Penguin Cork Ornaments to Make

Penguin cork ornaments are a great way to add winter fun to your holiday decor!

If you're a wine lover like I am, you might have a handful of corks you aren't sure what to do with! I always toss my corks into a large glass bowl with hopes of one day doing something with them. This year, I decided it was time to make penguin cork ornaments for the Christmas tree!

Once I started making one penguin, I swear they just began to multiply! They are so cute and easy to make that I just couldn't stop! I grabbed every color fleece I had and made cork ornament in every color!

If you don't have any corks, you can always buy them. I use natural corks, so I'm not sure how a synthetic cork will work in this application. If you are intimidated in painting on such a small item, I have just the trick! The perfect brush! I always use this #6 round brush and it makes beautiful fine lines. It's perfect for this cork ornament project!

How to Make Penguin Cork Ornaments

Materials:

all natural corks
white acrylic paint
black acrylic paint
paint brush
small screw eyes
black and orange permanent marker
scrap pieces of fleece or fabric
hot glue & hot glue gun
baker's twine or yarn for hanging

Instructions:

Check over your corks and make sure they aren't broken or have a giant hole in one end. Paint your corks with a 1" wide strip of white acrylic paint. I like to use a premium acrylic paint in a semi-gloss finish. It seems to coat and cover well. Let dry.
Use your round paint brush to create a heart-like shape onto the front of the white strip. Paint the remaining cork black and let dry.
Cut a piece of fleece or fabric ¼" x 6" in length. Wrap around the penguin and knot it. Fold the top piece over the knot and secure it with hot glue. Trim the ends of the scarf.
Use a black permanent marker to draw eyes onto your penguin and an orange beak.
Screw a screw eye into the top of the cork. Use baker's twine or yarn and thread it through the screw eye to hang.