How many people just throw away their wine corks every time they have finished a bottle of wine? How many people collect them and don't know what to do with them?

This instructable will show the process of how to make a desk lamp by using wine corks.

Step 1: Materials and Tools

MATERIALS

A lot of wine corks!
Some wood pieces (I used 1/8" bass wood)
Socket
Light bulb
Wire

TOOLS

Bend saw
Scroll saw
Super glue
Wood glue
X-acto knife
Sanding machine
Laser cutter
Hand drill

Step 2: Cut the Corks

There are two ways to cut the corks into rectangles

First way is to cut each cork into rectangles by using a bend saw or any saw that works on cutting corks. This way produce better quality of cork board since you can adjust the size of the corks to fit with each other. However it is also very dangerous since your hand has the risk of being cut too :(

The second way (recommended) is to connect the corks head by head by using super glue first and then cut them into rectangular sticks. This is more efficient and safer but there will be more space in between corks.

Step 3: Connect the Corks

After cut the corks, use super glue to stick them together. Use the bend saw and the sanding machine to sand the board to the shape you wanted.

For this design, the sizes of each board is:

8.5" by 4.5"(The base)
parallel sides of the trapezoid: 8.5" and 4.5", height 4.5" (two trapezoids)
3.5" by 3.5"(the top of the box)
4" by 3.5" (the cover of the box)
3.5" by 5.5"(the side that is going to fit the light bulb and wire)

Note:

- Sand a 45 degree angle on one side of the base. (As suggested on the picture)

- Sand a 45 degree angle on both sides of the board that is going to fit the bulb.

- Slightly sand one surface of the cover board to make that surface tilt.

For the two trapezoids, I used an x-acto knife to cut a 1/8 wide line into the board and I glued two wood pieces on to the cover of the box so they can slide over each other.

Step 4: Wire the Lamp, Fit the Bulb to the Lamp

Here is a simple video that shows how to connect the wire to the socket. It works really well.

Use the laser cutter to cut a wood piece that well fits the socket and can hold it still, cut some wood pieces and connect them to the piece holds the socket. One of the two rectangular wood pieces should be twice as long as the other.

Draw a square that has the same size as the wood piece fits the socket on the cork board. Use a hand drill to drill four holes on each corner of the square. Use a scroll saw to cut the square out.

Pass the plug through the open square and drill a hole on the square you cut off. Make sure the hole fits the wire. Cut the square in half and then glue them back to the cork board.

Use a x-acto knife to cut a deeper path in the board so the wire could pass through and glue the wire into the path.

Use the wood glue to glue the wooden frame to the board.

Step 5: Connect the Boards and Fits the Light Bulb! Done!

Now, just connect each part except the cover together using wood glue and glue a piece of cork in between the wooden frame and the base. Take an hour nap for the glue to dry and slide the cover in. Plug the lamp. Done.

You can make your own wine corks table lamp!