A little OT: how to remove labels?
 

Mrs BamaVol and I celebrate 31 years of wedded bliss in 2 days. Woohoo!

For our anniversary, we bought a liquor cabinet and decanter / glass set for on top. I want to make a tray covered in labels from wine bottles. I think it's called decoupage. I got a cheap wooden tray from Hobby Lobby - it will take several days to recover from that place - and have a few empties laying around. I'm also willing to drink more wine - whatever's necessary. :D

But, I don't know how best to remove the labels without damage. any suggestions?

Soak bottles in hot water (fill insides too). Add some vinegar to the water and a little dish detergent. Don't leave in for more than 10 mins. Some will be easy and practically float right off. You may have to drink a tad more wine for those that don't give immediate success. Have something flat and plastic to let them dry on.

msv

Congrats on your 31st anniversary, that's quite an accomplishment.

There's a product called Goo Gone, usually at hardware stores, that is excellent for removong sticky labels.

Thanks. Funny, I was looking for Goo Gone for another use in Home Depot yesterday and it wasn't where it was supposed to be. I'll redouble my efforts, maybe even try Lowes, although one of my New Years resolutions is to avoid the place until they learn to open up enough cash registers to handle their customers.

I tried the hot water and razor blade, but it's slow going on some. I'll add vinegar and dish detergent and see if it's any easier. I'm finding that european labels come off easier than US, so far.

www.wineenthusiast.com

They have label savers that will work perfectly for you.

http://www.wineenthusiast.com/E/deta...2D266EBC659869

And CONGRATS on 31 years!

^

If you're willing to use new labels as opposed to say favorites from cellared bottles, you can frequently get spare labels free from wineries. This way you get a pristine label and avoid any work. I'd imagine you can find labels on eBay too.

Thanks. I wonder if these things are compatible with the other stuff required for decoupage? I think I'll be shellacing or varnishing.

Huh. I don't know that I would have thought of that, but I can certainly waste a couple stamps trying. ^

Why not make this a true travel project and actually go visit some wineries and gather labels from them as you go and when you have enough then create the tray, that way you have a real connection to all the labels on it!

Call the wineries you're interested in first to see if they have any available. Chateau St. Jean seems to have labels when I ask. I'm pretty sure you wouldn't have a problem getting labels from Veuve Clicquot. They're giving them out right now at Design Within Reach stores for a design contest they're co-sponsoring. You could probably write them for some if you don't have a DWR near you. http://www.veuve-clicquot.com/en/contact/contact.asp

Sorry, think you have to brave Hobby Lobby again for that. I think you will be using their "decoupage medium." I would shellack the tray first to seal it, which they may or may not recommend. You might also want to stain it first.

To remove lables, put bottles in bathtub covered in water (push them down so they fill up inside and don't float). Come back the next day and lables are either floating or just slide off. The colors don't fade in water.

Years ago we bottled our own wine - probably more than legally allowed - using bottles local restaurants saved for us. Go figure, we were poor and had more time than sense.

We just tossed the lables and went on to sterilizing the bottles, but you could lay them flat on any hard surface and mabye pat them with towels, then put something on top to keep them flat. How many are your talking about anyway?

Most bottle labels come loose with lots and lots of soaking. Don't rush the process.

Goo Gone is fantastic stuff, but not for this project. It's for price tags and things that use that supposedly non-removable adhesive. (Try a hair dryer first, and have lots of patience. Don't rush the process.)

I drank the wine. In several cases, I visited the winery. There are notes (occasions like closing on a house or 25th aniversary) and autographs (the friends who helped us drink the bottle) on some labels. I already feel connected. Those labels can go on top. Unfortunately, I did not save sufficient bottles to cover the whole tray. Fortunately, I can still re-acquire some and start over, but I'm afraid I don't have the time or money to revisit. If I had to wait until I had time and money, it might not be done for decades. The rest of the labels will have to just be colorful background. Ah, well.

Yeah, I've made my own "beer" and bottled it in plastic 20 oz coke bottles.

I am finding that the labels need to be flattened, especially if they needed razor-blading. I put them between paper towels and put a couple heavy books on top. They don't need to be perfect; a scar or wrinkle adds character (just like me and Mrs BamaVol). I'm thinking 50 or so may be enough.

I will probably stain and polyurethane the tray first. It has all the strength and character of balsa wood. If I need anything more from Hobby Lobby <shudder>, I will have to send Mrs BamaVol.

Sorry I didn't see this sooner. I just asked my girlfriend about this because I've seen her repeatedly removing wine bottle labels using the oven. She says bake at about 250 for about 15 minutes, then handle with extreme care, of course. The labels just peel right off many bottles while they're still warm. Tougher labels may still require the soaking. Soaked labels are more fragile, though, or seem so to me, so I'd rather avoid soaking if possible, if I were doing this.