The new year is around the corner, and there will be merriment aplenty at parties and gatherings to mark the end of 2008.

The corks that will be popped at the stroke of midnight can be gathered up and made into a really fun craft. Or make one of these knob bottlestoppers for the hostess of the party. She or he will be happy to have a fun stopper with which to plug any unfinished bottles at the end of the night.

I recently saw stoppers such as these sold at a local specialty shop for $37. Each of the stoppers pictured was made for about $6.50 and took about 10 minutes to make.

This craft project is great for people who are interested in recycling old items. Cabinet, door and plumbing knobs can be found locally at architectural salvage stores for $5 to $25. Or you may have some knobs from that recent remodeling job you did. Put them to good use and make a stopper or two.

Craft stores sell many sizes of corks in variety packs or four-packs of the same size for less than $3.

These stoppers can also be used for perfume, lotion or even spice bottles. Just be sure the knob is the proper size for the bottle and cork. Cabinet knobs would work great for smaller bottles, and many come with the hardware intact. The screw, then, is threaded through the cork.

For this project, you will need a doorknob or cabinet knob, a drill, a cork, a wooden dowel or sturdy chopstick, epoxy adhesive and spray polyurethane sealer.

If the knob you are using has a square hole, a chopstick can be a perfect fit. If it is round, use a properly sized wooden dowel.

Insert the chopstick or dowel into the base of the doorknob. Measure the extra length that will be needed to insert the stick into the cork. The stick doesn't have to go all the way through the cork, but should go more than halfway so it can help support the cork when being handled.

Cut the chopstick or dowel to this length. Secure the stick in the knob with the epoxy glue. If there is a screw on the side of the knob, use this to secure the stick.

Seal the knob with your spray sealer at this point. Allow it to dry.

Secure the cork and drill a hole in the center. If using a cabinet knob, drill completely through the cork. If using a doorknob, drill the hole almost the entire way through. Be sure to drill the hole to the proper size of the screw or the stick.

For the cabinet knob, place the knob on top then feed the screw through the cork. Secure it on the bottom of the cork with a nut.

For the doorknob, spread a layer of the epoxy on the end of the stick and insert it into the hole in the cork. You may have to tap it lightly with a hammer.

Allow 24 hours for the epoxy to set.

E-mail: cesbenshade@lnpnews.com