Take those spent corks and make a trivet out of them. I like the idea of having a designated spot to show where the pumpkin or apple pie will go. Each design has a 10mm thick and 5mm thick version. The pumpkin one pictured is 5mm thick with 15mm thick pieces of cork used, so it has 5mm of cork protruding from each size. The one photo has a 5 quart pot on it for scale. The 10mm version would be better suited for uncut corks. The holes are 20mm across, which should give a nice friction fit with standard corks. I also included a file for a cork crusher. I used it in a vise to compress the corks for about 15 seconds, then was able to push them into the holes. After a little time they expand and hold very snugly.
The author marked this model as their own original creation.