Super Cheap Wine Cork Shadow Box DIY

So I've been seeing these shadow boxes full of wine corks with cheeky wine quotes on the glass. They're selling on Etsy for like. $75 -- I thought "oh, I could totally do that" so I searched pinterest for "wine cork shadow boxes" + found only the ones that you can buy already completed (side note -- I just did that same pinterest search + there are tons of how-to's now. Figures.)

So I started this project a little before I thought "hey! I could blog about this!" + you'll have to forgive me for the late start on photos. Anyways -- here's what you'll need:

-- top loading shadow box (I found mine at Michael's + it even had a picture of wine corks in it..)
-- rubbing alcohol
-- "all purpose paint" (I used a Martha Stewart pearl color that specifically mentioned use on glass)
-- paint brushes
-- print out of the quote you want + how you want it to look (I used "the best wines are the ones we drink with friends")
-- beer or glass of wine..

First, you need to "cure" the glass with alcohol. Which means you have to basically clean the surface with alcohol... not drink beer.

Wait, this isn't what you meant by cure with alcohol?

Then tape your "stencil" inside the box. This was the best idea I could have had (unless I had a Circuit machine, because then this would have been so much easier...) after that, I painted over the letters + let them dry about an hour between coats, added some wine corks I had on hand, + viola! 

When it is nice + full of wine corks, you won't be able to see that I didn't think about the cardboard on the back showing through when I started the project. I wish that it was a little smoother -- but I like that you can tell it's handmade + not something I dropped a lot of money for. I spent about $20 on the entire thing. 

While I didn't manage to get a picture of myself, my friend Laura (the recipient of said shadowbox), + our first bottle(s) of wine enjoyed to add corks to the collection -- I did end up with this one + it feels like a very fitting end to this short little DIY story.