How To Remove A Label From A Wine Bottle And Apply Your Own

Getting the label off a wine bottle - it sounds so simple, but if you’ve ever been left battling with the sticky leftover residue, or dealt with a crinkled, peeling replacement sticker, you’ll know that isn’t always the case. Follow these steps and you’ll master the art straight away. 

Recycling and upcycling: re-using wine bottles

There’s so many fun, creative ways you can reimagine wine bottles old and new. 

You might replace the existing label on full bottles of wine with personalised versions as wedding favours, birthday presents or corporate gifts.

Or if you’ve been collecting old bottles, the crafting possibilities are endless. Wine tile coasters, wine bottle lights, wine bottle bird feeders and wine bottle succulent planters are just a few of our favourite ideas. But before you begin, you’ll need to remove the label from the wine bottle.

How to remove a label from a wine bottle without leaving residue

The best way to remove the label from your wine bottle will depend on whether or not it still has wine inside - and which resources you have readily available. 

For full wine bottles - the baking soda method

• Fill a bucket or sink with room temperature water and add 10 tablespoons of baking soda 
• Soak the labelled part of the bottle in the solution for around 30 minutes 
• Remove the bottle from the water and wipe the label off with a cloth. Remove any leftover residue with steel wool, a butter knife or your fingernail
• Dry the bottle with a towel once it’s clean 
  
  

For empty wine bottles - the hot water method 

• Soak the bottle in warm water. This will prevent the sudden temperature change causing cracks in the glass 
• Wearing gloves, fill the bottle with hot water from the kettle or hob.
• Let the bottle sit for around 10 minutes.
• Scrape off the label with steel wool or a butter knife.

Adding your own custom labels to a wine bottle

If you intend on replacing the label, you’ll want to work with care and precision so your creation looks even sleeker than the original.

• Make sure the bottle is fully clean, dry and at room temperature
• Secure the bottle on a firm surface so it doesn’t roll around. This could be your lap, or an egg carton
• Peel back the backing of your new label from an angle in one corner
• Using the seam of the bottle as a guide, centre the label over the bottle 
• Place a small section of the centre of the label down first and check that it’s even. If not, it shouldn’t do much damage to gently remove and replace. Otherwise, press the rest down and smooth outwards with firm pressure
• Leave the bottle at room temperature for the next day to ensure the adhesive sets properly 

Custom wine bottle labels from StickerShop

To replace the original with the highest quality wine bottle sticker, take a look at all the options StickerShop has to offer. We produce a full range of wine bottle label sizes, in a number of different shapes - all fully customisable to your vision.

Simply upload your artwork, and choose between round, rectangle or oval; glossed or uncoated; then pick the right size for your bottle. We’ll print it on premium paper with high colour definition to help bring your idea to life in the best possible way.