How to make a lovable wine cork Valentine bear

This little recycled wine cork Valentine bear is cute as a button just sitting down or you can add a wire hanger and attach him to a bag of special candies.  Make him out of corks from a special celebration or wedding and you can mark the date on the bottom with a sharpie marker.

Write with the sharpie on the bottom the date of this special wine cork Valentine bear for a lasting keepsake.  

Wine cork Valentine bear 

You will need:

3 wine corks

1 champagne cork

1/8” thick cork sheet available at craft stores

Small awl or pointed nail

Xacto or craft knife

Scrap of white and red felt

Tiny brown pom pom

Black dimensional fabric paint or small black beads

20-gauge wire

Wire cutters

Ruler

Fine line marker

220 fine sandpaper

Piece of heavy corrugated cardboard to cut on

Glue gun and glue sticks

(Optional hanger)  Scrap of 22-gauge red wire

1.     Protect your work surface with one or two pieces of heavy corrugated cardboard. Using two matching wine corks and the Xacto 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.     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 Xacto 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 diagonally and cut.  You will have two arm pieces.  (Save the other half for another bear or discard)

  

4.     Cut a ½” piece of 20-gauge wire.  Use the awl to make a pilot hole in an arm piece and insert the wire piece.  Make another hole in the body with the awl or nail, add some glue on the arm end with wire and insert into the body hole.  Repeat for other arm on opposite side.

5.     Trace and cut two ears (half moon shapes) on the flat 1/8” thick cork and use the Xacto 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 Xacto.  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. 

6.     If you choose to add a hanger, cut a 2 -inch piece of 22 gauge wire with wire cutters and fold in half to form a loop.  Make a hole in the center top of head with the awl or nail.  Add some glue to the ends of the wire and insert.

Finishing your Valentine wine cork bear

  

7.     Cut the muzzle into circle shape on a scrap of white felt. Glue to the front of the bear face. (See photo)  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.  (You can substitute black seed beads if you choose)

8.     Cut a large heart shape for the stomach from a scrap of red felt. Then add the heart to the stomach area with some hot glue. Next, cut two small heart shapes from the red felt and glue them onto the feet as pictured. 

Note: You can make a pattern for your heart shapes by folding a piece of paper in half.  Draw a curved half heart shape on the fold and cut out.  Open and trim to the size you need if necessary.