Use Wine Bottle Labels As Art

Wine tastes great and looks great. However, have you ever looked at a wine bottle's label? They're quite often pieces of art in and of themselves. This article will show you how you can take wine bottle labels and turn them into art.

Steps

  1. Remove the wine bottle label intact. There are several ways to do this. If you are planning to prepare more than one label, plan on removing them from the bottles one at a time (if using a "heat" method) so that the labels don't get overheated or cool before you are ready for them.
    • If the label feels like a plastic-like sticker that would come off easily, then soak the bottle in warm water for 30 minutes. You can try to remove the back label, and if it comes off clean at first, then try the soaking method. However, most wine labels are basically just regular paper with glue on the back of them.
    • Heat a clean, empty, open wine bottle in an oven for 10 minutes at 100 degrees F (38 degrees C), or use a hair dryer set on low. Remove the bottle with an oven mitt. Or, pour boiling water into the bottle, and let sit for 15 minutes. Careful, it will be hot!
    • Peel off the corner of the label by trying to flake it off with a knife, then pulling the label off, slowly, so as to not rip the label. You need to do this before the wine bottle cools. Heating it up melts the glue; when the bottle cools, the glue does, too.
  2. Place the label onto some stiff paper or cardstock. Try to pick a colour that matches the label or is neutral. Don't worry about aligning it with the sides. It can be as off-kilter as you want. Once the label is on the paper, check on any other bottles you have in the oven.
  3. Lay a picture frame over the label. Center the label as best you can in the frame. Mark lines with pencil on the outer border of the frame. Using a ruler, draw a complete rectangle around the label.
  4. Cut around the label on the lines you drew and place the cut-out into the picture frame. If it doesn't fit, trim the outside until it does.
  5. Hang the picture frame with the label in it. If you are planning to hang more than one in the same area, wait until all of them are ready, so that you can make adjustments more easily.
  6. Enjoy the finished product!

Tips

  • Go to your local dollar store in order to find cheap picture frames. You can sometimes find cheap art there, too.
  • Experiment with different color backings to contrast best with the label
  • Don't hang the frames by themselves. Try to add other wine-centric pieces of art around the frames.
  • If you do not have good success removing the labels, see if the vineyard that produced the wine would be willing to send you some extra labels. This is a particularly good option if you drink locally produced wine; you can just drop by, and they will often give you several labels just for asking.
  • You can use the one of the sheets that comes in the picture frame and cut a hole in the middle to use as matting. Or, you can purchase matting separately.
  • Alternatively, you can start a scrapbook recording all the different wines you've tried.
  • Instead of using paper or cardstock, try wrapping fabric tightly around the back of the frame and stick the label onto the fabric.

Warnings

  • Use oven mitts when handling the hot bottle.
  • Be careful if using a knife to remove the label.

Things You'll Need

  • Picture Frame(s)
  • Scissors
  • Oven & mitt or a hair dryer
  • Wine Bottles (Empty)
  • Paper/cardstock/Fabric
  • Pencil
  • Ruler
  • Nails
  • Hammer

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