To begin, start your collection. Though this isn't probably recommended for you wine connoisseurs, sometimes I'll just buy wine just for the LABEL. Warning: You might get some interesting wine. :) Once you have gotten a little collection (or even if you just want to do one at a time) you can begin.
I first began with filling my stink with HOT water. As HOT as you can get it. With my apartment begin extremely old, I am able to run boiling hot water straight from my tap, but I have in the past boiled water from the stove, then added it to the sink.
You then need to fill your wine bottles with water as well, or they will obnoxiously float.
Once you have all your water set up in your stink, and in your bottles spray the label you wish to remove GENEROUSLY with Goof Off. I've never tried anything else, but this stuff works great.
After you have applied it GENEROUSLY, submerged your bottles into your steaming hot water. Please make sure not to burn yourself, as I have done on numerous occasions. This should be fun not painful. :)
Let them sit in the water for at least 10 minutes.
One time has lapsed, take a SHARP razor blade, like the one I have below (it has a safe nifty little holder for it),
and begin peeling off your label.
GO SLOWLY. Some will be super easy to remove, and other might take more time. If you rip the label, do not fret, it can easily be put back together, just keep removing as carefully as possible without ripping further.
Once you label is off the bottle place it on a white piece of paper.
When they are all on your paper, place another on top, and then add something heavy to the top. (Like obnoxiously large textbooks. The paper will soak up the remaining glue and water, and the heavy object will allow your label to flatten nicely. (The is the point where, if you have a tear, can fix it to the best of your ability.)
After a day or so you can remove you heavy object and store your labels for another time. Please note: some labels will not come off your piece of paper. If this is the case just careful cut around the label with scissors. I do not even remove the label from the paper anymore. It gives them a clean/sturdy backing for whatever I decide to use them for.
I would love to see some of the things you use your labels for. Please feel free to send me pictures or post comments.
P.S. Happy Independence Day! Hope everyone has the opportunity to EAT, DRINK (save your bottles for labels), and BE MERRY!!!!
