Christmas Train Wine Cork Ornament

Christmas is coming and it’s time to get creative and make your own Christmas train wine cork ornament.  This adorable craft idea is so easy to make, great for crafting with kids, and looks great on any holiday tree!  Let your creativity flow and make an ornament custom to your style.  This is ideal for letting kids use their imaginations to make an ornament that reflects their personality!

Christmas Train Wine Cork Ornament

Trains and Christmas go together perfectly. I am not sure why but you will always see trains around when it comes to Christmas. Whether you just want to bring the fun of trains to your Christmas tree or you are sticking with tradition, this wine cork ornament is perfect.  It is so easy to make. You might want to make an extra one because you know the kids are going to want to play with one while you are having the other on the Christmas tree.

If you have more corks left and want to create something else for Christmas, check out the wine cork reindeer ornament or this adorable wine cork snowman ornament.  They are super cute on your tree, but you might also want to check out this list of DIY projects using wine corks for more inspiration!

Should I Paint My Train?

This is one of those answers that only the artist can decide. It is completely up to you. You can leave the train its natural color or you can choose to paint it. I would use acrylic craft paints if you choose to paint it. Water-based paints will not work well for a solid color on the corks.  They can, however, offer a slight stain that looks good on cork if you don’t want that solid look.

Once your train has dried, you can use a small paint brush, one that is intended for details, and then you can easily paint the corks and add the details like spokes on wheels, or stripes along the side of the train.  Use your imagination, or just look at what other toy trains look like and follow their style on your own.

What Could I Use to Add Steam on the SmokeStack?

If you want to add steam to the smokestack you need something that is puffy and white or gray. Things like a cotton ball that is pulled apart or fiberfill, like stuffing that is used inside of toys or pillows. You can also use something as simple as white pipe cleaners or Chenille stems as smoke.

Whatever you are using, you want to make it light and puffy. Think about how the smoke puffs out of the stack and this is the look that you want to make. The cotton ball is the easiest to make puffy and light and is something that you most likely already have on hand.

What Glue is Best For Using With Cork?

When you are gluing cork, regular crafting glue doesn’t hold together very well. There are several types of glue that will work, however. Hot glue is the most widely used glue. That is because it is easy to work with. It is easy to find and it holds well. It also works fast.

Other glues that work are things like Gorilla Glue and E6000. These glues will hold the corks together well. You can find these glues in the crafting sections or hardware sections of major stores.

If you are crafting with children, you want to avoid hot glue. It is easy to get burned using hot glue guns. You will want to choose one of the other glues but you want to use ones that will not stick to children’s fingers.  Of course, you can also look into things like cold glue guns for safety.

Supplies Needed

How to Make a Wine Cork Train Ornament

To make your wine cork train ornament, you will start by cutting your corks and preparing them to glue together.

Start by cutting one cork in half lengthwise.  Set this cork aside.

Next, cut one cork in half to create two thick pieces – cut through the middle opposite of the one above.

Now, cute 7 rounds from cork. I used two corks, cutting 5 out of one, and the other one a matching 2 rounds.  All about 1/4″ thick.

To assemble your train, glue two whole corks together with one of them standing up and the second one laying down and glued against the bottom of the first.  This will create the train body.

Next, glue one of the round 1/2 cork pieces to the top, end part, of the base cork on the body of the train – the one laying down.

Then, glue one of the lengthwise 1/2 cork pieces onto the standing taller end of the train.  This should give you an overall look of a train body.

Now, glue one of the 1/4″ rounds to the end of the train.

And then, glue three of these same rounds on each side of the train to resemble the wheels.

If you wish to paint or decorate the train, now is the time to do that.

Pierce the top of the train cork and push a loop of twine or ribbon through and seal in place with glue for hanging on the holiday tree.

More Christmas Ornament Ideas

If you want to make more DIY ornaments, look no further than the ideas below.  So many great ways to add beautiful things to your holiday tree!  Make sure that you bookmark these ideas, print out the tutorials, or pin them to a Pinterest board to make soon!

Finished Project Gallery

This can be used as a holiday ornament or part of a holiday diorama.