DIY Cork Magnets

DIY Cork Magnets Tutorial

I’m so excited to share this little tutorial with you on how to make your own Happy Home Vibes using fake succulents and wine corks.

No Watering and No Worries!

These cuties really cheer up a small kitchen space. Place them on any magnetic surface — a dishwasher, a small or large fridge. Even a file cabinet in your office is a great place for a mini garden.

Did you know that gazing at plants reduces stress? We get into our refrigerators all day, so why not have a cute little garden on the doors to brighten things up?

First, wine corks make great keepsakes and remind us of a meaningful time spent with a loved one or group of friends.

Second, a great many wine corks have really cool artwork imprinted on them which makes them even more fun to display.

Lastly, I’m always looking for ways to improve the mood and happiness-vibes factor in every room. These faux succulent magnets will do the trick for any kitchen or office space!

Get Creative.

Showcase succulents, dried flowers, feathers, or wire sculpture — anything small and lightweight will look brilliant in your wine cork garden.

And Now the Tutorial…

Items You’ll Need:

1. Cordless Drill with Drill Bits
2. Two Drill Bits:
   • Large drill bit for magnets 7/32″
   • Small drill bit for succulent stem 9/64″
3. Glue
4. Magnets (which ever mini magnets you choose, just match your drill bit to the diameter of the magnet).
5. Fake Succulents: Set No. 1 | Set No. 2 | Set No. 3
6. Wire Cutters
7. Recycled Wine Corks (in case you don’t have your own)
8. X-acto Blade

How To Assemble:

1. I worked sitting down on my kitchen floor with a paper bag under my project to catch bits of drilled cork and any excess glue.
2. Determine which side of the cork you want facing out (preferably showing the cool artwork) and drill the magnet holes on the opposite side.
3. I used one hand to hold the cork and the other to drill the holes:
   1. Drill one small hole on top for the succulent stem
   2. Drill two larger holes on the side, down the length of the cork (spread out about an inch) for the magnets. I recommend using two magnets for maximum strength. Try to drill just deep enough to match the depth of the magnets.
4. Using wire cutters, cut off small little sections from a larger plastic succulent. (Really small, fake succulents were hard for me to find, so this was my work around!)
5. Squirt a bead of glue into the top hole and gently wedge your succulent stem into the hole.
6. Dab some glue into each of the holes for the magnets and press the magnets into place. Try to make sure the magnet surface is flush with the cork surface by not pushing them down too deep.
7. Let the glue dry before placing onto your fridge.
8. Place the cork magnet onto the appliance and look from the side to see if it makes full contact. (You don’t want them falling off every time you open the fridge door).

Adjust as Necessary.

You might need to use an X-acto Blade to shave off some of the cork on the back side around the magnets (so that the cork will lay flat against the surface).

On a few of my first tries, I drilled down too deep for the magnets, pushed them too far in and then they wouldn’t make contact with the fridge very well.

With any crafty project like this, there will be some trial and error. But be patient and your little fridge garden will grow and look amazing!

Let me know in the comments how your DIY Cork Magnets Garden worked out for you.