Make Your Own Wine Bottle Labels

For the past 3 years, this empty wine bottle has been taking up space on my counter. Why you ask? Because it is the wine bottle from my first date with Kevin. (Awww!!)

I know it looks disgusting but it is a sweet and sentimental reminder of the night we met. 

Truthfully, I almost didn't keep it. After our date was over, Kevin told me to take the rest of the wine home. I did and once I had finished off the bottle, I didn't even think about it and threw the bottle away. Luckily, Kevin is very sentimental. A few days after our date, we were on the phone and he asked me if I kept it. He reminded me that if things worked out between us, it might be a sweet reminder of our first date. ( I love my sentimental husband!!) So I quickly ran to the garbage and fished it out.

Anyways, on to the purpose of this post. It was in desperate need of some TLC and I wanted to jazz it up a bit! So I decided to make my own wine bottle label using Picasa.

If you're not familiar with Picasa, it's a great (and free) picture program that you can use to make all kinds of cool projects as well as touch up photos. Here's how to use it to make collages, wine bottle labels, or other picture products.

1. Download Picasa for free!

2. You must first choose a picture to use even if you don't want to keep it. I have not found a way to start a collage without first choosing a picture. You can always take the photo away later.

3. Click on the picture you want to use and then click the "Create" tab at the top and choose "Picture Collage."

4. You will get a colored background and either one or many photos will appear on your background. Any photos you don't want in your collage can be pulled off to the side and out of the collage.

5. Once you have chosen the photo you want (or none at all), click on the settings tab to the side. Here you can change your background color and the size of your background.

6. Click "Create Collage" when you are ready.

7. Now you get to add your text! Over on the left side, click "Text." Start typing and then you can change your font, size and color of your text over to the left.

8. If you want your text to be very large or you want to rotate your text, put your mouse in the middle of your text and then click on the circle to expand or rotate your text.

9. To apply your changes, click "Apply" over to the left. Then keep adding text and playing around with it until you get it just the way you want it. To export your picture, click the "Export" button at the bottom of your screen and choose where you want to export the picture.

10. Then print your label onto label paper.

And Voila...you have your new and improved wine bottle.

Front!

Back!

Just for fun...here's another project I created using Picasa. I think it's going to go in the bathroom...eventually!