Make this sweet little wine cork Mardi gras bear. He looks so adorable
just sitting on a shelf, or if you desire you can add a wire loop for
hanging.
The upcycled cork wine cork Mardi gras bear joins other creations like the Wine cork Easter bunny. It’s so easy and so much fun to make. So let’s get started.
Materials:
3 wine corks
1 champagne cork
1/8” thick cork sheet available at
craft stores
Small awl or pointed nail
X-acto or craft knife
Scrap of white felt
Tiny brown pompom
Black dimensional fabric paint
Small amount of 20-gauge wire
Wire cutters
Ruler
220 fine sandpaper
Piece of corrugated cardboard to cut
on
Hot glue and hot glue sticks
Small cork stopper
Tacky craft glue
Purple and gold glitter
Tiny seed beads, beading needle and
thread
Mardi Gras wine
cork bear
1. Protect your work surface with one or two pieces of heavy
corrugated cardboard. Using two matching wine corks and the X-acto knife, slice
thinly down each cork. Rub on the fine sandpaper to smooth. This
will allow the corks to be stable. Run a bead of hot glue down the side of one
cork and attach them together. These are the legs and base of your bear.
2. Next, add a generous amount of hot glue on the bottom of the
champagne cork (Body) focusing on the areas where it attaches to the legs.
Center the body on the legs and attach. (See photo)
3. Measure and mark a line halfway across the third wine
cork. Use the X-acto knife to cut the cork in half. Rub the cut end
of one half on the sandpaper to smooth. Turn the half cork on its end and
mark in half and cut vertically. You will have two arm pieces.
(Save the other half for another bear or discard) Cut a small piece of wire and insert into the
arm pieces. Use a nail or all to make a
hole in the side of the bear body, add some glue to the wire and insert into
the bear. Repeat for other arm.
4. Trace and cut two ears (half moon shapes) on the flat 1/8” thick
cork and use the X-acto to cut out. Cork cuts easily but at that
thickness it is simpler to cut them out using short strokes with the pointed
end of the X-acto. If there are any rough areas lightly rub against the
sandpaper. Trim to fit the head if
necessary. Add some glue to the edges of the ears and attach to each side of
the head.
5. Cut the muzzle into a circle shape on a scrap of white felt.
Glue to the front of the bear face. Glue a tiny brown pom pom to the
muzzle for a nose. Add some dots of dimensional black fabric paint for the eyes
and let dry.
6. Now using the pattern, from a piece of cardstock cut the mask
and hat brim. Attach the small cork stopper to the brim with some tacky
glue. Place the hat and the mask on a
piece of cardboard; coat each piece with some thinned tacky glue and sprinkle
with the glitter. Let dry
completely.
7. Next, add some glue to the top of the bear’s head in between the
ears and attach the hat. Add a small
sparkle pompom on top of the hat with some more glue. Poke a hole on each side of the mask with a
nail or pin and insert the thin elastic, knotting on each side. For a finishing
touch use some tacky glue to add tiny seed beads all around the mask. (Mask
made)
8. Finally make the beads.
Using bead thread and the seed beads make as many necklaces and in any
colors as you want. Hang some from his
hands or place around the bear’s neck.
