Artsy Wine

Growing up, I had a family friend who had used actual wine labels to wallpaper their bathroom. Ever since I saw this genius idea, I've thought about how I could use wine labels to decorate. While I didn't have the patience to collect enough wine labels to cover four walls (even small ones), I did save enough to make some wall art. Directions on how to replicate this wine label wall art can be found below!

{My first wine label collage with painted silhouette wine bottle on canvas} 

After I shared my idea with my father, he made his own rendition of wine label art... (the charcoal drawings in the middle are mine)

{Wine labeled wood frame border with original charcoal drawings at the center}

I'm now planning a second wine related project with all of the corks I've been collecting over the last couple of years. I likely have over 50 corks from wines I have personally shared with family and friends, which will make it all the more unique and personal. I would love to turn the corks into an actual cork board and hang it in the kitchen. It will be perfect for pinning pictures, grocery lists and important papers. I can't wait to share the finished product when it's complete and hanging!

My cork collection

Soon to be transformed into a functional cork board!

How to peel & save labels for wall art (or for any other reason!)
Peeling labels from wine bottles is fairly simple, but does require some serious patience.
1) Once your done drinking your bottle, fill it with steaming hot water. I usually let the faucet run for a few minutes before filling.
2) Let the filled bottle sit for 5-10 minutes. The hot water will melt the glue holding the label from the inside of the bottle (and without damaging the label).
3) After 10 minutes, test the corner of the label by slowly peeling it back. If it easily peels, continue with the rest of the label, starting at the corners and moving toward the middle. If the label does not peel back easily, spill out the water and refill with hot water a second time. Repeat until the label peels off.
*The label will likely still have adhesive glue on the back. When saving labels, place them on a plain sheet of paper so they do not stick together. 
4) Once you have your collection of labels saved, you can use wood, canvas or thick paper to glue down the labels (rubber cement works well and dries clear)