Wine Cork Bee Earrings

I was in my yard recently when I realized that our hanging bird house had become a hanging bee house. It was so wonderful to see that a colony of bumble bees had made their home at our home. We couldn't keep the hive where it was, but I had a local beekeeper take the whole bee house to a nearby apiary.

Right after, I saw the bee contest come up and really wanted to do something beeish. Since I make jewelry and live near lots of wineries, these super easy recycled wine cork bee earrings seemed perfect. And I love how the cork texture brings out the bee fuzziness!

Tie these bee earrings onto a jar of local honey for an awesome gift : )

Old wine corks (each cork makes 1-2 pairs)

Bee rubber stamp

Permanent ink stamp pad

22 gauge eye pins

Earring wires (I like surgical steel)

Yellow acrylic paint (optional)

Serrated knife

Sand paper

Dust rag

Use a sharp serrated knife to cut slices of cork. About 6mm is a good width.

Lay a piece of medium sand paper on a flat surface. Sand the surfaces of your slices by moving them around the paper in large circles. Remember to sand both sides. Wipe off the dust with a damp cloth.

Use a rubber stamp and permanent black ink to stamp bees onto the cork. Stamp both sides.

Cut the end off a 22 gauge eye pin at an angle with wire cutters. This makes a pointy end to stick in the cork. Cut it short enough that the end won't poke through the other side.

Stick the eye pin firmly in one edge of the cork as far as it will go and add an ear wire to the loop.

Accent with waterproof yellow paint.

I like the rustic look, but you can add a varnish if you want.

Have fun!