Artist and wine student Heather Luing has turned the byproducts of her classes into Live Life Uncorked, a local business and Etsy shop that offers a range of unique items made of upcycled corks, sparkling wine capsules and beer caps. She plans to reinvest those profits to open a wine lounge.

Luing says she started making her corks, capsules and beer caps into cheese knives and resin coasters over quarantine—and her business “just exploded.” Now every purchase gets her a little closer to her dream: “opening a wine lounge that focuses on small-production wineries and wine education in a very approachable, non-intimidating way.”

Her Etsy shop carries a wide variety of ready-made items, or customers can contact her to have something specially made.

“If you have corks from a special event or trip, I would be happy to preserve them in resin or make them into cheese knives so you can remember those special moments forever,” she says. “I also welcome cork, beer cap and sparkling wine capsule donations.”