- Utility knife
- All-purpose needle
- Embroidery floss, white
- Scissors
- Eight wooden beads; more are optional
- Leather lace, long enough to fit easily over your head
- Hot glue gun
- Hot glue sticks

1. Remove the ends of the wine corks with a utility knife, and cut seven slices of cork, each about 1/2-inch thick.

2. Thread an all-purpose needle with white embroidery floss, and pierce the first slice of cork.

3. Double back through the same slice of wine cork, leaving a small loop of embroidery floss on one side.

4. Tie the end of the embroidery floss tightly with the longer piece of embroidery floss you will use to thread the rest of the necklace. Trim the excess with scissors, leaving the long piece of embroidery floss.

5. Thread the rest of the necklace, alternating a wooden bead with a wine cork slice. End with a cork-bead-cork-bead pattern, using six beads and seven cork slices.

4. On the last round of wine cork, double back as you did with the first, leaving a small loop on the outside and tying off the embroidery floss on the other side. Trim excess embroidery floss.

5. Measure out enough length leather lace to fit the necklace easily over your head.

6. Loop one end of the leather lace through the loop made with embroidery floss on the outside of one of the cork slices.

7. Apply a small line of hot glue on the leather lace, and fold the end on top of it, trapping the embroidery floss loop.

8. Once the glue has dried, thread a wooden bead onto the leather lace to cover the glued area.

9. Thread a wooden bead onto the other end of the leather lace.

10. Repeat the process of gluing the leather lace and trapping the embroidery floss loop before moving the already threaded wooden bead into place over the glued area.

11. Let the necklace completely dry before wearing it.