Sea Tow Foundation’s DIY Craft Time: Cork Sailboat

It’s time to drop anchor on another Sea Tow Foundation boating craft! You don’t need to be on your boat to keep the boating lifestyle going strong. Continue to make wonderful memories from the comfort of your own home.

The Sea Tow Foundation has created a monthly nautical craft to help bring those boating memories home. These crafts are easy for anyone to make and require limited tools and materials. In fact, all of the tools and materials are available at online retailers, or at a local craft store if you don’t already have the items lying around your house. Younger children may need the help of an adult for some portions of the craft project, but they can help with most of the personalization of the crafts. And many of these crafts make great homemade gifts!

In this month’s craft project, make a fun sailboat that really floats and enjoy racing them in the backyard pool, creek or even the bathtub!

Materials to Make a Cork Sailboat:

• 5-9 Wine Corks
• Popsicle Sticks
• Foam sheets of various colors
• Construction paper
• Hot glue
• Scissors
• Knife or box cutter
• Markers
• Pencil
• Ruler

Directions for How to Make the Cork Sailboat:

1. Line the corks on a table side by side and apply hot glue to secure them together. The more wine corks you use, the larger your boat will be.
   Safety Note: Since the glue can be very hot, please ensure that children are supervised or that an adult takes care of this step.
   
   

    

2. Once the glue has had a chance to dry, use the knife to cut a slit into the middle of one of the center corks that is large enough for the popsicle stick to be inserted.
   Safety Note: Adults should handle the knife used in this step to avoid injury to children.
   
   

    

3. Draw a large rectangle on the foam sheet with the pencil and use the scissors to cut it out. Cut a horizontal slit ½ inch from the top and bottom edges. Then decorate with the markers. If using the knife, an adult should take over this step.
   
   

    

4. Slide the foam sheet onto the popsicle stick and bend to form a sail.

    

5. Draw a small triangle on the construction paper and cut it out. Glue this to the top of the popsicle stick as a racing burgee.
   
    
6. Insert the popsicle stick into the cork base and your sailboat is ready for the water and its first race!

Congratulations on making your own Cork Sailboat! Share your creations with us on Facebook and Instagram by tagging @SeaTowFoundation and using the #DIYNauticalCraftTime

If you found this article helpful or entertaining, please consider a donation to the Sea Tow Foundation today to help us continue our efforts to educate boaters and keep them safe on the water. You can donate securely online at www.boatingsafety.com/donatetoday or by clicking on the DONATE tab at the top of the page.