The Secret to Making Vintage Bottle Labels

On a recent post, I shared how to group collectibles for more impact. In that post, I shared my collection of Vintage Amber Bottles with Vintage Rusty Labels attached. Since many of you asked where the labels came from, I decided to share.

Here is the secret to making vintage bottle labels that you can use to attach to bottles or cabinetry. This is such a simple and easy tutorial and although they are faux vintage, you’ll be amazed how good they look. All you need is some left over coffee and cinnamon plus plain card stock.

Print labels

First determine what style of label you prefer. There are several Free Printable Labels available online. If you don’t have a printer, you can download and send to a local printer such as Staples or Office Depot.

You can download free printable labels from several sources. These are from The Graphic Fairy and I have had them for a couple of years.

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Age Your Labels

Once you have your labels printed you can begin the aging process. I just save a little coffee from my morning cup and pour it into a flat dish. Prepare a drying area using either a towel or paper towels with some protection for your counter tops underneath. Quickly dip your labels into the coffee and then transfer to your drying area. You can dribble extra coffee onto the card stock to add darker spots.

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Next, sprinkle the entire surface with cinnamon. Allow the card stock labels to dry thoroughly.

If you are pressed for time, you can speed up the drying process by placing the card stock in the microwave. Usually 30 – 45 seconds will be enough time to start. However, it is very important to not over heat. Warning: You can catch the paper on fire by overheating. I only use this method if I’m watching the microwave the entire time and then only if I’m extremely pushed for time. It’s best to let the drying happen naturally.

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Cut Vintage Bottle Labels

Once the paper is completely dry, you can begin to cut the labels using scissors.

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Attached Labels

You can attach the labels to most bottles using double stick tape. I also like to tie them onto the neck of some bottle by attaching a piece of jute string. Just punch a hole large enough to slip the string through and tie a knot to prevent the string from pulling through the hole. I used an ice pick to punch the hole.

If you love simple and easy DIY Tutorials, Click here for another great tutorial from earlier this year.

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Vintage Bottle Labels

To create an authentic aged look, you can distress the edges of the label. Here I’ve taken the ice pick and removed some of the label around the edge. As a result, the label appears more worn and realistic.

Although I’m showing most bottles with a label, when grouping your bottle collection together, I recommend leaving some bottles bare to create a more interesting vignette.

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All of these bottles are vintage, however if you have a collection that isn’t vintage, you can certainly create the illusion of old bottles by making Vintage Bottle Labels and attaching them. Here is a link to some great reproductions.

See How to Make Jute Tassels Here.

I’m looking forward to using these in my Fall Decor this year. I hope this gave you some ideas for Fall. If you are getting ready to decorate, check out my 10 Tips for Free Fall Decorating.

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Thanks so much for stopping by. I look forward to sharing my next adventure with you!

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