Labels that peel off easily?

[Geronimo]

Those look nice and are reusable! I like that idea! Thanks for sharing!

At $1 a bottle, I'll pass.

 

[Kraffty]

I do like James but use two large coolers, one with hot water and soap and one with just water. Each holds 24 bottles and I soak for about 24 hours in the soap, clean off the labels then soak in water for a day or so as a rinse. I save them up and try to do 4 to 6 cases at a time.
Mike

 

[homer]

Use paper to print labels and stick on with 2% milk. bk

 

[cimbaliw]

I simply use neck labels, Avery 8167 return address to be specific. I use MS word > tools > mail merge to create the "masterpiece." I stick them on as I'm moving bottles from upright to sideways on the wine shelf and move on.

 

[Adame]

Do the shipping labels come off really easy. Obviously easier if for no other reason than they are smaller.

 

[novalou]

Do the shipping labels come off really easy. Obviously easier if for no other reason than they are smaller.

Shipping labels come off fairly easy after soaking a bit in hot water.

 

[jswordy]

I feel like such a broken record saying this.

1.) Make up your labels using Microsoft Word (free on most computers).

2.) Print them out on your printer on regular paper. Or, if like me you have a printer/copier, print 2 out and double them up on a page, then copy the remainder. Saves paper.

3.) Cut them out. I use a guillotine blade cutter I bought for $2 at a business sale.



4.) Pour some milk into a coffee cup and lightly coat the back of a label with an artist's brush (you can buy cheap small brushes at Harbor Freight for about $2 a bag of 25 or so). Don't be real heavy with the milk, a light coat works best. I like to paint the back of the label on a folded newspaper. You can see the outline of my painting work on the paper here and also my brush and coffee cup.



5.) Line up and affix the label lightly. Roll bottle over a folded up towel on a counter or table to press label on. The more you do this, the better you'll get at it. With some printer inks, you can smear it by rubbing over it while wet, so just line it up and roll it over the towel.



6.) Allow to dry. The label will be firmly affixed.



7.) Once the bottle is empty, run the label under hot tap water for a few seconds and peel or scratch it right off with your fingers. Ready for refill.

This is so easy, so simple, so cheap that it cannot possibly be any good. But it works and saves tons of label cleaning time. It's the only way I've ever made labels.

 

[ckvchestnut]

I feel like such a broken record saying this.

1.) Make up your labels using Microsoft Word (free on most computers).

2.) Print them out on your printer on regular paper. Or, if like me you have a printer/copier, print 2 out and double them up on a page, then copy the remainder. Saves paper.

3.) Cut them out. I use a guillotine blade cutter I bought for $2 at a business sale.



4.) Pour some milk into a coffee cup and lightly coat the back of a label with an artist's brush (you can buy cheap small brushes at Harbor Freight for about $2 a bag of 25 or so). Don't be real heavy with the milk, a light coat works best. I like to paint the back of the label on a folded newspaper. You can see the outline of my painting work on the paper here and also my brush and coffee cup.



5.) Line up and affix the label lightly. Roll bottle over a folded up towel on a counter or table to press label on. The more you do this, the better you'll get at it. With some printer inks, you can smear it by rubbing over it while wet, so just line it up and roll it over the towel.



6.) Allow to dry. The label will be firmly affixed.



7.) Once the bottle is empty, run the label under hot tap water for a few seconds and peel or scratch it right off with your fingers. Ready for refill.

This is so easy, so simple, so cheap that it cannot possibly be any good. But it works and saves tons of label cleaning time. It's the only way I've ever made labels.

That was a great post! I'll be trying the milk thing too then. I tried egg whites and they made my paper too soggy and the ink bled and the labels started peeling off at the corners right away. Must have done something wrong...

 

[jswordy]

Carolyn, brush the milk on lightly and be quick about your business of affixing the label. Position it, then roll the bottle on the towel to press it down. That's the way to do it. The more you mess with them and the more you swipe across them with your fingers, the less happy you'll be.

The beauty part comes when you take them off!

If you want a semigloss label, lightly spray your labels with hairspray or hobbyist clear gloss paint and allow to dry before attaching. I don't bother.

 

[ckvchestnut]

Thanks! I'll be doing this trick shortly when I bottle my batch of db next weekend... appreciate the advice!

 

[Geronimo]

I just ran a test of the paper/milk labels and was sufficiently impressed! I just have a B&W laser printer though so my labels might be lacking any flair.

Do you find the labels stay on for years? Using milk, I'd guess the bond breaks down in the really dry air of winter.

 

[ckvchestnut]

I just ran a test of the paper/milk labels and was sufficiently impressed! I just have a B&W laser printer though so my labels might be lacking any flair.

Do you find the labels stay on for years? Using milk, I'd guess the bond breaks down in the really dry air of winter.

Ahh that sounds like good news! What weight paper did u use?

 

[GaDawg]

Jim, what a great tutorial

 

[Geronimo]

Ahh that sounds like good news! What weight paper did u use?

Ordinary 20 lbs white laser (copy) paper.

 

[ckvchestnut]

Perfect! It's all I have ATM that is white

 

[jswordy]

I just ran a test of the paper/milk labels and was sufficiently impressed! I just have a B&W laser printer though so my labels might be lacking any flair.

Do you find the labels stay on for years? Using milk, I'd guess the bond breaks down in the really dry air of winter.

My oldest bottle is 3-1/2 years old. Label still firmly affixed. No peeling.

I can't take credit for using milk to affix labels, as I learned it from a post by a past member here. I see in review that above my post is one by homer saying the same thing. I have posted it so much here I really do sound like a broken record. So I decided to add pix and do it one … more … time!

I've gotten now to where I do not even like to give away labeled bottles, because I have already peeled off the hard commercial label and I want to keep my easy-peelers for myself! I make people promise to return my bottles and tell them why - which results in about 50% actually returning them.

This fulfills my three goals in life: Cheap-Fast-Easy. It's not often I get the trifecta!

One of the best things about it is that you have unlimited free images at Google Images. Or use your own pictures.

 

[cintipam]

Jim thanks for posting this. Hubby and I are both lactose intolerant, so only have dry milk around. Have you ever used that? Just in case we have to buy some do you use 2%, fat free, or what?

from the oh too persnickity Pam in cinti

 

[jswordy]

Jim thanks for posting this. Hubby and I are both lactose intolerant, so only have dry milk around. Have you ever used that? Just in case we have to buy some do you use 2%, fat free, or what?

from the oh too persnickity Pam in cinti

It's the casein in the milk that sticks 'em, same as Elmers Glue, so rehydrated dried milk ought to work. I use 2%, whatever we have around the house. You could always buy a lil half-pint carton. That will go sour before you use it all up. A little tiny bit goes a long way. You could even dilute Elmers Glue and use it, but it would probably be more expensive than milk.

 

[jamesngalveston]

wordy, have you ever known a woman that didnt mess with things...LOL

 

[Julie]

wordy, have you ever known a woman that didnt mess with things...LOL

Watch it James, you don't want to be the guy who is known for ticking off every female on the site do you?