The table in my breakfast nook wobbled every time someone leaned on it. Coffee cups rattled. Plates tilted. My wife put a folded napkin under one leg and called it fixed. The napkin worked for about three days before it compressed flat and the wobble came back.

I was about to buy furniture leveling shims at the hardware store when I remembered a trick someone told me years ago: wine corks. I had a drawer full of them — I live in California, wine corks accumulate like dust — and I figured it was worth a try before spending money.

Cut the Cork to Height

Flip the table over or tilt it so you can access the bottom of the short leg. Measure the gap between the leg and the floor — if the wobble is small, you probably only need about an eighth of an inch of extra height. Slice a wine cork to that thickness using a sharp utility knife. It does not need to be perfect — cork compresses slightly under weight, so cutting it slightly thicker than the gap is better than cutting it too thin.

Use wood glue or super glue to attach the cork slice to the bottom of the table leg. Let it dry for an hour. Flip the table back over.

Why Cork Works

Cork is compressible but durable. It will squish down just enough to level the table without crumbling. It also grips the floor better than a plastic shim, so the table is less likely to slide. And unlike a folded napkin, it will not compress flat over time. That cork on my breakfast nook table has been there for three years and the table is still solid.

No Cork? Other Options

A felt furniture pad stacked two or three layers thick works the same way. A slice of an old rubber sandal sole also does the job — not elegant, but nobody is looking at the bottom of your table leg. In a real pinch, a few layers of duct tape folded into a square will hold for a month or two.