We get quite a few emails asking for a little tutorial on taking the labels off of wine and Pellegrino bottles, which we first did for our wedding back in 2007 to create little water, lemonade and sweet tea carafes for every table (we even recruited a local wine store to save bottles from their wine tastings for us so we could collect them en masse for free).
When it came to stripping the labels, we experimented with a few different ways but in the end nothing worked better than a little hour-long soaking session in hot water followed by a good scrubbing with a textured sponge (or even my fingernails- ever so lightly). After a good soak, everything slips right off.
Then a bit of Goo Gone (or de-gunking alternatives like olive oil, nail polish remover, or citrus juice) can be introduced if there’s still some residue, but usually the ol’ soak & scrub approach does the trick on its own. And that method isn’t an ancient memory because two years later we’re still saving pretty bottles and removing their labels to create an ever-growing collection of free glass vases that we like to group on a tray in the sunroom…
… or even use to add a few pops of green color to the floating shelves in the living room:
So there you have it. A little fast and easy label-removing tutorial that may just help you repurpose some of the things that could already be in your recycling bin at this very moment. Long live free decor- especially when it’s so easy to strip down!
Quintin Smith says
Meg,
I have also seen similar coffee tables at http://www.coffeetableshoppe.com. They have a great selection and good prices as well. Its were I got mine.
Rachel says
After soaking, I like to use a plastic taping knife before using the scrubby sponge to get the mass of label off. Saves the scrubby sponge from getting gunked up so quickly. It also helps remove the glue residue.
Love this site, by the way… just found it today.
Sarah says
Hey! I know you tried this project a while ago, and looked and couldn’t find it in the Blog (laziness was a factor too, so don’t look to hard into it because you really have done a great job organizing) But I just found this video on Pinterest on a better way to cut wine bottles than the nail polish remover rope trick! http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=sFXngPx3w3M#!
Hope you’re having a great day!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks for the tip!
xo
s
Nicole says
I’m definitely using the wine bottle idea for our wedding on a farm this September! Can I also ask what mint lemonade recipe you used?
YoungHouseLove says
Oh man, I don’t remember! I think it was just lemonade mix and fresh mint :)
xo
s
Natasha says
Hello!
I love this article – can I link to it on our Trinity Oaks Facebook page?
Thanks,
Natasha
YoungHouseLove says
Sure, feel free to link to any of our posts!
xo
s